Apple Stops Signing iOS 15.3 Following iOS 15.3.1 Release, Downgrading No Longer Possible

Following the release of iOS 15.3.1 on February 10, Apple has stopped signing iOS 15.3, the previously available version of iOS that came out in late January. Because iOS 15.3 is no longer being signed, it is not possible to downgrade to that version of iOS if you've updated to iOS 15.3.1.

ios 15
Apple routinely stops signing older versions of software updates after new releases come out in order to encourage customers to keep their operating systems up to date.

iOS 15.3 was a bug fix update that addressed a significant Safari bug that could leak browsing activity, while iOS 15.3.1 was another bug fix update further addressing WebKit vulnerabilities.

Popular Stories

Alleged iPhone 17 Pro Antenna Design

Two All-New iPhone 17 Colors Seemingly Confirmed

Monday August 25, 2025 4:22 am PDT by
Apple will offer the upcoming iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max in a new orange color, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. Gurman made the claim in the latest edition of his Power On newsletter, adding that the new iPhone 17 Air – replacing the iPhone 16 Plus – will come in a new light blue color. We've heard multiple rumors about a new iPhone 17 Pro color being a shade of orange. The ...
AirPods Pro 3 Heart Rate Tracking Feature

AirPods Pro 3 Expected to Launch This Year With Key New Feature

Sunday August 24, 2025 7:16 am PDT by
Bloomberg's Mark Gurman expects Apple to release new AirPods Pro this year, and he said the earbuds will have a key new feature: heart rate monitoring. From his Power On newsletter today, with emphasis added:As for Apple's other devices, there's a lot in the fall pipeline — though many of the new products are only incremental upgrades. There will be Apple Watch updates, faster Vision...
iPhone 17 Pro on Desk Centered 1

iPhone 17 Pro Coming Soon With These 12 New Features

Sunday August 24, 2025 6:00 am PDT by
Apple's iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max should be unveiled in a few more weeks, and there are plenty of rumors about the devices. In his Power On newsletter today, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman corroborated a rumor that iPhone 17 Pro models will be "available in an orange color." Below, we recap key changes rumored for the iPhone 17 Pro models: Aluminum frame: iPhone 17 Pro models are...
iPhone 17 Air Thumb 2 Blue Electric Boogaloo

Apple Has Reportedly Considered Releasing iPhone 17 Air Bumper Case

Sunday August 24, 2025 12:40 pm PDT by
Apple has "considered" releasing a bumper case for the upcoming iPhone 17 Air, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. Similar to the bumper case that Apple introduced for the iPhone 4 in 2010, Gurman said the iPhone 17 Air version of the case would cover the edges of the device, but not the back of it. Those bumper cases were made of rubber. Given that the iPhone 17 Air is expected to have ...
awe dropping event

Apple Event Announced for September 9: 'Awe Dropping'

Tuesday August 26, 2025 9:01 am PDT by
Apple will hold its annual iPhone-centric event on Tuesday, September 9 at the Apple Park campus in Cupertino, California, according to an announcement that went out today. The event will start at 10:00 a.m., with select members of the media invited to attend. At the September 2025 iPhone event, Apple will unveil the iPhone 17 lineup, which includes an all-new ultra-thin iPhone 17 Air. It...
Awe Dropping Apple Event Feature

Five Things to Expect From Apple's 'Awe Dropping' September 9 Event

Tuesday August 26, 2025 4:17 pm PDT by
Apple today announced its "Awe Dropping" iPhone-centric event, which is set to take place on Tuesday, September 9 at 10:00 a.m. Pacific Time. There are a long list of products that are coming, but we thought we'd pull out five feature highlights to look forward to. That Super Thin iPhone - Apple's September 9 event will see the unveiling of the first redesigned iPhone we've had in years, ...
Awe Dropping Apple Event Feature

Apple Event Logo Hints at Two iPhone 17 Pro Features

Wednesday August 27, 2025 6:36 am PDT by
Apple's logo for its upcoming September 9 event hints at two rumored iPhone 17 Pro features, including new color options and a vapor chamber cooling system. Of course, this is all just speculation for fun, as we count down the final days until the event. New Colors Last month, Macworld's Filipe Espósito reported that orange and dark blue would be two out of the five color options...
airpods pro 2 gradient

AirPods Pro 3: Four Key Design Changes Anticipated

Tuesday August 26, 2025 4:05 am PDT by
Apple hasn't updated the AirPods Pro since 2022 other than a shift from Lightning to USB-C, and the earbuds are due for a refresh. According to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, Apple will launch AirPods Pro 3 later this year, and apart from new features like heart rate monitoring, we're also expecting a few design changes. The fourth‑generation AirPods offer useful clues to Apple's design cues for ...

Top Rated Comments

Thebrochure Avatar
46 months ago
This is one of those things that lawmakers should step up to the plate and end. You should always be allowed to go back to whatever iOS you want, as long as it's not older than the original version that came with your phone.
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
JosephAW Avatar
46 months ago
Apple should allow the ability to reinstall the original iOS version for each device and then the user can upgrade to each successive iOS major releases just like they allowed my iPhone 4S to reinstall iOS 6 and then iOS 8 and then iOS 9. I stopped at iOS 8.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
BaltimoreMediaBlog Avatar
46 months ago

This is one of those things that lawmakers should step up to the plate and end. You should always be allowed to go back to whatever iOS you want, as long as it's not older than the original version that came with your phone.
I totally AGREE and the IOS 10 to 11 transition should have resulted in a Class Action lawsuit for deleting nearly a hundred apps from my iPhone 5s without my permission, and Apple shipping it back to me less functional after a battery repair that I paid for too when others got them for free. So for me it was a kick in the balls bigtime!

THIS SHOULD BE ILLEGAL!
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
MysticCow Avatar
46 months ago
I despise the whole “no longer signing” garbage. If there’s an issue and you NEEEEEED to downgrade it, it isn’t possible. You’re just plain screwed.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Octavius8 Avatar
46 months ago
How about first fixing the Bluetooth issue on the cars?. (Disconnecting every few seconds after iOS 15.3).
Apple support suggest “car issue”, of course… 4 iPhone generations, no problem, iOS 15 on my 13Pro, no problem, iOS 15.3 dissaster!. Will Apple Pay me a new car now that they broke basic Bluetooth calling with a car????
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
NMBob Avatar
46 months ago

I despise the whole “no longer signing” garbage. If there’s an issue and you NEEEEEED to downgrade it, it isn’t possible. You’re just plain screwed.
You would think if congress wanted to do something useful they would look into something like th....never mind.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)