Apple Stops Signing iOS 16 and iOS 16.0.1, Downgrading From iOS 16.0.2 No Longer Possible

Following the launch of iOS 16.0.2 last Thursday, Apple has stopped signing iOS 16 and iOS 16.0.1, the two previously available versions that came out in mid-September. Since the two versions are no longer being signed, it is not possible to downgrade to those versions of iOS after installing iOS 16.0.2.

iOS 16
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, so it is not unusual that iOS 16 and iOS 16.0.1 are no longer being signed.

Apple released iOS 16 to the general public on September 12 following several months of beta testing. Key new features include a highly customizable Lock Screen, the ability to temporarily edit or unsend iMessages, improvements to Focus modes, and more. The free software update is compatible with the iPhone 8 and newer.

Apple then released iOS 16.0.1 as a day-one update for the iPhone 14 models to fix bugs including an issue with activation and migration during setup, a problem that could cause photos to appear soft when zooming in in landscape orientation on iPhone 14 Pro Max, and a bug that could cause enterprise single sign-on apps to fail to authenticate.

Although it's no longer possible to downgrade to the earlier versions of iOS outlined above, users can still revert to iOS 15 by connecting to a Mac or PC, thanks to a security fix that Apple issued alongside iOS 16 in the form of iOS 15.7.

Related Forum: iOS 16

Popular Stories

iPhone 17 Pro Blue Feature Tighter Crop

iPhone 17 Pro Launching in Three Months With These 12 New Features

Saturday June 21, 2025 2:45 pm PDT by
The iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are around three months away, and there are plenty of rumors about the devices from credible sources. Below, we recap key changes rumored for the iPhone 17 Pro models as of June 2025:Aluminum frame: iPhone 17 Pro models are rumored to have an aluminum frame, whereas the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro models have a titanium frame, and the iPhone X...
iPhone 16 Battery Life Feature

iOS 26's New Battery Life Mode Available Only on These iPhone Models

Saturday June 21, 2025 9:02 am PDT by
Last week, we reported that iOS 26 introduces an opt-in Adaptive Power Mode on the iPhone, alongside the existing Low Power Mode. Apple says that Adaptive Power Mode can make "small performance adjustments" when necessary to extend an iPhone's battery life, including slightly lowering the display brightness or allowing some activities to "take a little longer." The full description of...
All Screen iPhone 2027 Feature 1

iPhone Reportedly Moving to All-Screen Design in Two Stages

Sunday June 22, 2025 3:58 pm PDT by
Apple has long been working towards an iPhone with an all-screen design, and it might finally achieve the feat in a few more years from now. In his Power On newsletter today, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said that Apple will shrink the size of the Dynamic Island on new iPhone models released next year. A year after that, he expects Apple to release a redesigned 20th-anniversary iPhone model....
iPhone 17 Pro Blue Feature Tighter Crop

iPhone 17 Pro's Alleged Vapor Chamber Cooling System Partly Revealed

Sunday June 22, 2025 6:37 am PDT by
Apple's upcoming iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max models are rumored to be equipped with a vapor chamber cooling system, and a leaker known as Majin Bu today shared a photo of an alleged copper thermal plate for the system. Many high-end Android smartphones like Samsung's Galaxy S25 Ultra are equipped with a vapor chamber cooling system, which can manage heat dissipation inside the...
Wi Fi WiFi General Feature

iOS 26 Adding Two New Wi-Fi Features, Allows AirDrop and AirPlay Alternatives

Saturday June 21, 2025 7:02 am PDT by
iOS 26 is gaining two new Wi-Fi features, including Captive Assist and Wi-Fi Aware. MacRumors contributor Aaron Perris discovered a reference to Captive Assist within the code for the first iOS 26 developer beta, but Apple has yet to enable the feature. It should be available by the time the software update is released later this year. In his Power On newsletter last month, Bloomberg's...
ios 26 control center b2

iOS 26 Beta 2 Fixes Control Center Design

Monday June 23, 2025 10:58 am PDT by
With the second beta of iOS 26 that Apple provided to developers today, Apple addressed one of the major complaints that people have had with Liquid Glass. iOS 26 beta 1 on left, iOS 26 beta 2 on right The Control Center buttons are now slightly more opaque, making it easier to see the different control options even on a multicolored background. The new, more opaque look is apparent with the ...
iOS 26 Feature

Everything New in iOS 26 Beta 2

Monday June 23, 2025 2:57 pm PDT by
Apple provided developers with the second beta of iOS 26, introducing the first changes and refinements to the new operating system since it debuted after the WWDC keynote. Because we're early in the beta testing process, there are quite a few tweaks to iOS 26, which we've rounded up below. Control Center The background behind the Liquid Glass Control Center buttons has more blur, allowing...
iOS 26 on Three iPhones

iOS 26 Includes These Five Smaller Features You Might Have Missed

Saturday June 21, 2025 11:18 am PDT by
While the dust is beginning to settle on the first iOS 26 beta, we continue to take a closer look at new features coming with the update. Below, we recap five smaller changes that you might have missed. Emoji Game Apple News+ subscribers in the U.S. and Canada can play a new Emoji Game, which tasks players with completing words and phrases with emoji. This is the fifth game that is...
airpods 4 blue

Apple Offering Free AirPods — Here's How to Get Them

Tuesday June 17, 2025 6:33 am PDT by
Apple is running a new promotion that offers free AirPods to qualifying customers. Now through September 30, college and university students in the U.S., Canada, Mexico, and Singapore can receive free AirPods 4 when they purchase an eligible new Mac or iPad from Apple. AirPods Pro 2 are also available at a discount. If you do not want AirPods, the promotion also offers various other...

Top Rated Comments

Wildkraut Avatar
36 months ago
The day will soon come that Apple is forced to stop these customer unfriendly signing practices, it's part of EU's RightToRepair bill.
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
JosephAW Avatar
36 months ago
Well Apple is restraining themselves by continuing to sign iOS 15.7:rolleyes:
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
I7guy Avatar
36 months ago
That was fast. Although not sure why anybody would want to downgrade to those versions anyway.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
MacD Avatar
36 months ago
Why is this news?
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
FeliApple Avatar
36 months ago
Funny choice of words here: “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”.

I’d say: “In order to force customers to keep their operating systems up to date if they have any issues which require restoring, or if Apple has a bug in their own activation servers which forcibly deactivate devices, rendering the user helpless and irreversibly shattering battery life and performance in the process”. Yes, I think that would be the accurate way to say it.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
cyanite Avatar
36 months ago

The day will soon come that Apple is forced to stop these customer unfriendly signing practices, it's part of EU's RightToRepair bill.
In many cases iOS release address important security bugs. You could argue that it's customer unfriendly to supply known security bugged firmware.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)