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 Lower Logo Feature 1

iPhone 17 Pro Coming Soon With These 14 New Features

Monday June 30, 2025 1:08 pm PDT by
Apple's next-generation iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are less than three months away, and there are plenty of rumors about the devices. Apple is expected to launch the iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Air, iPhone 17 Pro, and iPhone 17 Pro Max in September this year. Below, we recap key changes rumored for the iPhone 17 Pro models:Aluminum frame: iPhone 17 Pro models are rumored to have an...
Apple Watch Ultra Night Mode Screen

Apple Watch Ultra 3 Launching Later This Year With Two Key Upgrades

Wednesday July 2, 2025 1:13 pm PDT by
The long wait for an Apple Watch Ultra 3 appears to be nearly over, and it is rumored to feature both satellite connectivity and 5G support. Apple Watch Ultra's existing Night Mode In his latest Power On newsletter, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said that the Apple Watch Ultra 3 is on track to launch this year with "significant" new features, including satellite connectivity, which would let you...
iPhone 17 Pro Lower Logo Magsafe

iPhone 17 Pro's New MagSafe Design Revealed in Leaked Photo

Wednesday July 2, 2025 8:37 am PDT by
The upcoming iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are rumored to have a slightly different MagSafe magnet layout compared to existing iPhone models, and a leaked photo has offered a closer look at the supposed new design. The leaker Majin Bu today shared a photo of alleged MagSafe magnet arrays for third-party iPhone 17 Pro cases. On existing iPhone models with MagSafe, the magnets form a...
Wi Fi WiFi General Feature

iOS 26 Adds a Useful New Wi-Fi Feature to Your iPhone

Wednesday July 2, 2025 6:36 am PDT by
iOS 26 and iPadOS 26 add a smaller yet useful Wi-Fi feature to iPhones and iPads. As spotted by Creative Strategies analyst Max Weinbach, sign-in details for captive Wi-Fi networks are now synced across iPhones and iPads running iOS 26 and iPadOS 26. For example, while Weinbach was staying at a Hilton hotel, his iPhone prompted him to fill in Wi-Fi details from his iPad that was already...
iPhone 17 Pro in Hand Feature Lowgo

iPhone 17 Pro Max Battery Capacity Leaked

Thursday July 3, 2025 5:40 am PDT by
The iPhone 17 Pro Max will feature the biggest ever battery in an iPhone, according to the Weibo leaker known as "Instant Digital." In a new post, the leaker listed the battery capacities of the iPhone 11 Pro Max through to the iPhone 16 Pro Max, and added that the iPhone 17 Pro Max will feature a battery capacity of 5,000mAh: iPhone 11 Pro Max: 3,969mAh iPhone 12 Pro Max: 3,687mAh...
iOS 18

Apple Releases Second iOS 18.6 Public Beta

Tuesday July 1, 2025 10:19 am PDT by
Apple today seeded the second betas of upcoming iOS 18.6 and iPadOS 18.6 updates to public beta testers, with the betas coming just a day after Apple provided the betas to developers. Apple has also released a second beta of macOS Sequoia 15.6. Testers who have signed up for beta updates through Apple's beta site can download iOS 18.6 and iPadOS 18.6 from the Settings app on a compatible...
maxresdefault

New MacBook With A18 Pro Chip Spotted in Apple Code

Monday June 30, 2025 8:05 am PDT by
Apple is developing a MacBook with the A18 Pro chip, according to findings in backend code uncovered by MacRumors. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. Earlier today, Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo reported that Apple is planning to launch a low-cost MacBook powered by an iPhone chip. The machine is expected to feature a 13-inch display, the A18 Pro chip, and color options...

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)