Apple Stops Signing iOS 18.3.1

Apple today stopped signing iOS 18.3.1, so iPhone users who have upgraded to iOS 18.3.2 are no longer able to downgrade to the prior version of iOS 18. Apple released iOS 18.3.2 on March 10.

iOS 18
It is not unusual for Apple to stop signing older versions of iOS after releasing an update. Software that is not signed cannot be installed on an ‌iPhone‌ due to a server-side verification check, and it keeps ‌iPhone‌ users from installing outdated versions of iOS. ‌iPhone‌ models compatible with ‌iOS 18‌ are only eligible to download and run iOS 18.3.2 at this time.

By preventing customers from installing older versions of iOS or downgrading, Apple ensures that devices have the latest security improvements.

iOS 18.3.2 introduced important security fixes, addressing a vulnerability that may have been actively exploited.

Popular Stories

apple watch ultra yellow

What's Next for the Apple Watch Ultra 3 and Apple Watch SE 3

Friday April 25, 2025 2:44 pm PDT by
This week marks the 10th anniversary of the Apple Watch, which launched on April 24, 2015. Yesterday, we recapped features rumored for the Apple Watch Series 11, but since 2015, the Apple Watch has also branched out into the Apple Watch Ultra and the Apple Watch SE, so we thought we'd take a look at what's next for those product lines, too. 2025 Apple Watch Ultra 3 Apple didn't update the...
iPhone 17 Air Pastel Feature

iPhone 17 Air Launching Later This Year With These 16 New Features

Thursday April 24, 2025 8:24 am PDT by
While the so-called "iPhone 17 Air" is not expected to launch until September, there are already plenty of rumors about the ultra-thin device. Overall, the iPhone 17 Air sounds like a mixed bag. While the device is expected to have an impressively thin and light design, rumors indicate it will have some compromises compared to iPhone 17 Pro models, including only a single rear camera, a...
iPhone 17 Pro Blue Feature Tighter Crop

iPhone 17 Pro Launching Later This Year With These 13 New Features

Wednesday April 23, 2025 8:31 am PDT by
While the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are not expected to launch until September, there are already plenty of rumors about the devices. Below, we recap key changes rumored for the iPhone 17 Pro models as of April 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 ...
iphone 16 display

iPhone 17's Scratch Resistant Anti-Reflective Display Coating Canceled

Monday April 28, 2025 12:48 pm PDT by
Apple may have canceled the super scratch resistant anti-reflective display coating that it planned to use for the iPhone 17 Pro models, according to a source with reliable information that spoke to MacRumors. Last spring, Weibo leaker Instant Digital suggested Apple was working on a new anti-reflective display layer that was more scratch resistant than the Ceramic Shield. We haven't heard...
iPhone 17 Air Pastel Feature

iPhone 17 Reaches Key Milestone Ahead of Mass Production

Monday April 28, 2025 8:44 am PDT by
Apple has completed Engineering Validation Testing (EVT) for at least one iPhone 17 model, according to a paywalled preview of an upcoming DigiTimes report. iPhone 17 Air mockup based on rumored design The EVT stage involves Apple testing iPhone 17 prototypes to ensure the hardware works as expected. There are still DVT (Design Validation Test) and PVT (Production Validation Test) stages to...
Beyond iPhone 13 Better Blue

20th Anniversary iPhone Likely to Be Made in China Due to 'Extraordinarily Complex' Design

Monday April 28, 2025 4:29 am PDT by
Apple will likely manufacture its 20th anniversary iPhone models in China, despite broader efforts to shift production to India, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. In 2027, Apple is planning a "major shake-up" for the iPhone lineup to mark two decades since the original model launched. Gurman's previous reporting indicates the company will introduce a foldable iPhone alongside a "bold"...
top stories 2025 04 26

Top Stories: iPhone 17 Air Rumors, Apple Watch Turns 10, and More

Saturday April 26, 2025 6:00 am PDT by
We've known for quite some time about Apple's plans for a thinner "iPhone 17 Air" coming later this year, but wow, the latest dummy models give us our best look yet at just how thin this phone is going to be. Other Apple news and rumors this week included another iOS 18.5 beta, the 10th anniversary of the Apple Watch launch, and more management reshuffling in Apple's Siri division, so read...

Top Rated Comments

mxrider88 Avatar
6 weeks ago
It’s a good way to force users to use the latest bugs without chance to go back
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
brucemr Avatar
6 weeks ago
MR always does article when Apple stops signing an iOS version. Why? If MR article said Apple will stop signing tomorrow, for example., people could revert to last version.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Reeneman Avatar
6 weeks ago

MR always does article when Apple stops signing an iOS version. Why? If MR article said Apple will stop signing tomorrow, for example., people could revert to last version.
They probably won’t know it 1 day before :)
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Populus Avatar
6 weeks ago
Oh. Great. This morning I was planning to install 18.3.1 because the Mail App push feature doesn’t work on 18.3.2, and now Apple stops signing it? Damn… I guess they are forcing me to stay on the much less secure 18.0.1

Apple, could you stop this nonsense of releasing updates that introduce new bugs, break other features, and then blocking us from being able to downgrade to a version that worked better? This is getting a bit frustrating…
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
FishyFish Avatar
6 weeks ago
I miss iOS 18.3.1. Good times, good times.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
roncron Avatar
6 weeks ago
YouTuber Aaron Zollo has said that when Apple stops signing an iOS version it means another is on the way very soon. The logic seems to be that Apple wants people to have at least one recent older version in case they have problems with the current one and want to step down to a previous version. With Apple not signing 18.3.1, there is no older version of iOS (at least, not of iOS 18). Zollo’s argument seems to be that 18.3.2 is about to become the older version that people can downgrade to if they have problems with an as-yet-to-be-released version.

It seems too soon for 18.4 to be that new version soon to be released to the public. So maybe 18.3.3?

What do y’all think? Does Zollo’s logic make sense? Have you noticed a pattern where a new iOS version comes out within days of a previous version no longer being signed?
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)