Apple Stops Signing iOS 18.6.2, iOS 26 Downgrades Now Impossible - MacRumors
Skip to Content

Apple Stops Signing iOS 18.6.2, iOS 26 Downgrades Now Impossible

by

Apple has stopped signing iOS 18.6.2, which means that if you've upgraded to iOS 26, you're no longer able to downgrade to a version of iOS 18. Apple released iOS 26 a week ago.

iOS 26 on iPhone Feature
When software is "signed," it means that it has passed a server-side verification check that Apple performs when a new version of iOS is downloaded on an iPhone. An update can't be installed unless it passes the verification check.

Unsigning software prevents Apple customers from installing outdated, less secure versions of iOS.

Apple isn't forcing users to install ‌iOS 26‌, and there is an option to continue using iOS 18, but once a device has been upgraded to ‌iOS 26‌, there's no going back.

Apple has also stopped signing iPadOS 18.6.2 and tvOS 18.6, so there's also no downgrade option available for iPads.

Popular Stories

Apple Watch Ultra 2 Black Titanium

New Apple Watch Series 12 and Apple Watch Ultra 4 Features Revealed

Sunday August 30, 2026 7:54 am PDT by
Bloomberg's Mark Gurman today further outlined what to expect from the Apple Watch Series 12 and Apple Watch Ultra 4 set to be unveiled on September 9. While it was initially rumored that Touch ID may be coming to the Apple Watch this year, Gurman reiterated that he does not expect the Series 12 or Ultra 4 to have any major design changes compared to the current Series 11 and Ultra 3 models. ...
Read Full Article • 148 comments
Mac mini vs Studio Feature Sans Text 1

Apple Caught Off Guard by AI Demand for Mac Mini and Mac Studio

Sunday August 30, 2026 8:52 am PDT by
Apple's unusually timed announcement of new Mac mini and Mac Studio models this week was driven by unexpectedly strong enterprise appetite for AI hardware, according to The Information. Apple normally releases new Mac models in the autumn, closer to October or November, making this week's announcement unusually early, falling just before the anticipated arrival of new iPhone models. The...
Read Full Article • 246 comments
Apple Surprise Shine

Apple Event: Six New Products to Expect on September 9

Thursday August 27, 2026 8:00 am PDT by
Apple has announced that it will be holding an event on Wednesday, September 9 at 10 a.m. Pacific Time, with the company widely expected to unveil the iPhone 18 Pro, iPhone 18 Pro Max, its first-ever foldable iPhone, and more. Other products expected to be announced at the event include an Apple Watch Series 12 with a ceramic case option, an Apple Watch Ultra 4, AirPods 5 with and without...
Read Full Article • 55 comments

Top Rated Comments

T
TheSl0th
12 months ago
What are you talking about, there’s iOS 18.7 to downgrade to…?

Edit: apparently I’m wrong, most devices do not have an available 18.7 IPSW.
Score: 45 Votes (Like | Disagree)
DownUnderDan Avatar
DownUnderDan
12 months ago
Would it kill Apple to leave the last of the previous OS version active and available as a rollback for the life of the current version release? Its not like the older release isn't getting security updates. This just smacks of a company not confident enough in their new product and fearful a large number of customers will after a time reject it if they have an option to go back.
Score: 33 Votes (Like | Disagree)
B
Böhme417
12 months ago
Forgive my ignorance, but why can’t you downgrade to 18.7?
Score: 32 Votes (Like | Disagree)
4
4694114
12 months ago

What are you talking about, there’s iOS 18.7 to downgrade to…?

Yeah was going to say this as well

Forgive my ignorance, but why can’t you downgrade to 18.7?

Um, the current version of iOS 18 is 18.7. I don’t see why it would be impossible to revert.

18.7 still being signed
There is no IPSW file for 18.7 for devices that support 26. So, you would need to downgrade to 18.6.2 then update to 18.7 OTA. That path is now gone
Score: 27 Votes (Like | Disagree)
HiVolt Avatar
HiVolt
12 months ago

Would it kill Apple to leave the last of the previous OS version active and available as a rollback for the life of the current version release? Its not like the older release isn't getting security updates. This just smacks of a company not confident enough in their new product and fearful a large number of customers will after a time reject it if they have an option to go back.
And it's not like the average user even knows how to downgrade.

I've never understood this obsession to prevent downgrades, especially if a new version has flaws, sometimes very serious ones that aren't fixed right away.
Score: 26 Votes (Like | Disagree)
U
unsui_grep
12 months ago
Oh man, I just finished "downgrading" all of my devices. Apple needs to reverse course OS26 is awful across the board. They need to offer a classic mode or something. It's truly mind-boggling how they can put something so awful on their beautiful hardware. Besides being an accessibility nightmare it's just so buggy, tacky, and cheap looking. If folks want to bedazzle their UI with rhinestones, that's fine with me, but give me a way to opt out. Sequoia never looked so good.
Score: 23 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Read All Comments