Apple Stops Signing iOS 26.2, Blocks Downgrades from iOS 26.2.1
Apple today stopped signing iOS 26.2, which means that iPhone users who updated to iOS 26.2.1 can no longer downgrade to an earlier version of iOS. Apple released iOS 26.2.1 last week with AirTags 2 support.
Software “signing” means that it has passed a server-side verification check performed by Apple when a user downloads a new version of iOS to an iPhone. An update cannot be installed unless it passes the validation test.
Apple doesn’t show users previous versions of iOS when an upgrade is out, but if the software is still signed, you may be able to downgrade using the macOS Finder on a Mac or the Apple Devices app on a Windows PC. Until today, users were able to downgrade from iOS 26.2.1 to iOS 26.2 if they wanted to for some reason.
Unsigned software prevents Apple customers from installing outdated, less secure versions of iOS, and Apple typically stops signing an update a week or so after new software comes out.
Apple has also stopped signing several older versions of iOS that provided devices that could not be updated to iOS 26, including iOS 12.5.7, iOS 15.8.5, iOS 16.7.12, and iOS 18.7.3. iOS 12.5.8, iOS 15.8.6, and iOS 18.7.4 were released last week, while the updated version of iOS 16 is out today.
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