Apple Stops Signing iOS 18.6.2, iOS 26 Downgrades Now Impossible - MacRumorsOpen MenuShow RoundupsShow Forums menuVisit ForumsOpen Sidebar
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Unsigning software prevents Apple customers from installing outdated, less secure versions of iOS.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

Four iPhone 18 Pro Colors Mock Feature

iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone Ultra: Pre-Orders and Release Date

Thursday July 30, 2026 6:12 am PDT by
Apple has yet to reveal when the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone Ultra will be announced and released, but the dates usually follow a familiar pattern. Labor Day is September 7 this year. The last time the holiday fell on that day was in 2020, but the iPhone event that year was delayed until October due to the COVID-19 pandemic. So, the last time Labor Day was on September 7 in a normal year was in ...
Read Full Article
Apple Event Logo

Apple Working on All-New Operating System

Wednesday July 29, 2026 11:39 am PDT by
Apple is developing an all-new operating system that is essentially a mix of tvOS, watchOS, and iOS, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. In a report this week, he said the operating system will feature a grid of icons, widgets, and apps, along with customizable clock faces. The new software platform is intended for Apple's long-rumored smart home hub. With built-in facial recognition,...
Read Full Article
Dynamic Island iPhone 18 Pro Feature

iPhone 18 Pro: Twelve Changes Coming to Apple's Next Flagship

Thursday July 30, 2026 3:43 am PDT by
We're less than two months out from the launch of Apple's premium next-generation smartphone lineup, and while we're not expecting a dramatic change in terms of functionality, there are still several enhancements rumored to be coming to the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max. One thing worth noting is that Apple is reportedly planning a major change to its iPhone release cycle this year,...
Read Full Article • 32 comments

Top Rated Comments

T
TheSl0th
11 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
11 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
11 months ago
Forgive my ignorance, but why can’t you downgrade to 18.7?
Score: 32 Votes (Like | Disagree)
4
4694114
11 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
11 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
11 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

🔗 Related Apple News & Rumors

Stay updated with the latest Apple ecosystem news and verified rumors