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Apple closes iOS 8.1 signing window, eliminating chance to downgrade

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Apple has closed the signing window for iOS 8.1 on compatible iPhone, iPad and iPod touch models, thereby eliminating the ability for users to downgrade to the software version. iOS 8.1.1, seeded as an over-the-air update a few weeks ago, is now the earliest software version that devices can be restored to.

If you are currently using an iPhone, iPad or iPod touch that is running iOS 8.1, keep in mind that you will be unable to ever go back to that software version if you upgrade at this point. The good news for jailbroken users is that an iOS 8.1.1 untethered jailbreak has already been released for Windows, with an OS X tool on the horizon.

iOS 8.1.1 is compatible with the iPhone 4s, iPhone 5, iPhone 5c, iPhone 5s, iPhone 6, iPhone 6 Plus, iPad 2, iPad 3rd generation, iPad 4th generation, iPad Air, iPad Air 2, iPad mini, iPad mini 2, iPad mini 3 and iPod touch 5th generation. iOS devices purchased from Apple Stores should be running iOS 8.1 – iOS 8.1.1 out of the box.

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Comments

  1. otterwithkids - 9 years ago

    You should still be able to restore from a downloaded OS, though, right?

    • bizzaregood - 9 years ago

      No. The downloaded os, ipsw, has to check with Apple, the window is now closed

    • Avenged110 - 9 years ago

      No, that’s what they just stopped allowing. It will error if you try to restore to an 8.1 ipsw.

    • Kishore SV (@ICEhot87) - 9 years ago

      No you can’t.

    • philboogie - 9 years ago

      Technically you are correct, this is indeed possible. But I presume you would want to use that downloaded OS, whatever version, but you won’t be able to as Apple doesn’t sign an older OS. Major releases (the yearly ones) have a slot of a few days before they stop signing the older OS. So people should try out a new OS immediately upon release, try it for a day or two and restore to the older OS swiftly if they don’t like it. Otherwise you’ll be stuck with (usually a slower OS) it if Apple doesn’t fix any shortcomings in later dot releases.

    • Scott (@ScooterComputer) - 9 years ago

      No. Downloaded or not, the IPSW file needs to be accompanied by a cryptographic token (the SHSH blobs and tickets spoken about) in order for the iPhone (iPhone 4S and iPad 2 and later) to allow the software to be installed. (Yes, you read that right, the iPhone protects itself, effectively.) Since Apple is no longer signing for 8.1, the iPhone will not accept it. Out of luck.

      I suggest you contact your governmental representatives, your state’s Attorney General or consumer affairs group, and anyone else who will listen and demand legislation to stop this kind of behavior. I am fully supportive of Apple’s desire to sign and protect their firmware as a security measure for authenticity; I am firmly against, however, Apple using the mechanism as a measure of consumer abuse by way of forced upgrades and planned obsolescence.

      And before somebody jumps in here and screams that Apple is not forcing anyone to do anything, just stop…shut up. They are. If I have an iPhone 4S right now and I’d like to continue, happily, using it on iOS 7 with a significantly improved user/performance experience, I cannot. Apple has forced iPhone 4S and iPad 2/iPad mini users to a slower operating system with a significant number of bugs and is holding their hardware investment hostage in the process. There can be no other explanation for that than what it –IS–, which is forced obsolescence.

  2. ssmarks30 - 9 years ago

    GREAT MODERNIZATION

  3. feonix2014 - 9 years ago

    This really bad. With many threads on the apple support site one with over 1000 post asking for a roll back to IOS 7 because their wifi only devices are now useless. Until Apple sort out the wifi dropping problems of IOS 8x they should give people the options. I’m surprised 9-5 haven’t covered the problem.

  4. My iPhone 4S upgraded to the latest iOS works just fine. I don’t know what the fuss is about.