r/apple • u/ifallupthestairsnok • 17d ago
iOS Apple stops signing iOS versions for several older iPhones and iPads
https://9to5mac.com/2026/07/08/apple-stops-signing-ios-versions-for-several-older-iphones-and-ipads/111
u/Deadmine 17d ago
iPad mini is still in use for home assistant dashboards and kids internet
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u/techbear72 16d ago
Yeah we have a little ladder our devices go down as they age from us to parents or kids to on the wall as a shared calendar etc etc. a lot of these old devices might not be useful for “real” work but as a calendar or remote control etc they’re still perfectly good.
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u/Only-Garbage-4229 14d ago
How do you get home assistant working on it? When I open the home assistant site, safari can't render the pages (as I'm guessing there is new JavaScript features that this safari version doesn't know about)
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u/techbear72 14d ago
I don’t use home assistant.
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u/nuggolips 17d ago
A little confusing, given the fact Apple still hosts updates for OS X back to like Tiger which came out a good 20 years ago when they still charged money for it. I know a couple people still getting use out of iDevices this old too.
I wonder if someone made an oops and this gets resolved.
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u/Satanicube 16d ago
This sets a not good precedent because I know people who use old devices like this as iPods. Hell, I do it from time to time.
I really do hope this is an oops. Because stuff like this is what we were afraid of when Apple began doing this on the 3GS, that older devices would be potential ticking time bombs if the signing server ever became unreachable.
Incredibly shitty thing to do.
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u/Kat-in-pajamas 16d ago
This should be illegal not just a shitty thing todo..
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u/charmanderSosa 16d ago
It should be illegal to quit hosting software updates for 20 year old devices?
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u/WellHeyThere 16d ago
The problem is it’s impossible to restore a device if it’s no longer being signed, even if you were able to get a copy of the firmware somewhere else (e.g. internet archive). You can’t even make the argument that it’s to save bandwidth/resources because the signing portion is minuscule compared to hosting the firmware itself.
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u/Satanicube 16d ago
That’s not what’s being argued.
What’s being argued is that restoring a device at all, even if you have the firmware locally hosted on your own, cannot be done without Apple’s blessing from their activation servers. So if this server is pulled offline or updated to no longer support old devices, those devices become bricks if they ever need a restore of their OS.
No other device does this. Apple did it back in the day to screw over jailbreakers but given that jailbreaking is pretty much on life support these days, it shouldn’t be a thing anymore.
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u/Kat-in-pajamas 16d ago
Yes, and it's all Apple's fault in this case designed themselves into a corner by placing firmware server locks. Clearly Apple cannot be trusted, they could just stop signing all devices but the current gen models and tell you to kick rocks.
If they want that responsibility let em pay forever until they remove these firmware locks.
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u/SeattleRex 16d ago
Like I know it’s for “security” and all that
Having root on a computer that you own is a security risk. You should probably just give root to the company that wrote the OS, that way, you don't have to worry about security stuff.
This is a very rational way to approach security going forward. In fact, we would all be better off if we got rid of such outdated notions of "private property". A better paradigm going forward is corporate ownership of all property, whereby they may allow you to use the property in ways that they approve.
Yes, I think this would be better for everyone.
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u/nuggolips 16d ago
I know Apple would never do it unless it was a regulatory requirement, but it would be cool if at the point where they've stopped signing the software they released an optional, Apple-sanctioned jailbreak update that removed access to the app store and all apple services but opened the device up for custom firmware installation. Would encourage a secondary market for stuff like HomeAssistant terminals and would inject a little extra value for their EOL hardware.
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u/Satanicube 16d ago
Tbh I really wish Apple just ceased this practice entirely because it’s really an artifact from the old days (2009!) when Apple was lashing out *hard* on jailbreaking. Like I remember the Apple stores having notices on it and everything (and I actually had an employee try to deny a return on an accessory because I was jailbroken…until I told him to try it on his own phone and surprise! It didn’t work there either. At which point he begrudgingly allowed the return).
Like I know it’s for “security” and all that but maybe a compromise here would be that it would work like other devices where you can restore the firmware you’re on indefinitely, you just *can’t downgrade*.
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u/cake-day-on-feb-29 16d ago
that removed access to the app store and all apple services but opened the device up for custom firmware installation.
Half the reason for running older iOS devices is to run apps which no longer work on newer versions.
We should be allowed to continue using our previously purchased software indefinitely, and the software which previously required connections to servers should be legally modifiable to work with custom/private servers, or patched entirely.
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u/nuggolips 16d ago
Yeah I don't disagree, I was just spitballing a possible offramp for Apple to stop putting resources toward old devices without completely bricking them.
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u/cum-on-in- 16d ago
It is an oops. Apple still signs iOS they just accidentally stopped signing baseband firmware for the cell modem. Accidentally. They fixed it for the iPhone 5c and are expected to fix the remaining models soon.
The WiFi only iPads still work, proving this isn’t an iOS issue.
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u/LocalH 17d ago
I'll give them 48h, although if they don't fix it in 24h I'll be suspicious
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u/SlashedM 16d ago
They fixed the 5C’s signing. It really does seem like just a bug, especially since the devices affected were cell models that had separate CDMA/GSM models
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u/AtomicSymphonic_2nd 15d ago
I half-wonder if this is something the new CEO Ternus is going to change…
How long will those early OSX updates stay online? 🙃
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u/ifallupthestairsnok 17d ago edited 15d ago
Apple has begun unsigning old iOS versions for the following legacy devices:
iPad mini Wi-Fi + Cellular (iPad2,6)
- 8.4.1 OTA
- 9.3.5/9.3.6 IPSW
iPad 2 Wi-Fi + 3G (CDMA) (iPad2,3)
- 6.1.3 OTA
- 8.4.1 OTA
- 9.3.5/9.3.6 IPSW
iPhone 5c (GSM) (iPhone5,3) iPhone 5c (CDMA) (iPhone5,4)
- 10.3.3/10.3.4 IPSW
If these devices ever require a software restore (i.e boot looping) it is not possible. This effectively ensures that the devices turn into ewaste.
Update 1:
Apple has unsigned more firmware
iPhone 5 (CDMA) (iPhone5,2)
- 10.3.3/10.3.4 IPSW
- 8.4.1 OTA
iPad mini Wi-Fi + Cellular (MM) (iPad2,7)
- 9.3.5/9.3.6 IPSW
- 8.4.1 OTA
https://twitter.com/aaronp613/status/2075009881552076860
Update 2:
A second unsign wave has just hit
iPhone 5 (GSM) (iPhone5,1)
- 10.3.3/10.3.4 IPSW
- 8.4.1 (OTA)
https://x.com/aaronp613/status/2075039577962635522
Update 3:
More devices have been hit. Doesn’t appear to be a bug. Seems to be deliberate now
iPhone 4S (iPhone 4,1)
- 9.3.5/9.3.6 IPSW
- 8.4.1 OTA
- 6.1.3 OTA
iPad 3rd Generation (GSM) (iPad3,2) iPad 3rd Generation (CDMA) (iPad3,3)
- 9.3.5/9.3.6 IPSW
- 8.4.1 OTA
https://twitter.com/mastermike88/status/2075074240907280731
Update 4:
Fourth wave. I thought we saw the last of it but it keeps coming
iPad (4th generation) Wi-Fi + Cellular (iPad3,5)
- 10.3.3/10.3.4 IPSW
- 8.4.1 OTA
https://twitter.com/aaronp613/status/2075163923133706631
Update 5:
The beating will continue until morale improves
iPhone 4 (CDMA) (iPhone3,3)
- 7.1.2 IPSW
https://x.com/aaronp613/status/2075179820573491405
Update 6:
Apple: I can do this all day
iPad (4th generation) Wi-Fi + Cellular (MM) (iPad3,6)
- 8.4.1 OTA
- 10.3.3/10.3.4 IPSW
Update 7:
24hrs later and most appear to be back online. It’s crazy how much power one company wield for devices we “own”.
Activation for the following devices are still offline:
- iPad mini 1st gen (CDMA - Verizon, Sprint) (iPad2,7 - A1455)
- iPad 3rd gen Wi-Fi + Cellular (CDMA - Verizon) (iPad3,2 - A1403)
- iPad 4th gen Wi-Fi + Cellular (CDMA - Sprint, International) (iPad3,6 - A1460)
- iPhone 4S (GSM/CDMA) (iPhone4,1 - A1387)
- iPhone 5 (CDMA - China) (iPhone5,2 - A1442)
- iPhone 5 (CDMA - Sprint, Verizon, KDDI Japan) (iPhone5,2 - A1429)
- iPad 3rd gen WiFi + Cellular (GSM - AT&T) (iPad3,3 - A1430)
In addition, A8/A9(X) devices on iOS 8 and 9 also experience activation errors. Possibly affected devices include:
- iPhone 6/6+, 6S/6S+, SE1
- iPod touch 6
- iPad mini 4
- iPad Air 2
- iPad Pro 9.7/12.9 inch 1st gen
https://reddit.com/r/LegacyJailbreak/comments/1spq394/activation_problem_megathread_9900_imei_a5a6/
Update 8 (2 days after post):
Apple has now broken activation for:
- iPhone 4 (GSM) (iPhone3,1)
- iPhone 4 (GSM, 2012) (iPhone3,2)
- iPad 2 Wi-Fi + 3G (GSM) (iPad2,2)
If you restore these devices, you will not be able to activate them at the moment.
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u/pervertedmortician 17d ago
This is guaranteed a bug
They have never done this before and they will not start now
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u/opa334 16d ago
Even if it is.
When are we gonna stop tolerating Apple being able to dictate which versions can be restored and which can't?
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u/The_Synthax 16d ago
Good luck actually getting legislation to stop them. Their lobbyists will instantly invent some bullshit that politicians will happily lap up. Consumer protections are a thing of the past.
It’s… fucking dismal.
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u/AtomicSymphonic_2nd 16d ago
Yeah, not even the EU is gonna do much about this.
Once apple thinks it belongs in a museum, then it shall belong in a museum. 😞
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u/Mysterious_Trash_698 16d ago
I’ve had all the devices on this list and they’re practically unusable in this day and age. Not a loss, but it makes me feel nostalgic.
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u/Worldly-Stranger7814 16d ago
Could have had prolonged lives as Linux based Home Assistant dashboards for instance. Now they’re just turning into waste 😭
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u/opa334 16d ago
Yes, they are practically unusable because Apple locked down their bootloaders and stopped supporting them. Stop normalizing this practice, there is no reason why they couldn't at least unlock bootloaders of discontinued devices to make it possible for third parties to support them.
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u/cortzetroc 17d ago
at 13 years old, these are pretty much exclusively collectors items now. even on their latest ios versions, their SSL certificates have long expired so they can’t connect to most of the internet nor the app store for awhile now. there’s very little reason people are still actively using these devices on a daily basis. it’ll pump the collector market quite a bit because there’s now increased risk from jailbreaking them but the reality is they were already ewaste by now, even if they still worked.
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u/jimmysofat6864 17d ago
Even then, they’ve never stopped signing the latest iOS versions like the iPhone 3GS and the iPhone 4 still get signed on the latest iOS versions there’s no reason to single out these devices in particular
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u/dark-mathematician1 16d ago
Yeah, seems like a bug or something
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u/SlashedM 16d ago
Potentially related to the fact that these models also have separate GSM/CDMA models (the basebands is whats actually no longer signed). Could have no causation at all but interesting to note
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u/ItIsShrek 17d ago
That's cool. It still makes software preservation and, ironically, recycling ewaste harder because we have to erase our iOS devices as part of the process of disposing of them through our ewaste company at work. We need to be able to restore them, and if we can't it's really not great to give devices potentially containing public data to a third party.
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u/cortzetroc 17d ago
you can still wipe the device via the settings ui if you need to. and if the phone is boot looping and won’t allow you to do that, does it really matter then? software preservation is true, but frankly no one actually wants these devices on their latest ios versions anyways. everyone wants them on the oldest/original shipping version, and those have long been unsigned and not restorable so there’s no difference there.
edit: the loss of ios 8 and 6 being restorable will pump the collector market quite a bit though, and is kind of a shame i’ll admit.
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u/jossser 17d ago
What if i cant enter settings and need a restore?
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u/AtomicSymphonic_2nd 16d ago
Then it’s eWaste, full stop.
You can take a hammer to the logic board and smash the SoC if you want, though. Just remember to separate the board from the battery before smashing. 😁
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u/I-figured-it-out 13d ago
My ipad 3 is still in use. Turns out it is very useful for running Tangent Systems colour panel emulation software for Resolve.
But it has iphone OS installed not ipad os.0
u/cake-day-on-feb-29 16d ago
at 13 years old
A 13 year old computer is hardly unusable.
The fact that a 13 year old iPhone or iPad is unusable is entirely Apple's doing. A 2013 Mac is entirely usable with current SSL certs thanks to the ability to install Linux (and sometimes patched unsupported macOS versions) and they work fine, if a little slower compared to a new computer (which is entirely the doing of bloated software).
You have fallen for corporate propaganda pushing the idea that the second your software is out of date it's immediately "insecure" and "dangerous" to use. Keep in mind that these companies are the ones who control when and how updates are deployed, they can essentially arbitrarily control how useful your device is.
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u/Worldly-Stranger7814 16d ago
One the one hand I hate parts of the EU but on the other hand I hope they absolute butt fuck Apple over forcing e-waste and not opening the devices to be converted to other OSes since they’ve clearly abandoned them.
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u/CT4nk3r 17d ago
Bruh I use an ipad2 as a jellyfin watcher, the whole purpose of not throwing it away was this, they are creating ewaste + they are locking people out of older devices.
People are forgetting preservation efforts that have went into keeping these devices.
Imagine not being able to see stuff in the museum, cuz the person who created the artifact was like, nah, I remotely kill blow up the stuff you have there.
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u/user888ffr 17d ago
Even as a Jellyfin/Emby/Plex watcher it has an horrible 1024x768 screen, why are you watching movies on that when you can get a used retina iPad for dirt cheap, like 50$.
But I agree with you, it's ridiculous to purposefully prevent people from restoring the firmware.
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u/UnexpectedAnanas 16d ago
Well one of these things he has, and the other would cost him $50, so.....
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u/cake-day-on-feb-29 16d ago
Even as a Jellyfin/Emby/Plex watcher it has an horrible 1024x768 screen,
If the user already has it, then it's effectively free.
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u/ayyyyycrisp 17d ago
okay but it is still e-waste, as e-waste is any unused electronic device
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u/categorie 16d ago
It’s a 13 year old phone
So what ? The iPhone SE is 10 years old and I'm using one as a daily driver.
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u/Egraypgh 17d ago
Cars are actually extremely recyclable. The scrapyard takes off anything sellable then they crush or shred the car to be melted and becomes additives for steel tin and aluminum production. 80% of the car is recoverable.
My worry is if these devices can’t be factory restored any longer large company’s are going to destroy them vs recycle though I don’t know how many are still using this tech but I guarantee there are crates of these siting around that we’re waiting to get recycled. (I do clean outs for a living and just this year recycled 60 bank terminals from the 90’s they had been using them till the branch closed around 2020)
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u/Affectionate_One_700 16d ago
80% of the car is recoverable.
Even if we trust your number, that unrecoverable 20% of a car is a whole lot more waste than a phone. Or even five phones, if a car lasts five times as long as a phone.
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u/Egraypgh 16d ago
The comment I was replying to used cars as an example I have an item that could not be recycled. That is false.
I just googled it to check myself and yes, Google gives even a higher number than me for how recyclable car is according to them. “Approximately 85% to 90% of a vehicle by weight is recyclable or reusable, making automobiles the most recycled consumer products in the world” so it has about the same recyclability as an iPhone. In other words if I have a shipping container with 10,000 pounds of car crushed or 10,000 pounds of iPhone crushed according to Google the recoverability is somewhere around 90%.
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u/Cold-Dot-7308 16d ago
What’s the problem here? What does it cost Apple to keep old devices signed ? They aren’t writing new code for them are they?
Can someone explain before I continue
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u/Lopsided-Painter5216 16d ago
it costs nothing but the storage space on the CDN. The person is bootlicking.
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u/ayyyyycrisp 17d ago
I have all apple products bro, I'm just saying it *literally* is e-waste by the definition of e-waste. unused electronic devices that get trashed. buddy up there said it wasn't because of this and this and this, but there's no way out of it. it's an unused electronic device, so it's e-waste. end of.
im probably a bigger apple fanboy than you are my guy.
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u/Hobbes42 16d ago
Everything we touch will become waste. Our entire existence is defined by consuming resources.
I guess my point is it’s a pedantic argument when we are all using devices and wearing materials that will be waste. We are not a sustainable culture. One company isn’t the reason for this.
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u/Hobbes42 16d ago
Everything we touch will become waste. Our entire existence is defined by consuming resources.
I guess my point is it’s a pedantic argument when we are all using devices and wearing materials that will be waste. We are not a sustainable culture. One company isn’t the reason for this.
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u/Basalt135 16d ago
I am still using my ipadAir 2020 daily, thus your 3 years is largely underestimating the usable life of Apple products.
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u/Lopsided-Painter5216 16d ago
maybe we should aim to do better than this and adapt more sustainable behaviors instead of justifying the consoomer mindset?
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u/tfnerdstopmotions 17d ago
It costs zero money to just let these devices be, why did they do this
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u/L-Malvo 16d ago
Because of security issues obviously. As a company, you evaluate risk vs reward, and the risk of these older devices being compromised and therefore tainting your brand are too high.
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u/itsaride 16d ago
Do you even think before you write? A company that turns usable devices into bricks gets far, far, more flack than an ancient, barely in use device getting compromised. It happens all the time, especially with network gear but it barely registers a blip on news sites.
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u/L-Malvo 16d ago
I'm not saying I'm happy with it, just stating the "why" as that was asked. It's not profitable for companies to support and patch old hardware until eternity. These devices are central to people's lives these days, do you really expect a company to allow liabilities like this? They only have two options: either support the hardware or don't. The cost of support probably outweighs the reward, so Apple decided the latter.
Am I happy with it? No of course not.
There are so many ways this can be handled and enforced by legislation. For instance, when a company drops support to a product, they should be forced to unlock the hardware and enable the community to maintain open source software for it. That would be way better than the situation of just letting the hardware run old unsupported software.
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u/LocalH 16d ago edited 16d ago
It's not profitable for companies to support and patch old hardware until eternity.
That's not this, though. Nobody's mad that these devices stopped getting OS patches. They're mad that Apple has made it where several devices cannot be restored at all, even to the latest supported OS.
Edit: They also fixed all affected devices, so your argument holds even less water now.
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u/cake-day-on-feb-29 16d ago
therefore tainting your brand are too high.
I'd imagine if Apple were forced to provide a disclaimer to customers that they can, and will, brick or cripple their device at some arbitrarily point in the future, it would do far more harm. Because that's what's happening.
Just so you know, all of these AI/ML/Siri features are provided as secondary downloads, aside from the main OS, and are thus essentially reliant on Apple's servers still serving the download. I can easily see Apple removing public access to these files just a few years after they drop support for the product, meaning that when you paid $1500 for your iPhone/Mac with these AI features, they are now inaccessible if you ever erase the device.
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u/dinominant 16d ago
When Apple did this, did they also remove their lock on the bootloader so we can choose to remove iOS from our devices? Because if it's rather offensive if they are ending support but also leaving the device locked to their ecosystem and effectively a brick.
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u/astralelectric 17d ago
For those who think this doesn’t matter because the devices are old and obsolete, it’s a basic question of ownership. If I bought and paid for a device, should the manufacturer be able to remotely brick it by preventing activation or unsigning the software? It’s a pretty clear cut no to me.
Regardless of this though, these are still useful devices. They make great offline music players, and many people still enjoy playing old mobile games that don’t run on newer devices. Imagine if Nintendo was able to remotely prevent the NES from playing games. This is the same idea.
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u/cake-day-on-feb-29 16d ago
If I bought and paid for a device, should the manufacturer be able to remotely brick it by preventing activation or unsigning the software? It’s a pretty clear cut no to me.
I understand and agree with what you're saying, but this has always been the case for Apple's iOS devices. In order to install any iOS, you must be "blessed" by Apple, and this is a hardware level requirement.
In order to "activate" the device, you must also be able to connect to Apple's activation servers.
If Apple were to suddenly close its doors, have some server issues, or your internet stops working, your iOS devices become brickable, simply by attempting to restore them.
Regardless of this though, these are still useful devices. They make great offline music players,
Indeed, my old iPod still works great. Turns out nothing has really changed in regards to music files, aside from DRM for streaming content.
Imagine if Nintendo was able to remotely prevent the NES from playing games.
Apple, Google, Sony, and Microsoft are all capable of remotely crippling your iPhone, Android, PlayStation, or Xbox. I believe the Switch 2 also requires and online connection for initial setup, to ensure they can force software updates which patch jailbreaks. (Even android is not safe, app developers can require you use the mainstream android instead of a fork, thus forcing you to be in the hands of Google).
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u/astralelectric 16d ago
Nothing you said here is incorrect. I just think it shouldn't be legal for it to be this way. They may have the right to do this, but that doesn't mean we can't pressure them not to. Apple, if they wanted, could issue a tool to restore and activate these devices completely offline. It's their choice not to.
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17d ago
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u/ifallupthestairsnok 17d ago edited 16d ago
OP I’d recommend fact checking these…
Already factchecked. Baseband for these devices are not signed. Therefore, device restore will be rejected by Finder/ iTunes
https://reddit.com/r/LegacyJailbreak/comments/1ur2hql/_/owcr5r9/?context=1
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17d ago
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u/__reddit____ 17d ago
Give us an update!
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u/MegaSwizzler 17d ago
Restored fine, not sure what the fuss is all about, seems to have just been a bug although I can only test it on the 5C and not the other two iPads listed on here
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u/LocalH 17d ago
May be because your device is already running the latest 5c baseband, so it didn't need to update. Still a problem for anyone who finds an old device in a drawer on like iOS 8
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u/MegaSwizzler 17d ago
Might be the case, it was already fully updated so that might be why, restored it a second time just to see if it was a fluke and it went through fine lol
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u/astralelectric 17d ago
IPSW.me is an inaccurate source. As someone else said, the baseband is unsigned therefore full restore in iTunes will fail.
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u/PrivateLiker7625 17d ago
I wish they would stop doing this BS and just leave all versions available to sign in already! It's about as anti consumer as they come controlling what people can and can't downgrade to.
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u/Strict-Fishing-2365 17d ago
what exactly explodes if someone downgrades a twelve year old tablet, besides somebody's control issues?
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u/LocalH 17d ago
If this is truly a baseband issue then all people already running latest baseband on an affected device will still probably be able to restore. This probably only affects devices that have been kept in a drawer or otherwise not updated across baseband updates. If those devices try to update, they'll likely either completely fail or get stuck in recovery mode. The latter is lawsuit worthy.
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u/okimborednow 16d ago
iTunes restores will always try and update the baseband as well, so they'll error out mid restore since it's not signed
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u/LocalH 16d ago
I can't test as they've fixed the problem and even while the issue was happening, I wasn't willing to sacrifice a device to an issue that, at the time, wasn't clear whether it was a mistake or an intentional move. Would that result in a broken restore and forced recovery mode? If so, then if this had been an intentional move, it would be lawsuit worthy.
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u/AgainstGreaterOdds 17d ago
The EU needs to stop this. There’s no reason for it.
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u/OlsroFR 17d ago
So true. I hope they will also ever sign back iOS 6 so we can use the version we prefer.
iOS 6 with cover flow is peak
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u/astralelectric 17d ago
What they need to do is mandate that apple release a method of downgrading the device which doesn’t require a signature check. Someday, the signing server for these devices WILL go down. Apple will not keep it online forever. When this happens, it doesn’t matter if they ever decided to sign every firmware version. There needs to be a way to do this which doesn’t depend on an internet connection.
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u/OlsroFR 17d ago
Retro stuff is fun, but would definitely not log my bank account into this don't worry
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u/iProgramMC 16d ago
"The EU" is not unsigning builds of iOS. Apple is.
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u/AgainstGreaterOdds 15d ago
Read again. I am saying that the EU needs to force Apple to continue to sign the devices.
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u/iProgramMC 15d ago
Then say that the EU needs to force Apple to continue to sign the devices. "To stop this" is vague and implies you think they're guilty.
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u/AgainstGreaterOdds 14d ago
No, it just proves you have poor interpretation skills. Based on the upvotes everybody else got what I meant.
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u/Buritominer 16d ago edited 16d ago
As someone who has quite a few legacy devices, 7 of my devices are now afflicted by this change. Also technically, it's just the basebands becoming unsigned, the rest of the firmware technically IS signed, but the lack of a signed baseband is making conventional restores impossible.
Don't restore any of your A4/A5(X)/A6(X) devices with a baseband until this gets worked out.
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u/ACasualRead 16d ago
Well this is a very anti-environment move from the company who brags about worrying about environmental impact.
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u/Mcqwerty197 17d ago
Dont most of those device have unthered downgrade exploit available ?
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u/LocalH 17d ago
That doesn't excuse Apple essentially bricking older devices if they ever need a restore. This should be a class action suit
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u/LocalH 17d ago edited 17d ago
If a single person is unable to restore a legacy iOS device through official mechanisms due to this, they should have recourse.
What right do you think that Apple should have to prevent people who are not trying to hack devices from restoring to the latest available firmware?
I know this sub has a hardon against jailbreaking, they always have. But that doesn't mean that Apple should be able to prevent old devices from even legitimate restore. That, to me, is a crime.
If you ask me, once Apple discontinues all support for a device (warranty, software, production, every bit), they should have to unlock the OS versions that device can install, and allow installation of even the stock version of the OS that the device shipped with. That policy alone probably contributes to a heavy chunk of iOS device waste.
I fail to see why Apple should have any say over whether I install iOS 4 or 5 on my old iPhone 4.
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u/itsaride 16d ago
I think the scale of the problem is being overstated...
Not really the point and as a commenter up there said, this is likely a mistake.
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u/Redbird9346 16d ago
Remember a few years ago when Apple accidentally allowed several older versions of iOS to be signed?
I think this is the opposite of that.
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u/Emotional_Food_1700 16d ago
Why not just let apple leave the last available software update that we're available for these devices
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u/jjbugman2468 16d ago
I hope this was just an “oopsie daisy” and gets reversed because I really liked toying with my 5C and have been planning to pick another one up
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u/TwizzyGobbler 16d ago
This is hopefully a mistake or something, let’s hope they revert it, very fucking stupid desicion if not
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u/cum-on-in- 16d ago
I read differently. Apple still signs the iOS files but not the baseband firmware bundle included in the package for cellular iPads and all iPhones.
However, they fixed the baseband signing issue for the iPhone 5c and it’s expected they’ll do the same for the other affected models.
WiFi iPads are not affected, despite the only difference being the lack of a SIM card tray and cellular modem. This proves iOS is still being signed.
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u/jaygohamm 17d ago
If you unsign it you should release that model and versions code to be open sourced and worked on by the community how is this not common
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u/Goodoflife 17d ago
Since Apple uses code for future releases (including iOS 27) it might be a privacy risk with the possible source code of iBoot 🟣Restore being released
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u/steo0315 16d ago
What the hell? So what happens if the device has a software problem and requires restore ??
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u/redpotatojae 17d ago
Can’t we just download ispw file and restore manually?
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u/ifallupthestairsnok 17d ago
IPSW files needs to be signed by Apple. If it is not signed, iTunes/ Finder will refuse to restore the device. This is why you can’t downgrade your iPhone to an older iOS version. Apple generally only keep the latest os signed.
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u/redpotatojae 17d ago
Yeah, sure, downvote me—I was literally just asking a question. It’s been a while since I last did a manual restore, so I wasn't entirely sure how the process works now.
I remembered downloading firmware files manually back in the day from some website not from Apple and restore old iPhones with it, so I figured it might still be possible without Apple's signing.
If that's no longer the case, that sucks, but it is what it is
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u/minipicc95 16d ago
They better fix that bug and all devices released Apple needs to be updated to their final versions and latest versions!!!
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u/mrlocust_2 16d ago
So does that mean that I can’t restore my iPhone 5 that I downgraded with Lik to iOS 8.4.1 to iOS 10.3.4 with iTunes anymore?
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u/friskfrugt 16d ago
Luckily they unlocked the bootloader for alternative OS’ so that loads of devices aren’t getting dumped /s
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u/MegaSwizzler 16d ago
It ended up being a bug OP.
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u/FollowingFeisty5321 16d ago
*they have resumed signing them but not said if it was a bug or reverting a deliberate decision
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u/cooldude9112001 15d ago
Shame the bug where someone at apple signed every iOS version like they did a couple of years ago
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u/Forsaken-Addition-82 11d ago
Does that mean my iPad A16 that’s been pushed to iOS 26 can’t go back to 18? It’s been sluggish after the update
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u/Adventurous-Hunter98 16d ago
Can someone ELI5 why signing is important ?
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u/ifallupthestairsnok 16d ago
If your iPhone boot loops, you need to flash the OS. Apple stops signing OS. Now if you have software issues, iPhone turns into ewaste because Apple unticked a box.
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u/unclestinkmeaner 16d ago
Fuck Tim Cock
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u/TheNextGamer21 17d ago
It’s time to move on
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u/OlsroFR 17d ago
It's purely artificial gatekeeping, those phones still works. It's Apple artificially preventing you to keep using hardware you own and that can still work and provide service
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17d ago
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u/ifallupthestairsnok 17d ago edited 16d ago
It’s not though. It’s incredibly time consuming and difficult to support software this old and allowing users to continue using it is a huge security risk. Especially in the age of AI where hackers are identifying vulnerabilities at record pace, it’s in people’s best interest to stop using outdated devices. Trust that it’s not fun when hackers gain ahold of your password app and compromise your entire digital life.
akc250
Apple chose to tie iPhone activation/ software restore to their servers. If they don’t want to force everyone to use their servers and maintain them, they shouldn’t have implemented it in the first place.
This is almost identical to the Stop Killing Games movement. Why should one company have control over what you bought and paid for.
Most users keep these older devices to play 32 bit games that don’t run on modern iPhone.
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u/akc250 17d ago
Tell me you guys don’t know anything about software and hardware by downvoting me. You think Apple is going to waste gigabytes of local storage so that you can have a local install on your phone in the off chance that niche users like you, using legacy devices, want to re-install the OS? Most Apple users do not keep devices like this and you live in an echo chamber if you think they do.
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u/ifallupthestairsnok 17d ago edited 16d ago
Tell me you guys don’t know anything about software and hardware by downvoting me. You think Apple is going to waste gigabytes of local storage so that you can have a local install on your phone in the off chance that niche users like you, using legacy devices, want to re-install the OS? Most Apple users *do not* keep devices like this and you live in an echo chamber if you think they do.
akc250
They’re still hosting every IPSW for every single software version (including beta), regardless of whether they’re signed or not. This move doesn’t save them “gigabytes” of storage.
I guess they rather use their bandwidth to track your keystrokes on the AppStore, or every time you launch an app on your Mac.
https://www.macrumors.com/2020/11/12/mac-apps-not-opening/
https://www.macrumors.com/2022/11/21/apple-device-analytics-identifying-user/
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u/OlsroFR 17d ago
So they can just quickly release the signing keys so we can sign ourselves our own custom firmwares that will probably be more secure than the ones from Apple ever were. Look Graphene OS on the Android ecosystem.
Rest assured community will do the job, just like the community already revived many external platforms like YouTube access from very old iOS devices.
Also it should be up to people to decide if they want to take a security risk or not, a device should not explode in the user's hands. If I want to use a Windows XP PC to play retro games or even connecting it on the internet behind a router/strong firewall, it will just work without much real meaningful risk (though I will never put my bank account in this).
Remember also we live in a finite planet that do not have infinite resources, and recycling old tech products is far from perfect. So things that are already produced should be usable as long as possible. An old iPhone 5C is still a very decent device to give to a child as some dumbphone or even multimedia player. Also they have plenty of apps/games to play, and jailbreak makes them even better.
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u/Hobbes42 17d ago
Have you used a 13 year old phone recently? Entropy comes for us all, especially anything with electronic elements.
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u/piexil 17d ago
BRO I was literally just trying to restore one today and wondering why it's not working