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Apple stops signing iOS 18.6.2, blocking iOS 26 downgrades

Avatar for Marcus Mendes  | Sep 22 2025 - 4:06 pm PT
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If you’ve been unhappy with iOS 26, and had been thinking about downgrading, you missed your chance. Here’s why.

Exactly one week after releasing iOS 26, Apple has stopped signing (which in essence means validating) installs of iOS 18.6.2.

As noted by Aaron Perris on X, this means that it is now impossible to downgrade from iOS 26:

When asked about what this means for iOS 18.7, which Apple also released last Monday as an alternative to the iOS 26 release, Perris noted that Apple is still signing it, but there are “no IPSW files for those that can update to 26.”

Apple stops signing (which, in essence, means validating) previous iOS versions when, upon releasing a new version, it discloses bugs and security fixes from previous versions. For a complete report on the security content of iOS 18.7, follow this link.

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Avatar for Marcus Mendes Marcus Mendes

Marcus Mendes is a Brazilian tech podcaster and journalist who has been closely following Apple since the mid-2000s.

He began covering Apple news in Brazilian media in 2012 and later broadened his focus to the wider tech industry, hosting a daily podcast for seven years.