Apple has stopped signing iOS 18.6.2 – rolling back from iOS 26 is no longer possible

Apple has closed the ability to rollback from iOS 26 to a previous version of the system. The company has stopped signing iOS 18.6.2, so users who have upgraded to iOS 26 will no longer be able to roll back to iOS 18.

Apple has stopped signing iOS 18.6.2, so users who have upgraded to iOS 26 will no longer be able to roll back to iOS 18.

What it means to «sign» firmware

Every version of iOS goes through Apple’s server-side verification process when it’s installed. If the system is «signed», it’s considered valid and can be installed on an iPhone. Once support ends, you can’t download or install that version.

So unsubscribing blocks reverting to older firmware. According to the company, this is for security reasons: new releases contain fixes for vulnerabilities that could be exploited by malicious users.

The company says this is done for security reasons: new releases contain fixes for vulnerabilities that could be exploited by malicious users.

What else has changed

Apple isn’t forcing an upgrade to iOS 26: users can stay on iOS 18. However, for those who’ve already upgraded, there’s no going back.

At the same time as iOS 18.6.2, the company has stopped signing off on iPadOS 18.6.2 and tvOS 18.6 — there’s no rollback option for iPad and Apple TV either.