Apple stops signing iOS 16.5, blocks downgrade from iOS 16.5.1

Following the release of iOS 16.5.1 last week, Apple has now stopped signing iOS 16.5 and iPadOS 16.5. This means that iPhone and iPad users can no longer downgrade to this version of the operating system if they’re already running a newer version of iOS.

iOS 16.5 no longer signed by Apple

iOS 16.5 was released on May 18 with some new features and enhancements. The update adds a new Pride theme for the iPhone Lock Screen, as well as a Sports tab in Apple News. Bugs related to Spotlight, CarPlay, and Screen Time have also been fixed with iOS 16.5. However, iOS 16.5 had a bug affecting those who have a Lightning to USB Camera Adapter.

At the same time, Apple found two security breaches that had been actively exploited with iOS 16.5. The first flaw patch is for a vulnerability that allows the execution of arbitrary code with kernel privileges. And the second is a WebKit flaw fix that stops maliciously crafted web content from being able to execute arbitrary code.

As for iOS 16.5.1, the update was released on June 21 with a fix for the Lightning to USB Camera Adapter bug, as well as security patches.

Downgrading is no longer possible

Reverting to older iOS builds is a technique often used by those who jailbreak their iPhones and iPads. Back in December, the hacker team palera1n released the first jailbreak tool based on the checkm8 exploit compatible with iOS 15 and iOS 16. The tool works with all versions from iOS 15.0 to iOS 16.5.

Restoring an Apple device to a previous version of iOS can also sometimes be helpful for users who experience significant bugs after upgrading to the latest version of iOS.

If your iPhone or iPad is running iOS 16.6 beta or even iOS 17 beta, you can still downgrade to iOS 16.5.1. However, downgrading to iOS 16.5 or older versions is not allowed.

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