Apple Stops Signing iOS 13.6 Following Release of iOS 13.6.1 - GeekWebGuides
Skip to Content

Apple Stops Signing iOS 13.6 Following Release of iOS 13.6.1

Following the release of iOS 13.6.1 on August 12, Apple has stopped signing iOS 13.6, which means downgrading to that version of iOS is no longer possible.

iOS 13
iOS 13.6 was a major update that introduced Car Keys support Apple News audio, and other features.

Apple routinely stops signing older versions of software updates after new releases come out in order to encourage customers to keep their operating systems up to date.

iOS 13.6.1, a bug fix issue that addressed problems with data storage, thermal management, and exposure notifications, is the only current publicly available version of iOS that can be installed on iPhones and iPads. Apple has also seeded betas of upcoming iOS and iPadOS 14 updates to developers and public beta testers, which can be downloaded instead.

Popular Stories

iPhone Duo Trio

Here's What Apple's Apps Look Like on the iPhone Duo

Tuesday October 20, 2026 11:12 am PDT by
With just three days to go until the iPhone Duo is released, Apple is getting ready for the launch. Behind the scenes, the App Store now has screenshots of Apple's built-in apps running on the Duo. We've seen some apps in marketing materials, but images of the ones we haven't seen give us an idea of what it will be like using the iPhone Duo day to day. Many apps are shown in landscape...
Apple Creator Studio iWork suite

Apple Pulls Keynote, Pages and Numbers From App Store [Update: Back]

Thursday October 22, 2026 11:01 am PDT by
Apple has temporarily removed Keynote, Pages, and Numbers from the App Store, just after releasing an update that added iPhone Duo support and a new Intelligent Assistant. It is not clear if the apps were removed intentionally, or if it is a bug. Apple has not said when the apps will be reinstated, but if it was in error, they should return soon. Update: The Mac versions are back without...
M5 MacBook Pro

RIP, MacBook Ultra

Monday October 19, 2026 9:37 am PDT by
Apple today sent out invites for an experience in Los Angeles on Wednesday, October 28, and the "Pro and tell" tagline on the invitation likely means that the rumored MacBook models with touch-enabled OLED displays will stick with MacBook Pro branding instead of the once-rumored "MacBook Ultra" name. The long-rumored "iPhone Ultra" ended up being named iPhone Duo, so speculation that Apple...

Top Rated Comments

Chester Stone Avatar
81 months ago

I love the iPhone and IOS but wish Apple would allow us to install older versions of IOS. I had a specific incident years ago on an old iPhone. I upgrade IOS then several months later learned some of my devices would no longer connect via Bluetooth (one of those was my car). So there are some legitimate reasons to be able to install an older version of IOS (jail breaking is not a viable solution for me).
Totally agree. And I've written this in Apple user surveys, forums, and written their Twitter support about it. There are unintentional regressions all the time, bugs that didn't exist in older versions of iOS, that just get haphazardly released. Rolling back iOS version should be a fallback plan for those kinds of gamebreaking bugs.

Power management is a common area noted in the news, but I've also had an iPad Pro that just kept draining battery even when turned off via power switch shutdown, so that when a fully charged 100% device got turned back on, it'd be at 70% after a day, 40% after two, then 0%, without so much as a single charge. Not plugged into power, not touched or used. It was fine in iOS 13.4, then bad in iOS 13.5. Then later versions not playing from car speakers when connected to CarPlay on certain vehicles, requiring multiple unplugs and replugs. So many little bugs here and there that compromise the user experience, that pop up in one version of iOS, not present before. All together, the experience doesn't feel like "it just works."

So often, this kind of problem happens because the OS is so deep, and little feature adds and changes in the code can cause unintentional problems elsewhere. If it's a non-automated-testbed problem that doesn't cross the Apple QA folk's workflow or other employees' use case -- for example, employees never turning off their devices -- then it just gets released unnoticed.

Human error is understandable, but with no fallback to a previous iOS, it just hurts users that live outside the "typical" user/QA workflow.

(To make matters worse, Apple constantly tells developers to support two versions back when building & submitting an app to the App Store. It's so hypocritical when they won't even support two versions of iOS at the same time, pulling the plug so quickly on signing a previous version. It's just such an extreme reaction to security compromises and this whole "get on the latest" mindset.)
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
calzon65 Avatar
81 months ago
I love the iPhone and IOS but wish Apple would allow us to install older versions of IOS. I had a specific incident years ago on an old iPhone. I upgrade IOS then several months later learned some of my devices would no longer connect via Bluetooth (one of those was my car). So there are some legitimate reasons to be able to install an older version of IOS (jail breaking is not a viable solution for me).
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
BaltimoreMediaBlog Avatar
81 months ago
UNSIGNING IOS versions should be illegal, restraint of trade! I buy a car and I cannot put a different radio in it?
This is the ONE single thing that Apple should have been sued over but not so far. It cost me over 25 games that worked and then didn't because Apple forced me to upgrade.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
jooish Avatar
81 months ago

You don't own your device; Apple does.
They decide what version of os you can run and when you can run it.
They decide when your device goes obsolete.
Samsung and others are no better.
You own the device... You just don't own the software.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Ipadlover29 Avatar
81 months ago

What forced you to go back at 13.6?
Battery life. Was getting an hour less with 13.6.1. on iPhone 11 Pro and iPad Pro 4.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
81 months ago

I’m still at 13.6 : what happens if I skip 13.6.1 and 13.6.2 comes out but 13.6.1 is not signed anymore?
Nothing. iOS installs do not depend on previous versions. The most that would happen is that you can't use a delta OTA update. Makes your download bigger. No reasonable manufacturer supports delta updates between two arbitrary versions.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Latest Stories
iPhone Duo Demand Reportedly Exceeds Apple's Expectations
iPhone Duo Demand Reportedly Exceeds Apple's Expectations
12 minutes ago
iPhone Duo Launch Begins as First Orders Reach Customers
iPhone Duo Launch Begins as First Orders Reach Customers
6 hours ago
1Password for Agents Keeps Your Passwords Hidden From AI
1Password for Agents Keeps Your Passwords Hidden From AI
7 hours ago
iPhone Duo 24 Hours Later: Your Questions Answered
iPhone Duo 24 Hours Later: Your Questions Answered
8 hours ago
Apple's iWork Apps Get 'Intelligent Assistant' and iPhone Duo Support
Apple's iWork Apps Get 'Intelligent Assistant' and iPhone Duo Support
9 hours ago
Apple is Apparently Considering a Slightly Larger iPhone Duo
Apple is Apparently Considering a Slightly Larger iPhone Duo
9 hours ago
Giant iPhone Duo Displays Coming to Four Apple Stores
Giant iPhone Duo Displays Coming to Four Apple Stores
10 hours ago
Apple Pulls Keynote, Pages and Numbers From App Store [Update: Back]
Apple Pulls Keynote, Pages and Numbers From App Store [Update: Back]
11 hours ago
Apple Updates More Apps With iPhone Duo Support
Apple Updates More Apps With iPhone Duo Support
11 hours ago
Apple Will Label Apps 'Made for iPhone Duo' in App Store
Apple Will Label Apps 'Made for iPhone Duo' in App Store
14 hours ago
Amazon Takes $49 Off iPad With Prices Starting at $399.99
Amazon Takes $49 Off iPad With Prices Starting at $399.99
15 hours ago
F1 on Apple TV Now Available in Dolby Atmos
F1 on Apple TV Now Available in Dolby Atmos
15 hours ago
Apple Reveals More Than 50 Apps That Will Be Updated for iPhone Duo
Apple Reveals More Than 50 Apps That Will Be Updated for iPhone Duo
16 hours ago
Apple Blocks Certificates That Could Help Attackers Fake Websites
Apple Blocks Certificates That Could Help Attackers Fake Websites
17 hours ago
Giant iPhone Duo Installations Spotted at Apple Fifth Avenue
Giant iPhone Duo Installations Spotted at Apple Fifth Avenue
18 hours ago
iPhone Duo 2 Prototypes Include Under-Display Face ID
iPhone Duo 2 Prototypes Include Under-Display Face ID
18 hours ago
Tesla App Gains iPad and iPhone Duo Support
Tesla App Gains iPad and iPhone Duo Support
22 hours ago
Apple Reportedly Boosts iPhone Duo Orders by 44%
Apple Reportedly Boosts iPhone Duo Orders by 44%
22 hours ago
Fortnite Returning to Australian App Store After Court Ruling
Fortnite Returning to Australian App Store After Court Ruling
23 hours ago
Apple Ordered to Open iPhone to Rival App Stores in Australia
Apple Ordered to Open iPhone to Rival App Stores in Australia
23 hours ago
Apple Suppliers Face Hurdles Cutting Circuit Board Emissions
Apple Suppliers Face Hurdles Cutting Circuit Board Emissions
23 hours ago
Things Updated for iPhone Duo With Adaptive Layout
Things Updated for iPhone Duo With Adaptive Layout
1 day ago
Simplicity and Siri AI Are HomeView's Killer Features, Apple Says
Simplicity and Siri AI Are HomeView's Killer Features, Apple Says
1 day ago
iPhone Duo Reviewers Really Miss Face ID
iPhone Duo Reviewers Really Miss Face ID
1 day ago
Does the iPhone Duo Run Hot? Here's What Reviews Found
Does the iPhone Duo Run Hot? Here's What Reviews Found
1 day ago
Apple Music's New Look is Now Live on Apple's Website
Apple Music's New Look is Now Live on Apple's Website
1 day ago
Anthropic Launches Claude Duet, a Proactive AI Agent
Anthropic Launches Claude Duet, a Proactive AI Agent
1 day ago
What 32,000 Folds Did to the iPhone Duo's Hinge
What 32,000 Folds Did to the iPhone Duo's Hinge
1 day ago
iPhone Duo's Hidden FaceTime Camera Takes 'Trash' Photos
iPhone Duo's Hidden FaceTime Camera Takes 'Trash' Photos
1 day ago
iPhone Duo Has 'Edge Light' Feature That Debuted on Macs Last Year
iPhone Duo Has 'Edge Light' Feature That Debuted on Macs Last Year
1 day ago