Downgrading an iPhone From iOS 17 to iOS 16 is No Longer Possible

by

Following the release of iOS 17.0.3 earlier today, Apple has stopped signing iOS 16.6.1, iOS 17, and iOS 17.0.1, preventing iPhone users from downgrading to any of those software versions. Apple continues to sign iOS 17.0.2 for now.

ios 16 lock screen feature
Notably, this means that it is no longer possible to downgrade an iPhone from iOS 17 to iOS 16. It is not possible to downgrade to iOS 16.7.

Apple routinely stops signing older iOS releases over time in order to prevent users from downgrading to previous software versions.

iOS 17.1 is expected to be released later this month.

Related Forums: iOS 17, iPadOS 17, iOS 16

Popular Stories

Apple Logo Zoomed

Tim Cook Teases Plans for Apple's Upcoming 50th Anniversary

Thursday February 5, 2026 12:54 pm PST by
Apple turns 50 this year, and its CEO Tim Cook has promised to celebrate the milestone. The big day falls on April 1, 2026. "I've been unusually reflective lately about Apple because we have been working on what do we do to mark this moment," Cook told employees today, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. "When you really stop and pause and think about the last 50 years, it makes your heart ...
Read Full Article • 148 comments
wwdc sans text feature

Apple Rumored to Announce New Product on February 19

Thursday February 5, 2026 12:22 pm PST by
Apple plans to announce the iPhone 17e on Thursday, February 19, according to Macwelt, the German equivalent of Macworld. The report, citing industry sources, is available in English on Macworld. Apple announced the iPhone 16e on Wednesday, February 19 last year, so the iPhone 17e would be unveiled exactly one year later if this rumor is accurate. It is quite uncommon for Apple to unveil...
Read Full Article
Finder Siri Feature

Why Apple's iOS 26.4 Siri Upgrade Will Be Bigger Than Originally Promised

Friday February 6, 2026 3:06 pm PST by
In the iOS 26.4 update that's coming this spring, Apple will introduce a new version of Siri that's going to overhaul how we interact with the personal assistant and what it's able to do. The iOS 26.4 version of Siri won't work like ChatGPT or Claude, but it will rely on large language models (LLMs) and has been updated from the ground up. Upgraded Architecture The next-generation...
Read Full Article • 154 comments
iOS 26

iOS 26.3 and iOS 26.4 Will Add These New Features to Your iPhone

Tuesday February 3, 2026 7:47 am PST by
While the iOS 26.3 Release Candidate is now available ahead of a public release, the first iOS 26.4 beta is likely still at least a week away. Following beta testing, iOS 26.4 will likely be released to the general public in March or April. Below, we have recapped known or rumored iOS 26.3 and iOS 26.4 features so far. iOS 26.3 iPhone to Android Transfer Tool iOS 26.3 makes it easier...
Read Full Article • 37 comments
iphone 17 pro dark blue 1

iPhone 18 Pro Max Rumored to Deliver Next-Level Battery Life

Friday February 6, 2026 5:14 am PST by
The iPhone 18 Pro Max will feature a bigger battery for continued best-in-class battery life, according to a known Weibo leaker. Citing supply chain information, the Weibo user known as "Digital Chat Station" said that the iPhone 18 Pro Max will have a battery capacity of 5,100 to 5,200 mAh. Combined with the efficiency improvements of the A20 Pro chip, made with TSMC's 2nm process, the...
Read Full Article • 107 comments

Top Rated Comments

Skyscraperfan Avatar
Skyscraperfan
31 months ago
Users should always have the right to downgrade to the iOS version the iPhone came with. Apple does not have to nanny its users. If they prefer an old version, they should be able to keep it.

At the moment only rich users have the option of downgrading by buying a second iPhone in the first place just to have the option to return to the old version.

"Signing" iOS should only be a security measure to make sure that it really came from Apple, but Apple uses signing to make users keep a new version against their will.
Score: 20 Votes (Like | Disagree)
ebika Avatar
ebika
31 months ago
Reading the iOS 17 forum ('https://forums.macrumors.com/forums/ios-17.241/'), it seems like 17 is still a mess. I normally update fairly soon after releases, but I'm waiting for at least 17.1 this time.
Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)
btrach144 Avatar
btrach144
31 months ago
IDK, iOS 17 is pretty stable. Only real issue was a warm 15 PM but 17.0.3 seems to have solved that today.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
platinumaqua Avatar
platinumaqua
31 months ago

Reading the iOS 17 forum ('https://forums.macrumors.com/forums/ios-17.241/'), it seems like 17 is still a mess. I normally update fairly soon after releases, but I'm waiting for at least 17.1 this time.
only the last version of every major release is worth upgrading to if reliability is important
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
coolfactor Avatar
coolfactor
31 months ago

Users should always have the right to downgrade to the iOS version the iPhone came with. Apple does not have to nanny its users. If they prefer an old version, they should be able to keep it.

At the moment only rich users have the option of downgrading by buying a second iPhone in the first place just to have the option to return to the old version.

"Signing" iOS should only be a security measure to make sure that it really came from Apple, but Apple uses signing to make users keep a new version against their will.
That's a loaded topic.
[LIST=1]
* User chooses to remain on an older version of the operating system.
* Developers have moved on and only support the latest.
* User has an issue with an app due to an incompatibility between the app and their chosen operating system.

Should Apple or the developer have the burden of providing support because a user is refusing to keep up with the latest?

Users *do* have the choice to keep using a particular operating system by turning off automatic updates and never upgrading, so that argument doesn't hold water. The signing prevents downgrading *after* an upgrade has already taken place — either automatically, or manually. In both cases, the user is responsible for the upgrade happening, not Apple.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Skyscraperfan Avatar
Skyscraperfan
31 months ago

Users *do* have the choice to keep using a particular operating system by turning off automatic updates and never upgrading, so that argument doesn't hold water. The signing prevents downgrading *after* an upgrade has already taken place — either automatically, or manually. In both cases, the user is responsible for the upgrade happening, not Apple.
The user can't know the downsides of a new OS. He trusts Apple and hopes that there are no major downsides or even bugs. Of course there is a period when the user can test the new OS and still has the chance to downgrade, but what happens if the user discovers a flaw later?

If it is possible not to upgrade at all, why is it than not possible to downgrade later? I do not mean a real downgrade software, which would be complicate to implement, as you would need ways from every version down to every other version the phone technically supports. I was just thinking about reinstalling from a backup while keeping at least the compatible user data.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Read All Comments