Apple will no longer allow users to downgrade from iOS 18.3 — here’s why

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It's iOS 18.3 or the highway

iOS 18 home screen customization features
(Image credit: Apple)

Last week saw the release of iOS 18.3 which brings improvements for several iPhone features. However, users who want to downgrade back to iOS 18.2.1 are in for some bad news as a report from Macrumors has confirmed that Apple is no longer signing the older software.

Apple stopping users from downgrading isn't new, it's a standard practice to make sure users' devices are up to date. Usually, when Apple releases a new version of iOS, it keeps the original version signed for a week or two. This allows users to easily test the features with the option to downgrade to a more stable version of the software. However, as soon as it removes the signature, downgrading is impossible as the servers can't verify the older OS.

As such any iOS 18 compatible model of iPhone can only run download and run iOS 18.3 from this point. However, this isn't necessarily a bad thing as it means that users' devices feature the most up-to-date security improvements, including any that are being actively exploited. For instance, iOS 18.3 includes a fix for a recently discovered privilege escalation flaw in Apple’s Core Media framework.

iPhone 16 family

(Image credit: Future)

While iOS 18.3 might not have been the most feature-heavy update we've seen from Apple, it does bring some needed improvements to iPhones. The most noticeable is that it adds some distinction between AI summarized notifications and individual messages by making the former italicized. The update also includes several Apple Intelligence updates, including upgrades for the iPhone 16 series Visual Intelligence feature.

For now, many customers will be waiting to see what Apple has planned for the spring. We have some idea of what to expect, including the likely release of iOS 18.4.

The next update to Apple's software is expected to include several improvements to Siri, new emojis and more. There are also a few hardware releases expected in the coming months, including the iPhone SE 4, which is looking to be a major improvement over the iPhone SE 2022.

Keeping on top of software updates might not seem important, but it is one of the best ways to protect your device, especially in conjunction with the best VPNs and antivirus software. We would always recommend keeping your phone up to date to make sure your data is as safe as it can be.

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Josh Render
Josh Render
Staff Writer

Josh is a staff writer for Tom's Guide and is based in the UK. He has worked for several publications but now works primarily on mobile phones. Outside of phones, he has a passion for video games, novels, and Warhammer.