Apple has just stopped signing iOS 17.6 and iPadOS 17.6 firmware for iPhone and iPad. Downgrade from iOS 17.6.1, iPadOS 17.6.1 not possible.
Want to Downgrade from iOS 17.6.1 or iPadOS 17.6.1 to iOS 17.6 or iPadOS 17.6? Apple is No Longer Signing the Older Firmware
Downgrading from iOS 17.6.1 and iPadOS 17.6.1 to iOS 17.6 and iPadOS 17.6 was only possible as long as Apple was signing the older firmware. Now that it isn’t, it means you can’t downgrade your iPhone and iPad to iOS 17.6 or iPadOS 17.6 no matter what you did or tried.
Though this may sound like bad news, but it really isn’t. I’m a huge advocate of installing the latest software updates on iPhone and iPad for a ton of reasons. One of the reasons being security updates. This means whatever you do on your iPhone and iPad stays safe and your data does not fall into the wrong hands. Keeping your software up to date ensures that.
I will encourage you to do the same. It’s a simple case of going to Settings > General > Software Update. You’ll see the latest iOS 17.6.1 and iPadOS 17.6.1 update here and you can download it instantly as long as you have 50% or more battery life remaining. If not, just plug that phone or tablet to a power outlet.
With every new software update, Apple also improves performance of the iPhone and iPad. Sometimes, it may have a negative effect, but that’s usually temporary since your device needs time to index your data and ‘settle down.’ Just give it a day or two and you’ll be just fine. If it isn’t, for some reason, try clean installing the software.
You can do this by taking a backup of everything using Finder or iCloud, then plug your iPhone or iPad to your Mac, launch Finder, click on your device, then click on the ‘Restore iPhone’ or ‘Restore iPad’ button. Your Mac will download the latest firmware file straight from Apple’s server, restore it onto your device and everything should feel like the day you started using your iPhone and iPad for the first time.
Over-the-air software updates, though very convenient, can be very finicky if you have been running your device for several years. Performing a clean installation whenever a major software update arrives is the rule I follow to ensure everything ticks along nicely. Maybe you should try it as well when iOS 18 and iPadOS 18 is released later this year. Instead of performing an over-the-air installation, just start from scratch and enjoy the new update in its best-possible form.
