Apple has already released beta versions of its upcoming iOS 18 update, but that doesn’t necessarily mean the company is stopping support for older devices. Apple typically releases new updates for its older software, and while they lack new features, the company wants to make sure they’re up to date with privacy and security fixes. Today, Apple stopped rolling out one of the final updates of iOS 17 as it prepares to officially release iOS 18 to the public next month.

Users can no longer downgrade from iOS 17.6.1 because Apple has stopped signing iOS 17.6

Apple usually stops signing iOS after a new version is released. The company does this to prevent users from downgrading to the older firmware. This way, the company can ensure that all users are using the latest security updates. Apple stopped signing iOS 17.6 after releasing iOS 17.6.1, the latest update for the iPhone. Users can no longer downgrade from the latest version to iOS 17.6, but that means nothing to the average user.

iOS signing is very important for some users who are having issues with the latest version. They have the option to wait for a subsequent release with a fix, and the company gives the new update a week to settle in. We believe the company will stop signing the older version once the update is free of issues, and in fairness, this makes sense for both the company and the end user.

Another group of people that considers Apple’s iOS signing important is the jailbreak community. For years, the jailbreak community has been pretty quiet, with no new tools released for iOS. One reason for the jailbreak community’s silence is that the company has closed all loopholes and vulnerabilities in its software, making it very difficult for developers to crack the code. Simply put, there are no vulnerabilities that can be exploited for a potential jailbreak.

It’s been years since a new jailbreak tool was released and we suspect there won’t be a new one in the near future. If there was a working jailbreak that supported iOS 17, we would have advised users to stick with their firmware and not update to the latest version, but at this point, there would be no point in sticking with the older version of iOS. We will continue to keep a close eye on the jailbreak and let you know when there is an update.