Apple Stops Signing Ios 10 2 1 10 3 Preventing Downgrades From Apfs

Following today’s beta release of iOS 10.3.2, Apple has stopped signing iOS 10.2.1 and iOS 10.3. Now, users who were looking for the possibility to downgrade from iOS 10.3 or 10.3.1 will no longer be able to do so.

When iOS 10.3 was officially released, Apple introduced its new file system into the upgrade. When users on iOS 10.2.1 upgraded to iOS 10.3, they were seamlessly transitioned to the new APFS. The file system is set to become Apple’s new de-facto system by the end of 2017. Touting multiple benefits over the previous 30-year old file system it replaces, developers on iOS 10.3’s beta knew that downgrading from APFS just wouldn’t be possible.

The decision to stop signing an iOS release isn’t out of the ordinary as Apple normally does this a few weeks after a major iOS build is released. With the amount of security holes that iOS 10.3 and 10.3.1 fixes, downgrading to a lower iOS just wouldn’t be advised.

iOS 10.3 brought a number of bug fixes and security improvements including Find My AirPods, Apple File System, and CarPlay Updates.