Apple Stops Signing iOS 15.4 Following iOS 15.4.1 Release, Downgrading No Longer Possible

Following the March 31 release of iOS 15.4.1, Apple has stopped signing iOS 15.4, the previously available version of iOS that came out earlier in March. As iOS 15.4 is no longer being signed, it is not possible to downgrade to that version of iOS once you've installed iOS 15.4.1.

iOS 15
Apple routinely stops signing older versions of software updates after new releases come out in order to encourage customers to keep their operating systems up to date, so it is not unusual that iOS 15.4 is no longer being signed.

iOS 15.4 was a major update featuring support for unlocking an iPhone while wearing a mask, new emoji characters, Universal Control on the iPad, and tons more.

iOS 15.4.1 added a fix for a battery drain issue on the ‌iPhone‌, but more importantly, it addressed AppleAVD issue that could allow an application to execute arbitrary code with kernel privileges. Apple said this exploit may have been actively exploited, so it is a good idea to update to iOS 15.4.1 if you have not done so already.

Apple has also stopped signing tvOS 15.4 and HomePod 15.4 software.

Related Forum: iOS 15

Popular Stories

iPhone SE 4 Vertical Camera Feature

iPhone SE 4 Rumored to Use Same Rear Chassis as iPhone 16

Friday July 19, 2024 7:16 am PDT by
Apple will adopt the same rear chassis manufacturing process for the iPhone SE 4 that it is using for the upcoming standard iPhone 16, claims a new rumor coming out of China. According to the Weibo-based leaker "Fixed Focus Digital," the backplate manufacturing process for the iPhone SE 4 is "exactly the same" as the standard model in Apple's upcoming iPhone 16 lineup, which is expected to...
iPhone 16 Pro Sizes Feature

iPhone 16 Series Is Just Two Months Away: Everything We Know

Monday July 15, 2024 4:44 am PDT by
Apple typically releases its new iPhone series around mid-September, which means we are about two months out from the launch of the iPhone 16. Like the iPhone 15 series, this year's lineup is expected to stick with four models – iPhone 16, iPhone 16 Plus, iPhone 16 Pro, and iPhone 16 Pro Max – although there are plenty of design differences and new features to take into account. To bring ...
iphone 14 lineup

Cellebrite Unable to Unlock iPhones on iOS 17.4 or Later, Leak Reveals

Thursday July 18, 2024 4:18 am PDT by
Israel-based mobile forensics company Cellebrite is unable to unlock iPhones running iOS 17.4 or later, according to leaked documents verified by 404 Media. The documents provide a rare glimpse into the capabilities of the company's mobile forensics tools and highlight the ongoing security improvements in Apple's latest devices. The leaked "Cellebrite iOS Support Matrix" obtained by 404 Media...
tinypod apple watch

TinyPod Turns Your Apple Watch Into an iPod

Wednesday July 17, 2024 3:18 pm PDT by
If you have an old Apple Watch and you're not sure what to do with it, a new product called TinyPod might be the answer. Priced at $79, the TinyPod is a silicone case with a built-in scroll wheel that houses the Apple Watch chassis. When an Apple Watch is placed inside the TinyPod, the click wheel on the case is able to be used to scroll through the Apple Watch interface. The feature works...
bsod

Crowdstrike Says Global IT Outage Impacting Windows PCs, But Mac and Linux Hosts Not Affected

Friday July 19, 2024 3:12 am PDT by
A widespread system failure is currently affecting numerous Windows devices globally, causing critical boot failures across various industries, including banks, rail networks, airlines, retailers, broadcasters, healthcare, and many more sectors. The issue, manifesting as a Blue Screen of Death (BSOD), is preventing computers from starting up properly and forcing them into continuous recovery...
New MacBook Pros Launching Tomorrow With These 4 New Features 2

M5 MacBook Models to Use New Compact Camera Module in 2025

Wednesday July 17, 2024 2:58 am PDT by
Apple in 2025 will take on a new compact camera module (CCM) supplier for future MacBook models powered by its next-generation M5 chip, according to Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo. Writing in his latest investor note on unny-opticals-2025-business-momentum-to-benefit-509819818c2a">Medium, Kuo said Apple will turn to Sunny Optical for the CCM in its M5 MacBooks. The Chinese optical lens company...

Top Rated Comments

Danfango Avatar
30 months ago

Endless updates...more bugs...RedHat LinMac 2000
How dare they inconvenience the user by fixing stuff, protecting the user and improving the product that the user is complaining about!
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
vanylapep Avatar
30 months ago
It's a trap.

Once you update your phone to 15.4.1, Xcode 13.2.1 won't allow you to deploy to your phone because it only supports 15.4.0. So you update to Xcode 13.3 but your macOS won't allow it because you're on macOS 11.3 but Xcode 13.3 requires macOS 12.0. So you gota buy a new Macbook.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Mr. Dee Avatar
30 months ago
I finally upgraded to iOS 15.4.1 from iOS 14.8.1 on my iPhone X and 2017 iPad Pro 12.9. I couldn’t stand the nagging at work anymore. The iPhone X feels like a new phone with the upgrade and I do feel the speed difference. On the iPad there isn’t really not much that feels new but its there. The only other iOS device I have not updated because it failed a couple times is my iPhone 6s.

I took that as a warning sign and leave it be. The watchOS 8.5.1 update failed a couple times, but I just put my S3 next to my X before going to bed and updated the next morning.

So, things are going well otherwise. See you back here next year with iOS 16.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
_Spinn_ Avatar
30 months ago
I'm glad Apple does what it can to stop OS fragmentation.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
winxmac Avatar
30 months ago

I finally upgraded to iOS 15.4.1 from iOS 14.8.1 on my iPhone X and 2017 iPad Pro 12.9. I couldn’t stand the nagging at work anymore. The iPhone X feels like a new phone with the upgrade and I do feel the speed difference. On the iPad there isn’t really not much that feels new but its there. The only other iOS device I have not updated because it failed a couple times is my iPhone 6s.

I took that as a warning sign and leave it be. The watchOS 8.5.1 update failed a couple times, but I just put my S3 next to my X before going to bed and updated the next morning.

So, things are going well otherwise. See you back here next year with iOS 16.
I was on iOS 14.8 then upgraded to iOS 15.4 then I saw that iOS 15.3 RC was still signed at that time so I downgraded to it and still on it at the moment... Upgraded and downgraded using IPSW through iTunes...

In the company I work at, I also receive email notification about needing to go to the latest version otherwise access to company resource will not work... I don't have a work-provided phone and I just decided to upgrade...

Also, note to Apple, re-sign the last update of previous versions so if someone cannot afford to buy a newer model, the device they currently have will still be at least useable although with limited app support...
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
leicaman Avatar
30 months ago
When the version that they stop signing has two zero day flaws, there's an inescapable reason to stop letting people downgrade to it.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)