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 17 Pro 34ths Perspective

iPhone 17 Pro Launching Later This Year With These 10 New Features

Sunday March 23, 2025 10:00 am PDT by
While the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are not expected to launch until September, there are already plenty of rumors about the devices. Below, we recap key changes rumored for the iPhone 17 Pro models as of March 2025: Aluminum frame: iPhone 17 Pro models are rumored to have an aluminum frame, whereas the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro models have a titanium frame, and the iPhone ...
Generic iOS 18

iOS 18.4 Coming Soon With These New Features for Your iPhone

Tuesday March 25, 2025 6:45 am PDT by
Apple is expected to release iOS 18.4 to the general public as soon as next week, following more than a month of beta testing. Apple's website says some iOS 18.4 features will be released in "early April," so the update should be out as early as Tuesday, April 1. Apple this week seeded the iOS 18.4 Release Candidate, which is typically the final beta version, barring the discovery of any...
ios 19 messages app

Here's What Apple's iOS 19 Messages App Might Look Like

Tuesday March 25, 2025 11:52 am PDT by
Leaker Jon Prosser today shared a mockup of what he says the Messages app will look like in iOS 19, demoing an interface with rounded, translucent bubble-shaped navigation buttons at the top and softer, rounder corners for the keyboard and word suggestions. Jon Prosser's Messages app mockup The return button, a button for going back to the Messages list, and the FaceTime button have a deeper...
iCloud General Feature Redux

iPhone Users Who Pay for iCloud Storage Receive a New Perk

Thursday March 20, 2025 12:01 am PDT by
If you pay for iCloud storage on your iPhone, Apple has a new perk for you, at no additional cost. The new perk is the ability to create invitations in the Apple Invites app for the iPhone, which launched in the App Store last month. In the Apple Invites app, iCloud+ subscribers can create invitations for any occasion, such as birthday parties, graduations, baby showers, and more. Anyone ...
macbook pro blue green

When Will Apple Release the M5 MacBook Pro?

Wednesday March 26, 2025 4:53 pm PDT by
Apple regularly refreshes the MacBook Pro models, and a new version that uses M5 series chips is in the works. Apple just finished refreshing most of the Mac lineup with M4 chips, and now it's time for the M5. Rumors suggest that we could see the first M5 MacBook Pro models this fall. Design There have been no rumors of a design update for the M5 MacBook Pro models that are coming this...
airpods max 2024 colors

Don't Buy Into Apple's Hype About AirPods Max Gaining Lossless Audio

Monday March 24, 2025 4:24 pm PDT by
Apple today announced that AirPods Max with a USB-C port will be gaining support for lossless audio and ultra-low latency audio with a firmware update next month, alongside the release of iOS 18.4, iPadOS 18.4, and macOS 15.4. For context, audio files are typically compressed to keep file sizes smaller. There are lossy compression standards like MP3 and AAC (Advanced Audio Codec), which...
Apple Lumon Terminal Pro

Apple's Mac Site Features Fictional 'Lumon Terminal Pro'

Wednesday March 26, 2025 12:19 pm PDT by
Apple is going all out with promotions for the popular Severance Apple TV+ show today, and as of right now, you'll find a new "Lumon Terminal Pro" listed on Apple's Mac site. The Lumon Terminal Pro is designed to look similar to the machines that Severance employees like Mark S. and Helly R. use for macrodata refinement. The Terminal features a blue keyboard, a small display with wide...
Generic iOS 19 Feature Mock

Gurman: Jon Prosser's iOS 19 Mockups 'Aren't Representative' of Redesign

Tuesday March 25, 2025 4:47 pm PDT by
The iOS 19 mockup images that leaker Jon Prosser shared today are not representative of the actual iOS 19 design, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said on social media. According to Gurman, the images that are "floating around" are based on "very old builds" or "vague descriptions," and are lacking key features. Gurman says that we can "expect more from Apple in June." Gurman made the same comment ...

Top Rated Comments

Danfango Avatar
39 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
39 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
39 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
39 months ago
I'm glad Apple does what it can to stop OS fragmentation.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
winxmac Avatar
39 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
39 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)