How to Install / Upgrade: Apple stops signing iOS 26.5.1 after critical security fix release
By Dillip Chowdary • Jul 21, 2026 • Source: 9to5Mac
Apple has stopped signing iOS 26.5 and iOS 26.5.1 following the release of a critical security fix for iPhone last week. This change prevents users from downgrading their software to iOS 26.5 or iOS 26.5.1 from newer software releases.
Advertisement
Tech Pulse Daily
Get tomorrow's pulse first
Join engineers who read Tech Pulse before stand-up. Free, weekday mornings.
To upgrade your iPhone to the software release with the critical security fix, install the newer release available for your device. Complete the update directly to a newer release, as Apple no longer allows installing or restoring to iOS 26.5 or iOS 26.5.1.
A key gotcha is that once you update to a newer release, downgrading back to iOS 26.5 or iOS 26.5.1 is impossible because Apple is no longer signing those versions. To verify your setup, check that your iPhone is running a newer release rather than iOS 26.5 or iOS 26.5.1.
Advertisement
🔎 More interesting news
- Show HN: Rowboat – Open-source, local-first alternative to Claude Desktop
- Doom developer id reportedly cut in half as part of Xbox layoffs
- Shut Those Laptops! Anthropic Puts Its Claude Cowork Agent on Your Phone
- AirPods Max condensation lawsuit significantly narrowed by judge
- Today's full Tech Pulse briefing →