Apple stops signing iOS 26.6.2, so iPhone and iPad users who have moved to iOS 27 can no longer downgrade to iOS 26. The change affects attempts to install older iOS builds because iOS updates must pass Apple’s server-side signing/verification checks.
Across reports, the focus is on what happens after an upgrade: if Apple is no longer signing the older version, devices cannot install it, even if a user has the necessary update files. MacRumors adds that iOS 27 is released about a week earlier, and notes that returning to iOS 26 is also not possible via iOS 26.7 for an additional technical reason (it is distributed as an over-the-air update without a restore file). 9to5Mac similarly describes the signing stop as the key factor that prevents downgrades to “non-iOS 27 system versions.”
Users who stay on iOS 26 can continue using it until they upgrade; the limitation applies to downgrading after iOS 27 is installed.
