Apple has stopped signing several older versions of iOS for a group of legacy iPhone and iPad models, cutting off the paths to reinstall or downgrade the affected software. Apple will no longer validate over-the-air (OTA) or direct IPSW installs of the builds in question. Once a version is unsigned, there is no longer a way to restore or install it through Finder or iTunes. The change is narrower than a typical signing update. Apple has not stopped signing the iOS versions themselves. Instead, it has ended signing for the baseband firmware, the low-level software that runs each device's cellular modem, tied to those releases. The affected releases span iOS 6 through iOS 10. The full set of devices and versions that can no longer be restored is as follows: iPhone 4 (CDMA) : iOS 7.1.2 IPSW installs iPhone 4S : iOS 6.1.3 and iOS 8.4.1 OTA installs, plus iOS 9.3.5 and iOS 9.3.6 IPSW installs iPhone 5 (GSM and CDMA) : iOS 8.4.1 OTA installs, plus iOS 10.3.3 and iOS 10.3.4 IPSW installs iPhone 5c (GSM and CDMA) : iOS 10.3.3 IPSW installs iPad 2 (Wi-Fi + 3G, CDMA) : iOS 6.1.3 and iOS 8.4.1 OTA installs, plus iOS 9.3.5 and iOS 9.3.6 IPSW installs iPad 3rd generation (GSM and CDMA) : iOS 8.4.1 OTA installs, plus iOS 9.3.5 and iOS 9.3.6 IPSW installs iPad 4th generation (Wi-Fi + Cellular) : iOS 8.4.1 OTA installs, plus iOS 10.3.3 and iOS 10.3.4 IPSW installs iPad mini (Wi-Fi + Cellular) : iOS 8.4.1 OTA installs, plus iOS 9.3.5 and iOS 9.3.6 IPSW installs Tellingly, every model caught up in the change is a cellular variant. Wi-Fi-only iPads are untouched, since they carry no cellular modem and therefore there is no baseband to sign in the first place. The oldest hardware on the list is the CDMA iPhone 4, which never advanced beyond iOS 7.1.2, while the newest builds affected are iOS 10.3.3 and iOS 10.3.4 on the iPhone 5 and the fourth-generation ‌iPad‌. For context, Apple did not separate iOS and iPadOS until iPadOS 13, so these much earlier ‌iPad‌ releases were all running iOS at the time. One of the more interesting entries is the OTA version of iOS 8.4.1, which Apple had kept signing to serve as a stepping stone. Certain devices had to pass through iOS 8.4.1 on the way to iOS 9, and the same signed build gave owners a route back if they wanted to revert. That fallback now disappears for nearly every device on the list, from the iPhone 4S up to the iPhone 5. A device that is already up and running on its current firmware carries on as normal, but owners lose the fallback of a fresh install should that firmware ever break. It also shuts the door on restores for anyone holding onto old hardware to test apps, check compatibility, or preserve software. Signing changes like this usually target the latest releases instead, often landing within days of a significant security patch for a current version of iOS or iPadOS. Pulling signatures for decade-old builds on aging devices is rarer, and it touches only a tiny fraction of users in 2026, since everything on the list is more than ten years old. Related Roundups: iPad , iPad mini Buyer's Guide: iPad (Don't Buy) , iPad Mini (Don't Buy) Related Forums: iOS 10 , iOS 8 , iOS 9 , iPad , iPhone This article, " Apple Pulls Ability to Restore iPhone 5c, iPad Mini, and More " first appeared on MacRumors.com Discuss this article in our forums
DuckDuckGo 's free web browser now blocks most video ads on YouTube, and the feature is on by default for iPhone and Mac users running the latest version of the app. Announced on Wednesday, YouTube Ad Blocking stops ads that play before and during videos on YouTube's website, and DuckDuckGo says the result is the regular YouTube experience minus the interruptions, so features like viewing history and saving your spot in playlists keep working. One thing to watch on iPhone is if you tap a YouTube link, it often opens the dedicated YouTube app if you have it installed. The blocking feature obviously won't work there, and you'll need to open the YouTube website inside the DuckDuckGo browser instead. DuckDuckGo says it is using a community-maintained filter lists from uBlock Origin, along with its own rules to help minimize breakage. The company warns that videos may buffer a little longer than usual, but playback should run uninterrupted once a clip loads. Note that YouTube Ad Blocking is separate from Duck Player , the browser's distraction-free video viewing mode, but the two can be enabled together. The move follows Google's ongoing efforts to break ad blockers every which way it can, including recent changes to Chrome that targeted uBlock Origin . It's worth mentioning that DuckDuckGo isn't the first browser to block YouTube ads, with similar features already available in Brave and Opera. DuckDuckGo's browser offers more than a dozen privacy protections, including ad tracker blocking and cookie pop-up removal. It's available for iOS devices on the App Store and for Mac on the Mac App Store and DuckDuckGo website . Tag: DuckDuckGo This article, " DuckDuckGo Browser Now Blocks YouTube Ads on iPhone and Mac " first appeared on MacRumors.com Discuss this article in our forums
Apple's upcoming iPhone 18 Pro Max could be noticeably thicker and heavier than its predecessor, suggesting a trade-off behind the device's rumored larger battery. Chinese leaker Ice Universe today claimed the iPhone 18 Pro Max will measure around 9mm thick and weigh approximately 240 grams. That would make the device around 0.25mm thicker and roughly 7 grams heavier than the current iPhone 17 Pro Max. The latest claim comes off the back of recent regulatory filings indicating the iPhone 18 Pro Max will feature a 5,391mAh battery in China and a 5,567mAh battery in the U.S. – an increase of nearly 500mAh over the iPhone 17 Pro Max. Ice Universe suggested the added thickness and weight are a direct result of the larger battery, but Apple is also said to be adopting a new type of vapor chamber that uses stainless steel , which could also be a contributing factor. The rumor builds on an earlier claim that Apple's next flagship could become the heaviest iPhone ever . If so, it would have to be heavier than the iPhone 14 Pro Max, which also weighed 240 grams, so it may turn out that there are only milligram-level differences between the two. Apple's use of titanium instead of stainless steel made the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro models lighter than the iPhone 14 Pro models. Apple then switched away from titanium to less-dense aluminum for the iPhone 17 Pro models, but internal changes and slightly thicker designs bumped up their weight again. The iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max are expected to launch alongside Apple's first foldable iPhone this September. Related Roundup: iPhone 18 Pro Tag: Ice Universe This article, " iPhone 18 Pro Max Said to Be Thicker and Heavier Than Predecessor " first appeared on MacRumors.com Discuss this article in our forums
The Apolosign 32-inch Smart Portable TV is an interesting battery-powered touchscreen on wheels. At $899 retail, it's a very hard sell for Apple owners because of one key omission. Apolosign 32-inch Smart Portable TV The idea of a freestanding, movable television sounds odd at first. Just the same, LG popularized this category with the StanbyME. That wheeled touchscreen doubles as a second display, photo frame, and smart home hub. Apolosign is one of several brands now chasing that idea for less money. This 32-inch model is the larger of its two portable TVs. Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums
