Owners of mobile Apple devices who are looking to downgrade from iOS 9.2 to iOS 9.1 are out of luck, as that is no longer possible due to the company's decision to stop signing iOS 9.1 across all devices.
Apple's move comes around two weeks since the release of iOS 9.2, which follows a similar timeframe compared to how long before the company closed up the older versions of the mobile operating system.
The update to iOS 9.2, which was released just six weeks after iOS 9.1 was launched, is not a major one. However, it did include several improvements to the mobile operating system, and also implemented crucial bug fixes. iOS 9.2 introduced the Mail Drop feature, previously found only in OS X, to the iOS, and made several enhancements to Apple Music. Apple News and iBooks also received upgrades, with other notable updates including fixes for the iPad Pro and improved stability for the Safari and Podcasts.
Why Downgrade from iOS 9.2?
New versions of operating systems are meant to fix problems, but there is always the possibility that the update will cause other issues. For users who found their iOS device having problems with the iOS 9.2 update, it was relatively easy to use an unofficial way to bring the mobile operating system installed back down to iOS 9.1. However, that window has already closed.
The users who are affected the most by the closing of the window to downgrade iOS versions are those who have their devices jailbroken. For example, once iOS 9.1 was released, it included patches to the exploits that were used for the iOS 9.0.2 jailbreak. Users who accidentally updated their jailbroken devices could have downgraded back to iOS 9.0.2 to keep the jailbreak, but once the window to downgrade was closed, users would be forced to wait for a jailbreak to be released for iOS 9.1.
There is currently no jailbreak available for iOS 9.1 or iOS 9.2, so users who would be looking to downgrade from iOS 9.2 to iOS 9.1 would be doing so probably because they are experiencing issues with the new operating system.
Is the iOS 9.2 Jailbreak Coming Soon?
The iOS 9 jailbreak by Pangu, which worked for iOS 9.0.1 and iOS 9.0.2, has not been updated yet. There is no news on progress in releasing a jailbreak for iOS 9.2, but that is expected as jailbreak developers often only release news on their work once it is complete.
There are rumors that Pangu has already made a working version for the iOS 9.2 jailbreak, but there is no definite proof of such. If a jailbreak would be released, it might not be until 2016.
Nevertheless, users who prefer to have their iOS devices jailbroken should steer clear of iOS 9.2. While this robs users of the chance to enjoy the improvements that Apple has made on the later versions of the mobile operating system, users may be enjoying their jailbroken devices more to hold on to iOS 9.0.2.
Is Jailbreaking iOS Devices Worth It?
Jailbreaking allows users to bypass the hardware restrictions associated with iOS devices, allowing them to modify their devices and run customized software. However, as Tech Times previously reported, jailbroken iOS devices have several disadvantages.
Among these disadvantages are the voiding of the device's warranty, the risks of an unstable iOS and the possibility of malware attacks. As with any unofficial modifications with any piece of hardware or software, users should first weigh the pros and cons of doing so before taking the plunge.
