Think you know something about jailbreaking? It may be possible for those who were caught out by Apple‘s constant battle with developers, bent on circumventing its locked down code. To free themselves from the trap that was iOS 9.3.5, yes, it may be possible to downgrade iOS.
A Possible Solution To Downgrade iOS 9.3.5
Where you one of those users who via either a mistake or a forced OTA update found your older iPhone trapped on the, go nowhere but upwards firmware? Apple’s predilection to quickly stop signing its firmware versions soon after their release hasn’t ended. Nor has a solution been discovered due to it relaxing a little. Instead, thanks to a few individuals who are working on a solution, it could soon happen. Meaning, that old handset which is locked down as tight as Guantanamo Bay, could be liberated.
Downgraded my iPhone 5C from iOS 9.3.5 -> 9.3.2 ?
Thanks @Thmitt pic.twitter.com/xAJT88k8Em— matteyeux (@matteyeux) March 24, 2017
Who Could You Have To Thank?
Over on Twitter, we’ve discovered two individuals and one team who are working on this. They are hackers @Thmitt, @alitek123, and the @FriedAppleTeam it’s not entirely clear whether they are working together. But, responses to the above tweet do cite all of them.
So, whether working together or on their own, a way to help people to downgrade iOS 9.3.5 has been found. That much can be seen from the above image, however, if you want to jailbreak. The question on your lips maybe,
Work still in progress, don't ask for eta, we don't know but hope to provide stable and comfortable in use stuff for you. #etason pic.twitter.com/fsvtEICZpA
— FriedAppleTeam (@FriedAppleTeam) January 26, 2017
When Will This Solution Be Available?
The question you should probably be asking is “How difficult has Apple made this?” The answer is difficult enough to keep hackers busy for nearly one year. A way around this iOS 9.3.5 lockout has been sought for that long because 32-bit devices are currently frozen out. Absolutely no jailbreak is possible if a device is running that particular firmware.
However, once either together or individually the above hackers publically reveal the solution. It could mean an iOS downgrade followed by a jailbreak via the Pangu jailbreak or Home Depot solution is possible.
Only Via Mac
If you’re unfamiliar with tools like this, they often need a computer to run on. With a few working on Mac, Windows, and Linux-based PCs, however, it has been confirmed that what may finally be called the Re-restore tool. And will unfortunately only work with Mac computers, which will alienate those who do not have access to such a device.
Having said that, they do recognize that this is a work in progress and its compatibility may change. To that end, this downgrade iOS solution will probably not see the light of day until it’s usable by everyone. Including those with little if any technical ability.
A Word From The Wise
It turns out that one of the said hackers mentioned above has provided a list of questions and answers. So, just in case you were wondering what may be expected of you if this downgrade iOS tool sees the light of day, here it is.
“Q: Does this need blobs?
A: Yes, blobs are required.
Q: What if I don’t have blobs?
A: You’re out of luck then. Sorry.
Q: What devices does this method work on?
A: Any 32-bit device running any iOS 9.x version.
Q: Do I have to be on iOS 9.3.5 to trigger this bug?
A: No. The bug exists on any iOS 9.x version.
Q: What if my iOS device is on iOS 10.x?
A: You’re also out of luck then. Sorry.
Q: Any ETA?
A: I don’t necessarily like giving ETA’s out, but I feel kind of confident about this one. Expect something either at the end of this month or sometime in April.”
Final Thoughts
Should you rush to Twitter and ask the hackers working on this as many questions as possible? That’s up to you; however, the Q&S’s above do answer the majority of the most pertinent ones we could come up with. Instead, it’s probably better if you follow all three on Twitter, that way you can keep an eye out for any news.
If, however, you’re not a Twitter user, you could always keep checking back here on Valuewalk. Because we will continue to update you on if anything related to this downgrade iOS tool is revealed.
Source: @Tmitt – Twitter
