Why iPhone Owners Can No Longer Downgrade To iOS 13.6

All iPhone owners who updated their smartphones to iOS 13.6.1 will no longer be able to downgrade to iOS 13.6 because Apple has stopped signing the operating system version.

Apple recently released the iOS 13.6.1 update for all users so they can upgrade their iPhones to a newer iOS version. This patch brings a host of fixes to some problems encountered by users, particularly issues in thermal management, storage and exposure notifications.

Those who updated their devices to the latest iOS version will no longer be able to downgrade to iOS 13.6 as Apple has stopped signing the operating system software version. The company normally stops signing older versions so that users will be motivated to update to a newer, more secure version.

The current version, iOS 13.6.1, fixes several issues that iPhone users complained about.

First, it addressed an issue “where unneeded system data files might not be automatically deleted when available storage is low.” This fix helps users acquire free space that can be used to store more important things.

Second, iOS 13.6.1 included a fix for a “thermal management issue that caused some displays to exhibit a green tint.” This resulted in a green haze covering the entire iPhone screen from top to bottom. The discoloration affected everything shown on the display, including app icons, photos and videos.

Some users said the issue started to occur after they updated to iOS 13.5.1. They were unable to revert back to iOS 13.5 because Apple stopped signing it. The new iOS 13.6.1 should do away with the problem.

Lastly, the new iOS version “fixes an issue where Exposure Notifications could be disabled for some users.”

The company noticed that the feature was disabled for some users, preventing them from receiving important notifications alerting them if they've come in close contact with a person who tested positive for COVID-19. The latest iOS version solves this problem.

The previous version, iOS 13.6, introduced support for Car Keys, allowing iPhone users to lock and unlock their compatible cars using their handsets. It also introduced a new symptoms category in the Health app, as well as audio stories for Apple News+.