We recently covered the release of Luca Todesco’s first build of yalu102. This tool will eventually allow all 64-bit devices to jailbreak iOS 10. iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus will be able to use it on iOS 10.0-10.1.1, all other 64-bit devices will be able to use it on iOS 10.0-10.2.
As the signing window for iOS 10.2 could close at any time, the pressure is on to downgrade to iOS 10.2 if you are currently on a higher firmware. Some people on a lower firmware should also upgrade to iOS 10.2, but not everyone. In this guide, we’ll talk you through how to upgrade/downgrade to iOS 10.2 from a lower/higher firmware, if you are one of the people who should be there.
Who does this definitely apply to?
Everyone on iOS 10.2.1 or iOS 10.3 beta who wants to jailbreak, now or in the future.
Who does this definitely not apply to?
Everyone who is already on iOS 10.2.
Who does this maybe apply to?
Some people on a firmware lower than iOS 10.2. This is more complicated.
If you have an iPhone 7 or iPhone 7 Plus and are on lower than iOS 10.2, do not update to iOS 10.2, stay on a lower firmware!
Prerequisites
- A computer with iTunes installed
- Any iOS 10 device for upgrading to iOS 10.2
- iOS 10.2 IPSW zip file specific for your device (click to download here)
- Back up important user data and settings on your device via iTunes or iCloud service. Save all your photos and videos manually, as you cannot restore a 10.2.1 backup to your device while running iOS 10.2.
Steps to downgrade or upgrade to iOS 10.2
Step 1: Navigate to the IPSW.me website and select the correct model of your device. Then verify if iOS 10.2 is still being signed for your particular model, else do not proceed further (as you might end up bricking your device with an unsigned firmware). Note: If the iOS 10.2 firmware is unsigned, you may be forced to upgrade to iOS 10.2.1, which is currently unsupported by yalu102 jailbreak.
Step 2: You can easily verify if iOS 10.2 is still being signed for your device by looking at the firmware status as depicted in the screenshot below:
Step 3: Once you have ascertained the status as positive, connect your device to computer via USB cable and launch iTunes. If you see a prompt for firmware upgrade, just select “Do not ask me again” and then click Cancel button.
Step 4: Look into the connected devices page where you will find Restore and Update buttons.
Step 5: Choose either Restore or Update depending upon the iOS firmware installed on your device. Restore is required if you are coming from a higher firmware than iOS 10.2 and Update if you are running a lower firmware than iOS 10.2. Note: Ideally, we recommend the Restore or Downgrade procedure as it allows you to do a clean installation of iOS 10.2 after fully wiping the device. This will help fixing stability issues and corrupt system files.
Step 6: For restoring your device, just press and hold the Option key (Mac) or Shift key (Windows), and hit Restore.
For updating your device, just press and hold the Option key (Mac) or Shift key (Windows), and click Update.
Note: Failing to hold the Option or Shift key while updating or restoring will force iTunes to upgrade your iOS firmware to iOS 10.2.1 automatically without your consent. So, proceed with caution.
Step 7: At this moment, a file browser window should pop-up on the screen. Just navigate to the file location where you saved the iOS 10.2 IPSW file and choose it.
Step 8: You will be prompted to confirm if you want to restore your device, using the IPSW file via iTunes. Before you proceed, ensure that you are restoring or downgrading to iOS 10.2 and not any other firmware.
Step 9: Click the Restore button when you are ready and let the device do its thing. Leave the device connected to the computer until the restoration process completes and wait until it reboots to the lock screen.
Step 10: Optional: Users who are coming from lower firmware version than iOS 10.2 may now decide if they want to restore the backup files or if they have chosen Update in Step 5 then this step can be ignored as data will be left intact whenever you update your device.
Pretty simple right? Did you encounter any issues? Let us know if you had any problems in the comments section below. We will do our best to help you. Should you see a question in the comments you can answer feel free to do so.