IPSW
Download Beta IPSW
for iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple TV and Apple Vision Pro
Every restore image Apple has published since 2020 — beta, RC and release, for every platform — with the file size, the SHA-256 and whether Apple is still signing it. Every link goes straight to Apple's servers.
Choose your device
Pick a platform, then the exact model — iOS 27 back to iOS 15, iPadOS 27 back to iPadOS 15, macOS 27 back to macOS 11, tvOS 26 back to tvOS 15 and visionOS 27 back to visionOS 1.
Latest builds
Newest restore images across every platform.
What Apple is signing right now
Only a signed build can be restored. Rechecked automatically; last check September 17, 2026.
iPhone
iPad
Mac
Apple TV
Apple Vision ProHow to install an IPSW
Four steps, and the one that matters most is the first.
Back up first
A restore erases the device. Make an archived backup in Finder or the Apple Devices app — an iCloud backup taken on a newer version cannot be restored onto an older one. Our backup guide covers the difference.
Get the file for your exact model
Check Settings → General → About → Model Name, then download the IPSW for that device. The download shows the file size; compare it with the SHA-256 under Details if you want to be certain the file is intact.
Restore in Finder or Apple Devices
Connect with a cable, select the device, then hold Option (Mac) or Shift (Windows) and click Restore to choose the .ipsw. Update keeps your data but only works upward; Restore erases and is how you downgrade.
Set up or restore your backup
After the restore the device starts fresh. Restore the backup you made — only if it came from the same or an older version than the one you just installed.
Why here rather than Apple's site?
Same files. The difference is what you know before you download.
Apple's own downloads
developer.apple.com and the Software Update catalog are the source of every file here.
- The genuine files, straight from Apple
- Only the current build — no archive of earlier betas
- No file sizes or SHA-256 hashes shown
- No signing status — you find out at the end of a 12 GB download
- Developer betas need a developer sign-in
This catalogue
The same files — every link points at updates.cdn-apple.com — with the metadata Apple leaves out.
- Every device, every beta, RC and release since 2020
- File size and SHA-256 for every download
- Signing status per device, rechecked automatically
- No account, no sign-in, nothing to install first
- Links to what changed in each build
Questions? Answers.
What is an IPSW file?
An IPSW is Apple's complete firmware package for one specific device: the operating system, every bundled app and the firmware for the individual components, in one signed archive. It is the file Finder, the Apple Devices app and iTunes use to restore a device, and the only way to move a device down to an earlier version.
What does "signed" mean?
Apple's servers must approve a firmware before a device will accept it, and Apple only approves the builds it is currently shipping. A signed file can be restored today; an unsigned one is rejected at the end of the process, however you obtained it. Signing status changes without notice, usually within days of a newer release, which is why this catalogue rechecks it automatically.
Will I lose my data?
A Restore erases the device — that is what makes a downgrade possible. An Update with an IPSW keeps your data, but only when moving to a newer version. Either way, make an archived backup on a computer first; an iCloud backup taken on a newer version will not restore onto an older one.
Where do these files come from?
Every download link points directly at Apple's content network (updates.cdn-apple.com). The catalogue — which file belongs to which device, its size and its SHA-256 — is assembled from Apple's own software catalogs by way of AppleDB, and nothing is re-hosted or modified here.
How do I check the file is genuine?
Compare its SHA-256 with the one under Details. On a Mac: shasum -a 256 file.ipsw; on Windows: certutil -hashfile file.ipsw SHA256. A match means the file is byte-for-byte what Apple published. A restore also verifies the firmware's own signature, so a tampered file cannot install in any case.
What does RC mean?
Release Candidate — the build Apple intends to ship as the public version. In most cycles the RC and the release are the same build number, so restoring to the RC is restoring to the finished software a few days early. Our explainer goes into the detail.
Which platforms have IPSW files at all
iPhone, iPad, Apple Vision Pro and Apple silicon Macs can be restored from an IPSW. Apple TV 4K has no port for it — only the 2015 Apple TV HD, with its USB-C connector, can be restored from a file, which is why the Apple TV section stops at tvOS 26. Apple Watch, HomePod and AirPods have no user-restorable firmware at all; they update from the paired device.
Macs are the special case. One UniversalMac image covers every supported Apple silicon Mac, and restoring it needs a second Mac running Apple Configurator with the target in DFU mode. Intel Macs do not use IPSW files; they reinstall from macOS Recovery.
Catalogue data: Apple's software catalogs via AppleDB. Signing status checked September 16, 2026. Not affiliated with Apple Inc.