View source for IPSW

{{Infobox file format
| name = IPSW
| icon = IPSW file format icon.png
| extension = .ipsw
| mime = application/x-itunes-ipsw<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.filesuffix.com/en/extension/ipsw|title=IPSW file - How do I open a .ipsw file? &#91;Step-by-step&#93;}} </ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://fileextensionexplorer.com/ipsw|title = Open .IPSW File}}</ref>
| developer = Apple
| type = Archive
| url = 
| magic = 504B0304
}}

'''IPSW''' is a file format used to install [[Software:IOS|iOS]], [[Software:IPadOS|iPadOS]], [[Software:TvOS|tvOS]], [[Engineering:HomePod|HomePod]], [[Software:WatchOS|watchOS]], and most recently, [[Software:MacOS|macOS]] [[Firmware|firmware]] for devices equipped with [[Engineering:Apple silicon|Apple silicon]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=ipsw|url=https://osxdaily.com/tag/ipsw/|access-date=August 19, 2021|website=OS X Daily|language=en}}</ref> All [[Company:Apple Inc.|Apple]] devices share the same IPSW file format for [[Software:IOS|iOS]] firmware and their derivatives, allowing users to flash their devices through [[Software:Finder|Finder]] or [[Software:ITunes|iTunes]] on [[Software:MacOS|macOS]] or [[Software:Microsoft Windows|Windows]], respectively. Users can flash Apple silicon Macs through [[Software:Apple Configurator|Apple Configurator 2]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=Revive or restore a Mac with Apple silicon with Apple Configurator 2|url=https://support.apple.com/guide/apple-configurator-2/revive-or-restore-a-mac-with-apple-silicon-apdd5f3c75ad/mac|access-date=November 16, 2022|website=Apple Support|language=zh}}</ref>

==Structure==
The .ipsw file itself is a [[Data compression|compressed]] [[Archive file|archive file]] (renamed Zip archive) containing at least three [[Apple Disk Image]] files with one containing the root file system of the OS and two [[RAM drive|ram disks]] for restore and update. [[Software:TvOS|tvOS]], [[Engineering:HomePod|audioOS]] and [[Software:MacOS|macOS]] also include a disk image for the recovery environment (recoveryOS).

The file also holds the kernel caches, and a "Firmware" folder which contains [[Software:IBoot|iBoot]], LLB (Low-Level Bootloader), iBSS (iBoot Single Stage), iBEC (iBoot Epoch Change), the Secure Enclave Processor firmware, the Device Tree, Firmware Images (Apple logo, battery images, Recovery mode screen and more), [[Engineering:Baseband processor|baseband]] firmware files in .bbfw format (renamed zip file), and other firmware files.


BuildManifest.plist is sent to Apple's TSS server and checked in order to obtain SHSH blobs before every restore. Without SHSH blobs, the device will refuse to restore, thus making downgrades very difficult to achieve.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.howtoisolve.com/last-ios-9-3-2-ipsw-download-iphone-ipad/|title=Last iOS 9.3.2 iPSW|work=www.howtoisolve.com|date=November 10, 2016}}</ref>
The IPSW file format plays a crucial role in managing the software updates and restores for a variety of Apple devices. Its use extends beyond just iPhones and iPads, as it now also covers Apple silicon Macs, which can be updated using Apple Configurator 2. These files are integral to the device's firmware and contain various critical components needed for proper functioning, such as the kernel, device drivers, and booting files. The careful organization of these components ensures that the device not only runs smoothly after an update or restore but also maintains security by verifying the integrity of the firmware files.

The inclusion of SHSH blobs, which are required for validating firmware restoration, further demonstrates the controlled environment that Apple enforces for updates and downgrades. These mechanisms help prevent users from inadvertently downgrading to insecure or outdated versions, protecting the security of the devices and the integrity of the Apple ecosystem as a whole.

==Security and rooting==

===Government data access===
{{Main|Social:FBI–Apple encryption dispute}}

After the 2015 San Bernardino attack, the FBI recovered the shooter's [[Engineering:IPhone 5C|iPhone 5C]], which belonged to the San Bernardino County Department of Public Health.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nbcnews.com/storyline/san-bernardino-shooting/judge-forces-apple-help-unlock-san-bernardino-shooter-iphone-n519701|title=Judge Forces Apple to Help Unlock San Bernardino Shooter iPhone|author=Andrew Blankstein|work=NBC News|date=February 16, 2016}}</ref> The FBI recovered [[Company:ICloud|iCloud]] backups from one and a half months before the shooting, and wanted to access encrypted files on the device. The U.S. government ordered Apple to produce an IPSW file that would allow investigators to brute force the passcode of the iPhone.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://arstechnica.co.uk/tech-policy/2016/02/judge-apple-must-help-fbi-unlock-san-bernardino-shooters-iphone/|title=Apple ordered to unlock San Bernardino shooter's iPhone|work=Ars Technica UK|date=February 17, 2016}}</ref> The order used the All Writs Act, originally created  by the Judiciary Act of 1789, to demand the firmware, in the same way as other smartphone manufacturers have been ordered to comply.

Tim Cook responded on the company's webpage, outlining a need for encryption, and arguing that if they produce a [[Backdoor (computing)|backdoor]] for one device, it would inevitably be used to compromise the privacy of other iPhone users:<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.apple.com/customer-letter/|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20160217084120/http://www.apple.com/customer-letter/|archivedate=February 17, 2016|title=A Message to Our Customers|quote=The United States government has demanded that Apple take an unprecedented step which threatens the security of our customers. We oppose this order, which has implications far beyond the legal case at hand.|author=Tim Cook|date=February 16, 2016}}</ref>

{{blockquote|The FBI wants us to make a new version of the iPhone operating system, circumventing several important security features, and install it on an iPhone recovered during the investigation. In the wrong hands, this software — which does not exist today — would have the potential to unlock any iPhone in someone’s physical possession...

The government would have us remove security features and add new capabilities to the operating system, allowing a passcode to be input electronically. This would make it easier to unlock an iPhone by “brute force,” trying thousands or millions of combinations with the speed of a modern computer.

The implications of the government’s demands are chilling. If the government can use the All Writs Act to make it easier to unlock your iPhone, it would have the power to reach into anyone’s device to capture their data. The government could extend this breach of privacy and demand that Apple build surveillance software to intercept your messages, access your health records or financial data, track your location, or even access your phone’s microphone or camera without your knowledge.

Opposing this order is not something we take lightly. We feel we must speak up in the face of what we see as an overreach by the U.S. government.}}

==Signed iOS/iPadOS Versions==
'''Note:''' The Apple product has been currently signed for IPSW versions, including iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch.

==iPhones==
{|class=wikitable
|+
!Device	
!Signed iOS Versions
|-
|iPhone 3G
|4.2.1, 4.1, 3.1.3, 2.2.1
|-
|iPhone 3GS
|6.1.6, 6.1.3, 5.1.1, 4.3.5, 4.1, 3.1.3
|-
|iPhone 4 (GSM)
|7.1.2, 6.1.3, 5.1.1, 4.3.5
|-
|iPhone 4 (GSM / 2012)
|7.1.2, 6.1.3
|-
|iPhone 4 (CDMA)
|7.1.2, 6.1.3, 5.1.1, 4.2.10
|-
|iPhone 4S
|9.3.6, 9.3.5, 8.4.1, 7.1.2, 6.1.3, 5.1.1
|-
|iPhone 5 (GSM / Global)
|10.3.4, 10.3.3, 9.3.5, 8.4.1, 7.1.2, 6.1.3
|-
|iPhone 5c (GSM / Global)
|10.3.3, 9.3.5, 8.4.1, 7.1.2
|-
|iPhone 5s (GSM / Global)
|12.5.8, 11.4.1, 10.3.3, 9.3.5, 8.4.1, 7.1.2
|-
|iPhone 6 / 6+
|12.5.8, 11.4.1, 10.3.3, 9.3.5, 8.4.1
|-
|iPhone 6s / 6s+
|15.8.6, 14.8, 13.7, 12.4.1, 11.4.1, 10.3.3, 9.3.5
|-
|iPhone SE
|15.8.6, 14.8, 13.7, 12.4.1, 11.4.1, 10.3.3, 9.3.5
|-
|iPhone 7 / 7 Plus (Global / GSM)
|15.8.6, 14.8, 13.7, 12.4.1, 11.4.1, 10.3.3
|-
|iPhone 8 / 8 Plus (Global / GSM)
|16.7.14, 15.6.1, 14.8, 13.7, 12.4.1, 11.4.1
|-
|iPhone X (Global / GSM)
|16.7.14, 15.6.1, 14.8, 13.7, 12.4.1, 11.4.1
|-
|iPhone XS / XS Max / XR
|18.7.4, 17.7, 16.6.1, 15.6.1, 14.8, 13.7, 12.4.1
|}
{{notelist}}

==iPads==
{|class=wikitable
|+
!Device	
!Signed iOS / iPadOS Versions
|-
|iPad 1
|5.1.1, 4.3.5, 3.2.2
|-
|iPad 2 (WiFi / GSM)
|9.3.5, 8.4.1, 7.1.2, 6.1.3, 5.1.1, 4.3.5
|-
|iPad 2 (CDMA)
|9.3.6, 9.3.5, 8.4.1, 7.1.2, 6.1.3, 5.1.1, 4.3.5
|-
|iPad 2 (Mid 2012)
|9.3.5, 8.4.1, 7.1.2, 6.1.3, 5.1.1
|-
|iPad 3 (WiFi)
|9.3.5, 8.4.1, 7.1.2, 6.1.3, 5.1.1
|-
|iPad 3 (CDMA / GSM)
|9.3.6, 9.3.5, 8.4.1, 7.1.2, 6.1.3, 5.1.1
|-
|iPad mini (WiFi)
|9.3.5, 8.4.1, 7.1.2, 6.1.3
|-
|iPad mini (GSM / Global / China)
|9.3.6, 9.3.5, 8.4.1, 7.1.2, 6.1.3
|-
|iPad 4 (WiFi)
|10.3.3, 9.3.5, 8.4.1, 7.1.2, 6.1.3
|-
|iPad 4 (GSM / Global)
|10.3.4, 10.3.3, 9.3.5, 8.4.1, 7.1.2, 6.1.3
|-
|iPad Air (WiFi / Cellular / China)
|12.5.8, 11.4.1, 10.3.3, 9.3.5, 8.4.1, 7.1.2
|-
|iPad mini 2 (WiFi / Cellular / China)
|12.5.8, 11.4.1, 10.3.3, 9.3.5, 8.4.1, 7.1.2
|-
|iPad mini 3 (WiFi / Cellular / China)
|12.5.8, 11.4.1, 10.3.3, 9.3.5, 8.4.1
|-
|iPad mini 4 (WiFi / Cellular)
|15.8.6, 14.8, 13.7, 12.1.4, 11.4.1, 10.3.3, 9.3.5, 8.4.1
|-
|iPad Air 2 (WiFi / Cellular)
|15.8.6, 14.8, 13.7, 12.1.4, 11.4.1, 10.3.3, 9.3.5, 8.4.1
|-
|iPad Pro 9.7-inch (WiFi / Cellular)
|15.8.6, 14.8, 13.7, 12.1.4, 11.4.1, 10.3.3, 9.3.5
|-
|iPad Pro 12.9-inch (WiFi / Cellular)
|15.8.6, 14.8, 13.7, 12.1.4, 11.4.1, 10.3.3, 9.3.5
|-
|iPad 5 (WiFi / Cellular)
|16.7.14, 15.7, 14.8, 13.7, 12.1.4, 11.4.1, 10.3.3
|-
|iPad Pro 2 (12.9-inch, WiFi / Cellular)
|17.7.10, 16.6.1, 15.7, 14.8, 13.7, 12.1.4, 11.4.1, 10.3.3
|-
|iPad Pro (10.5-inch, WiFi / Cellular)
|17.7.10, 16.6.1, 15.7, 14.8, 13.7, 12.1.4, 11.4.1, 10.3.3
|-
|iPad 6 (WiFi / Cellular)
|17.7.10, 16.6.1, 15.7, 14.8, 13.7, 12.1.4, 11.4.1
|}
{{notelist}}

==iPods==
{|class=wikitable
|+
!Device
!Signed iOS Versions
|-
|iPod touch 2G
|4.2.1, 4.1, 2.2.1
|-
|iPod touch 3G
|5.1.1, 4.3.5, 4.1, 3.1.3
|-
|iPod touch 4G
|6.1.6, 5.1.1, 4.3.5
|-
|iPod touch 5G
|9.3.5, 8.4.1, 7.1.2, 6.1.3
|-
|iPod touch 6G
|12.5.8, 11.4.1, 10.3.3, 9.3.5, 8.4.1
|-
|iPod touch 7G
|15.8.6, 14.8, 13.7, 12.4.1
|}
{{notelist}}

==References==
{{reflist|30em}}

==External links==
* [https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT200241 iPSW] at [https://support.apple.com/ Apple Support]
* [http://filext.com/file-extension/IPSW iPSW] at [http://filext.com/ File Extensions]
* [https://theapplewiki.com/wiki/IPSW_File_Format iPSW] at [https://theapplewiki.com/ The Apple Wiki]
* [https://theapplewiki.com/wiki/Baseband_Device BASEBAND files] at [https://theapplewiki.com/ The Apple Wiki]

[[Category:Computer file formats]]
[[Category:Archive formats]]

{{Sourceattribution|IPSW}}