[GUIDE] How to update to iOS

15.7.2 for iPhone

8/X/XR/XS/11/SE2/12/13/SE3
DuckMe

FOREWORD

You may have heard that iOS 15.7.2 is not available for
devices that can be upgraded to iOS 16.

Well, actually that's not quite true, Apple developed 15.7.2

for the iPhone 8 and later, and asked people to test those
firmwares, but changed that plan when it was finally
released.
So, there's 15.7.2 firmware out there, it's just hard for you to
get it because of Apple's restrictions. in this guide I will show
you how to bypass these restrictions and install iOS 15.7.2 on
your iPhone.

This guidance is time-sensitive and if you reading it after

March 12, 2023 (12/3/2023), it must have expired. If you're
reading it after February 2023 (2/2023), it's probably dead
and you'll need to test it yourself, Check the time and don't
read outdated content.

AVAILABILITY

This guide applies to all devices that can only get iOS 16.2
and not iOS 15.7.2, including iPhone 8 series, iPhone X,
iPhone XR, iPhone XS series, iPhone 11 series, iPhone SE
2020, iPhone 12 series, iPhone 13 series and iPhone SE
2022.

For devices currently running between iOS 14.5 and 15.7.1,

the update method is easiest there.

For devices from before iOS 14.5 or already on iOS 16, you
must be in the 14.5-15.7.1 version range to get the update,
the reason is that in versions prior to 14.5, Apple has not
added the option to choose to update, so there will only be
iOS 16 instead of 15 and 16. for iOS 16, obviously, you have
to downgrade to a lower version to update to 15.7.2, because
15.7.2 just an OTA update, so it doesn't have ipsw for you to
downgrade. you can read the later part of this guide, there
are related steps on how to update to iOS 15.6 RC1 (19G69)
first to get the OTA update of 15.7.2.

The guidance was originally expected to expire in March 12,

2023 (12/3/2023), which is the 90-day delay Apple allowed.
But considering that the iOS 15 beta profile may expire on
January 31, 2023 (31/1/2023), this means that you will most
likely not be able to update to 15.7.2 after January 31.

For iOS releases outside of 14.5 and 15.7.1, the expiration

date there will be harder to predict, as the only currently
available entry into this range is iOS 15.6 RC1 (19G69), which
is long overdue to stop signing, so Apple can stop signing
this version at any time, If Apple does this next second, then
you lose your chance to upgrade to 15.7.2.
PREREQUISITES

- This guide has not expired

- A macOS or a Windows computer

- iPhone

- A USB cable to connect your iPhone to your computer

HOW TO DO

Before I start I want to quickly explain the steps:

- Prepare profiles for Delayed OTA and iOS 15 beta

- Put your iPhone in supervised mode

- Import profiles and update to iOS 15.7.2

For iOS versions that are not in the supported range

(before iOS 14.5 or on iOS 16.x), you must first update to
iOS 15.6 RC1 (19G69) (currently available) and then follow
the steps above.

For devices that have been jailbroken, the warning to you is

that you have to do a full restore, i.e. put the iPhone in
recovery mode, then restore your iPhone using the iOS 15.6
RC1 (19G69) restore ipsw, since 15.7.2, since 15.7.2 doesn't
have ipsw available for restore on these devices, any
jailbreak leftover files will not be able to be removed after
this upgrade.
PREPARE CONFIGURATION PROFILES

We need two profiles, one for Delayed OTA and one for Beta,
the former takes you back to the day when 15.7.2 RC was
available, and Beta profile allows you to get RC through the
beta channel.

- Delayed OTA Profiles

The first is the Delayed OTA profile, which is an XML file that
can be made with any text editor. iOS 15.7.2 RC is released
on December 7th, 2022 (7/12/2022) and fully available on
December 8th (8/12/2022), we need to calculate the time
difference between Today and December 8th, and then
make a delayed ota profile suitable for today, so that your
iPhone can go back to December 8th and get the ota update
available that day.

Here's how:

An attachment is provided at the bottom of this thread. It is a

Delayed OTA profile template that has been made. Download
it, modify line 21 <integer>7</integer>, and change the
number to your calculated time difference. For today
(December 15th), that is 7 days.
Remove the .txt in the filename, then you'll have the
Delayed OTA profile ready.

- iOS 15 Beta Profile

You'll also need the iOS 15 beta profile, which I can't provide
you or tell you how to get it because it's against the forum
rules.

This file is also an XML file, the difference is that it must be

signed by Apple to be valid, only members of the Apple Beta
Software Program can legally obtain the profile, distributing
it is against Apple and forum rules, so I can't help you
further.

If you are missing the Delayed OTA profile but have the Beta
profile, then you can get 15.7.2, you can download it, but it
cannot be installed because it is no longer signed.

If you are missing the Beta profile but have the Delayed OTA
profile, you can go back in time, but only get the public
channel version available back in the day, probably 15.7.1.

When you combine two profiles, you get everything to work.

PUT IPHONE IN SUPERVISED MODE

This step assumes that you have prepared two profiles.

The delayed OTA profile we made works only in supervision

mode. this mode is provided by Apple to organizations to
strengthen the organization's control over the Apple
products they own. many advanced controls on the iPhone
can be activated in this mode, one of which is the delayed
update we use, which allows organizations to update to a
version of firmware 90 days after Apple no longer signs it, or
for organizations, they get an additional 90-day signature
period.
To put an iPhone into supervised mode, there are three
popular software that can do it, you can choose the one that
suits you:

- Apple Configurator 2

Apple Configurator 2 is officially provided by Apple, it is free

and recommended, but the software can only be used on
macOS.

- iMazing

iMazing is paid software and you can use it on Windows and

macOS.

- iBackupBot from supervise me

iBackupBot, the software reported by other members in this

thread (#30), is free and works on Windows and older
versions of macOS.

When putting your iPhone into supervised mode using Apple

Configurator 2 or iMazing you will be asked to erase all data
on the iPhone, this is because only brand new devices can
join the organization, make a backup before that.

iBackupBot uses a special method to put your device into

supervised mode without erasing your iPhone, it requires
you to restore a specially edited backup into the iPhone, a
member of this thread reported that this operation has the
potential to cause data loss (#39), so make a backup before
you do. another member reported (#49) that the software
may not work on newer iPhones, you'll have to test it
yourself.

- How to use Apple Configurator 2

The following steps are modified partly from the

MobileGuardian (I'm too lazy to rewrite all):

- How to use iMazing

The following steps are modified partly from the iMazing (I'm
too lazy to rewrite all):

- How to use iBackupBot

Since this software may not work on the latest version of

macOS, it is recommended that all macOS users use the
official Apple Configurator 2, so the following steps take
Windows as an example, and some steps are modified partly
from the supervise me (I'm too lazy to rewrite all):

1. Connect your iPhone to computer with a USB cable,

then trust that computer
2. You need to use the iTunes to backup your iPhone,
although iBackupBot claims not to erase data, a
member accidentally erased all data, so, just in case
3. Open the Supervise backup and extract the .zip
4. On the device itself, disable "Find My"
5. Open iBackupBot
6. In iBackupBot, click "file", "open" and select the
folder where the extacted supervise backup is
located
7. When the backup is imported, click "+" by Add
Supervision, then click "System Files"
8. Search for "config", then right click on
"ConfigurationProfiles" and select "restore selected
items to device"
9. Enter the password "1111" and then click on
"restore"
10. Now the supervise backup will restore onto your
device. Once done, you will now be supervised
IMPORT PROFILES AND UPDATE TO IOS 15.7.2

- Import and install configuration profiles

The last step is to import the configuration profiles to the

iPhone and then check for updates, there are three ways to
import, Mail app, Safari app or direct import through the
computer, Safari is more difficult, I will not introduce.

- Mail App
Login to your email in iPhone's Mail App, then send two
profiles to the email, and click the email attachment to
import them.

Only Apple Configurator 2 and iMazing allow you to import

profiles directly from your computer to your iPhone:

- Apple Configurator 2

Connect your iPhone to macOS via USB and open Apple

Configurator, Right-click on your iPhone in Apple
Configurator, then select "Add > Profiles", select the profiles
you prepared before.

- iMazing

Connect your iPhone to macOS or Windows via USB and

open iMazing, click the Profiles icon, drag and drop the
profiles you prepared to iMazing.

Then go to iPhone's Settings App, go to "General > VPN and

Device Management" to enable your profiles one by one.
- Update and restore your data

Finally you can check for updates at "General > Software

Update" and you should receive the update for iOS 15.7.2
and it will install normally.

After the update, if you put your iPhone in supervised mode

using Apple Configurator 2 or iMazing, you will need to erase
your iPhone to exit supervised mode. the way is: open the
iPhone's Settings app, go to "General > Transfer or Reset
iPhone", then tap "Erase All Content and Settings", after
erasing, you can restore your iPhone using the backup you
created earlier.

I haven't used iBackupBot, but members have reported that

after the update, supervision mode is automatically exited,
and all profiles are automatically deleted, but your app data
and settings are preserved.

At this point, this guide is COMPLETE for you. Enjoy the

holidays with your iPhone on iOS 15.7.2

If your upgrade succeeded or failed, you can reply to this

thread to let us know or help you. please let us know your
pre-upgrade iOS version and the model you are using when
replying.

ADDITIONAL STEPS

These additional steps only applies to unsupported version

range (before iOS 14.5 or on iOS 16.x) or jailbroken devices.
but it can also be followed if you plan to do a clean restore
before upgrading to 15.7.2.

As mentioned earlier, iOS 15.6 RC1 (19G69) is still signed

and this is currently the only and last iOS 15 restore firmware
available for these devices.

If your iOS is on a version prior to iOS 14.5, you will not be

able to see the iOS 15.7.2 update if you follow the above
steps, as the optional upgrade feature has not been added
to iOS prior to 14.5, you need to update to iOS 15.6 RC1
(19G69) first.

If you're using iOS 16, now is your last chance to downgrade

to iOS 15 via 15.6 RC1 (19G69).
If you are using a device that is already jailbroken then you
need to be aware that updating to iOS 15.7.2 may not
jailbreak your device and since there is no restore firmware
available for 15.7.2, OTA updates won't help you remove
those leftover jailbreak modifications, so you'll have to
restore to iOS 15.6 RC1 (19G69) first to make sure your
system files don't contain any unofficial modifications.

Also, since no signed restore firmware exists for iOS 15.7.2

on these devices, the only option for those who want to do a
DFU restore with ipsw is to restore with 15.6 RC1 (19G69)
and then update with OTA to 15.7.2.

These are all reasons to restore with iOS 15.6 RC1 (19G69),
but it needs to be emphasized that Apple usually unsigns the
previous firmware a week after the next firmware release,
iOS 15.6 RC1 is an unusual special case, they either forget to
unsign, or signed but for a special purpose, there's no
reliable explanation there anyway, but what we do know for
sure is that Apple could unsign this firmware the next
second without notifying you, and then then there's no
chance for you to restore to 15.6 RC1 (19G69), which means,
for unsupported version range, you won't be able to update
to 15.7.2.

- How to restore to iOS 15.6 RC1 (19G69)

FAQs

Why update to 15.7.2?

iOS 15.7.2 and 16.2 were released at the same time, both
of which aim to fix bugs in previous versions, including a
large number of security fixes, especially the fix for the
notorious zero-day vulnerability CVE-2022-42856.

Of course, if you're just tired of upgrading to iOS 16,

which may not yet be stable, or your device has been
around for a while and you're worried about battery or
performance issues after the update, it's all about staying
on iOS 15 and getting the latest security updates
available reason.

What is the difference between the RC (Release

Candidate) release and the final/official release?

For iOS 15.7.2 (build number 19H218) there is no

difference, they are the same files, just released on
different channels.
Apple will first release the firmware in the beta channel,
polish it until there are no known problems, and then
push it to all users in the public channel.

And 15.7.2 RC (19H218) was not pushed in the public

channel (or only for a few hours), but in the beta channel
with a longer signature period, that's why we got it from
the beta channel. For firmware obtained from the beta
channel, we are used to calling it RC, although in some
cases they are exactly the same as the public channel
release.

The build number is an easy way to verify that they are

the same.

What if Apple Configurator asks to update my iPhone to

the latest version?

You can simply ignore.

Can iOS 15.7.2 be Jailbroken?

It depends on the device you are using, and the

vulnerabilities currently available.

For iPhones with A8 to A11 processors, there is a

hardware-level vulnerability that is not fixable through
software, and it has been actively exploited by the
jailbreak community. For this guide, the iPhone 8 series
and iPhone X with A11 processors are currently the only
ones Jailbroken devices are available on iOS 15.7.2. In the
future, the jailbreak community may discover and exploit
software vulnerabilities that exist in iOS 15.7.2, but it is
only speculation, and there is no exact time to confirm.

Can I follow this guide to upgrade my iPad to iPadOS

15.7.2?

No, any iPad that can get 16.2 can choose 15.7.2 or 16.2,
so Apple already has an option there for iPads to upgrade
to 15.7.2, you don't need to follow this guide. but if your
iPad has already been updated to iPadOS 16, you can
indeed restore to iPadOS 15 through the currently still-
signing iPadOS 15.6 RC1 (19G69), and then just upgrade
to iPadOS 15.7.2 normally.

Can I upgrade my iPhone 14 to iOS 15.7.2?

No, the iPhone 14 launched with iOS 16, so there's no

chance of a downgrade there.

Can you tell me where I can find the iOS 15 beta profiles?

No, only members of the Apple Beta Software Program

can legally obtain the profiles, distributing them is against
Apple's rules, and forum rules don't allow me to do so, so
I can't help you further.

Why does the time difference have to be December 8th

and not December 7th?

Apple has a habit of releasing iOS in the afternoon Pacific

time, so 15.7.2 may not be available on the morning of
December 7th. don't go back too early, or you will have to
wait.

I'm using a jailbroken iPhone, can I update it with a tweak

that can enter supervised mode?

Technically yes, but it's not recommended, although you

can get iOS 15.7.2, and install it normally, but as explained
above, all the leftover files of the jailbreak will be kept on
the system. so just follow this guide for a clean update
from 15.6 RC1.

Can this method be used to upgrade to iOS 15.7.3 in the

future?

In my personal opinion, Apple has already killed plans to

continue to get iOS 15 on these devices when 15.7.2 was
released, so there will likely not be an iOS 15.7.3 at all for
these devices in the future. using software to make
hardware obsolete is a consistent practice in this walled
garden.

Why is the iOS 15.7.2 firmware larger than 4GB?

That's because when you go from the public channel to

the beta channel, Apple doesn't prepare you for
incremental OTA updates that are usually only a few
hundred MB, but instead provides you with full OTA
updates to completely update your iPhone.

Where can I find restore ipsw for iOS 15.7.2 for

Recovery/DFU mode restore?

As of iOS 15.7.1, Apple no longer provides ipsw for restore

for these devices for which this guide applies. Only OTA
upgrades are available there, and OTA firmware cannot
be used for restore. In fact in 15.7.1 Apple did prepare
ipsw for these devices, but they were never signed, these
firmwares can only be used by authorized people who
can obtain Apple's signature.

If you are doing a restore read the additional steps above

to restore using 15.6 RC1 (19G69).

What should I do if iOS 15.6 RC1 (19G69) is no longer

signed?
 There is nothing I can do about it.

I'm late, I just saw this guide after it expired, how do I

upgrade to iOS 15.7.2?

There is nothing I can do about it.

THANKS & CREDITS

Apple, developed the softwares and allow businesses to use

the method to upgrade to firmware that is no longer signed.

Github user dhinakg (aka Dhinak G), for contributions in the

Delayed OTA profiles, from whom the original profiles
template for this guide came from.

MacRumors, without original discussion of iOS 15.7.2 by

members of this forum I would never have thought of taking
advantage of the delayed ota upgrade to this version, and of
course without this forum, this guide would not have been
published.
Moderators, since I'm new to the forum and every time I edit
it gets put in pending mode, they helped to review it in a
timely manner and make this guide compliant with the forum
rules.

@iosgino, @vladstarr, @TheNukie, @arw, @logicstudiouser,

@RetiredDinosaur and more for corrected or clarified some
mistakes in this guide, help others and share their
experiences in this thread.

@Bogdan, provided a more concise latency OTA profile

template (#8), which is the version used by the current
guide.

@TheNukie, shared a new way to put the iPhone in

supervised mode.

@ulama, provided a tip for updating to this version via 15.6

RC1 (19G69) in the original discussion.

If you have experience please share it in this thread, feel free

to share this guide to help more people, you are free to
modify, copy and distribute it, and you own all rights (if a
specified license is required, then it is public domain).
Thanks for reading