Acquiring a previous iteration of Apple’s mobile operating system involves obtaining a software package that predates the current release. This might be sought if a user encounters compatibility issues with newer software on an older device, or if a desired feature was removed in a more recent update. For instance, a user with an iPhone 6 might consider this action if a particular app is only compatible with iOS 12.
The practice allows users to maintain functionality of legacy hardware and software. Retaining an older OS version can bypass forced obsolescence introduced by software updates requiring newer hardware or leading to performance degradation on older devices. Historically, this was more prevalent when Apple’s updates resulted in substantial performance drawbacks on older hardware, pushing users to seek methods of restoring older system versions.