With the closure of the iOS 10.2 signing window, the release of iOS 10.3, and the soon-to-be-closure of the iOS 10.2.1 signing window, many people are wondering what the best strategy is for their device.

Should they stick with a jailbroken firmware or jump to iOS 10? If they’re already without a jailbreak, which iOS version do they need to be on to make sure they get one? What do they need to do to be able to upgrade to iOS 10.2 from a lower jailbroken firmware?

In this article, we’ll quickly go through what we consider the smartest options for each device and iOS version, so that you can make an informed decision.

We’ll be keeping this guide updated to reflect new iOS releases, jailbreaks, and downgrade tools.

Simply go to the section for the iOS version that you currently have on your device, and find the part that refers to your device type and situation. You’ll need to know whether your device is 64-bit or 32-bit.

Remember, all these are recommendations based on current information. If a jailbreak is released tomorrow or some other unlikely event occurs, some of this advice may be temporarily incorrect. I take no responsibility for events outside my control. I only give what I consider to be the best and most cautious advice based on the current reliable information available.

iOS 10.2.1 or iOS 10.3 betas

64-bit devices
You’re out of luck, more or less. iOS 10.2 is now unsigned, so you cannot return to it. I would advise you to downgrade to 10.2.1 if you’re on the iOS 10.3 betas, as being on the lowest possible is always best if you wish to jailbreak in future, and then to wait. Also, anyone on iOS 10.2.1 or above should begin saving their blobs for all future iOS versions. See the article linked above for details.

There is one possible exception. If you have an iPhone 5s and you have .shsh2 blobs for iOS 10.2, which are saved with specific colliding nonces, you may be able to upgrade to iOS 10.3b1 and then downgrade with Prometheus to iOS 10.2. Remember, this is only for the iP5s, and only with specific nonces saved when iOS 10.2 was signed, not just any old ones.

32-bit devices
If you have blobs for iOS 9, you might soon be able to downgrade from iOS 10 to iOS 9 and then jailbreak with Home Depot. If you have no blobs saved, there’s nothing you can do. Start saving them from now on. You can’t downgrade and no jailbreak is planned for you at present. Remain on your current firmware (10.2.1), and hope another jailbreak comes along. Don’t upgrade.

iOS 10.2

iPhone 7 and iPhone 7+
You’re out of luck, sorry, you missed the boat. It’s too late to downgrade to 10.1.1. Stay on your current firmware (10.2), and pray for another jailbreak to come along. Don’t upgrade.

64-bit devices excluding iP7(+)
Stay where you are, do not update! Jailbreak now with Yalu for iOS 10.2! Currently at Beta 7, it neither needs nor is getting any more stability updates, and in my opinion is completely ready for daily usage.

32-bit devices
If you have blobs for iOS 9, you might soon be able to downgrade from iOS 10 to iOS 9 and then jailbreak with Home Depot. If you have no blobs saved, there’s nothing you can do. Start saving them from now on. You can’t downgrade and no jailbreak is planned for you at present. Remain on your current firmware (10.2), and hope another jailbreak comes along. Don’t upgrade.

iOS 10.0-10.1.1

iPhone 7 and iPhone 7+
Stay where you are! Do not update to 10.2! Yalu for iOS 10.1.1 supports you from iOS 10.0-10.1.1, but not if you go to 10.2. Yalu for iOS 10.1.1 is not super-stable, so it’s up to you if you want to use it. You may consider a buggy jailbreak better than none at all. However, whether or not you jailbreak with it now, do not update. An iP7(+) jailbreak for 10.2+ is unlikely at present, and there may be stability updates for Yalu for iOS 10.1.1 in future which will improve this.

64-bit devices, excluding iP7(+)
This section applies to all 64-bit devices, except for the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus.

You can:

1) Stick on 10.0-10.1.1 permanently and jailbreak now with Yalu for iOS 10.1.1. It’s not super-stable, so it’s up to you if you want to use it. You may consider a buggy jailbreak better than none at all. There may also be stability updates for Yalu for iOS 10.1.1 in future which will improve this.

2) Jailbreak with Yalu for iOS 10.1.1, and then use your jailbreak powers to upgrade to unsigned iOS 10.2 with Prometheus. You can then jailbreak on iOS 10.2 with Yalu for iOS 10.2, which is the better jailbreak. This requires valid .shsh2 blobs for iOS 10.2. If you have iOS 10.2 blobs, I recommend this option as you can get to a higher firmware and have a better jailbreak. The only downside is the difficulty of using Prometheus, but with mylink:comprehensive guide, that shouldn’t be a problem. Remember, this needs blobs. Do not try it without them. If you don’t have 10.2 blobs, use 1).

32-bit
If you have blobs for iOS 9, you might soon be able to downgrade from iOS 10 to iOS 9 and then jailbreak with Home Depot. If you have no blobs saved, start saving them and stay where you are. No jailbreak is planned at present. You can’t downgrade. Do not upgrade; lower is better.

iOS 9.3.5

64-bit devices
You’re out of luck, sorry, you missed the boat. You’re too high for Pangu 9.2-9.3.3 and too low for Yalu. Stay on your current firmware (9.3.5) and hope for another jailbreak to come along, perhaps from FriedAppleTeam. Don’t upgrade.

32-bit devices
Do not update! Stay on your current firmware (9.3.5). Although you can’t currently jailbreak, you may have two options in the future:

1) Use an upcoming downgrade tool which allows moving from iOS 9.3.5 to any lower iOS 9.x version. Once you’ve downgraded to, for example, iOS 9.3.4, jailbreak with Home Depot.
This requires valid .shsh blobs for the iOS 9.x version you wish to downgrade to.
If you don’t have blobs, use 2).

2) Wait on iOS 9.3.5 for a FriedAppleTeam release.

iOS 9.3.4

64-bit devices
Do not update! Stay on your current firmware (9.3.4). You can’t jailbreak this firmware, but you have two options:

1) Try to use Cl0ver to gain tfp0 and then use Prometheus to upgrade to iOS 10.2. You can then jailbreak with Yalu and working Touch ID. If your device has no Touch ID or you don’t care about it, you could also downgrade to iOS 9.2-9.3.3 or upgrade to iOS 10.0-10.1.1 and use Pangu or Yalu, without working Touch ID.
This requires valid .shsh2 blobs for the iOS version you wish to downgrade to and considerable technical expertise.
If you don’t have both of those things, use 2).

2) Wait on iOS 9.3.5 for a FriedAppleTeam release.

32-bit devices
You can jailbreak already! Do not update. Use Home Depot to jailbreak your device.

iOS 9.2-9.3.3

64-bit devices
You can jailbreak already with Pangu 9.2-9.3.3! However, you may actually have two options, not just one:

1) Stick on 9.2-9.3.3 permanently. Live long and prosper with your Pangu jailbreak. The only downside is the loss of the update to iOS 10.

2) Upgrade to iOS 10.2 with Prometheus and jailbreak with Yalu. You’ll get a newer firmware version, and still have a jailbreak. This requires valid .shsh2 blobs for iOS 10.2. The only downsides of this are the difficulty of using Prometheus, and the small chance of something going wrong and forcing you to update to iOS 10.2.1, but with my comprehensive guide that shouldn’t be a problem. Remember, this needs blobs. Do not try it without them. If you don’t have 10.2 blobs, use 1).

32-bit devices
You can jailbreak already! Do not update. Use Home Depot to jailbreak your device.

It’s not really necessary, but if you’re obsessed with being on the highest possible firmware that’s jailbreakable and you have blobs for iOS 9.3.4, you might soon be able to upgrade to iOS 9.3.4 and then jailbreak with Home Depot again. If you have no blobs saved, start saving them.

iOS 9.1

64-bit devices
You can jailbreak already with Pangu 9.1! However, you may actually have two options, not just one:

1) Stick on 9.1 permanently. Live long and prosper with your Pangu jailbreak. The only downside is the loss of the update to iOS 10.

2) Upgrade to iOS 10.2 with Prometheus and jailbreak with Yalu. You’ll get a newer firmware version, and still have a jailbreak. This requires valid .shsh2 blobs for iOS 10.2. The only downsides of this are the difficulty of using Prometheus, and the small chance of something going wrong and forcing you to update to iOS 10.2.1, but with my comprehensive guide that shouldn’t be a problem. Remember, this needs blobs. Do not try it without them. If you don’t have 10.2 blobs, use 1).

32-bit devices
You can jailbreak already! Do not update. Use Home Depot to jailbreak your device.

It’s not really necessary, but if you’re obsessed with being on the highest possible firmware that’s jailbreakable and you have blobs for iOS 9.3.4, you might soon be able to upgrade to iOS 9.3.4 and then jailbreak with Home Depot again. If you have no blobs saved, start saving them.

iOS 9.0-9.0.2

64-bit devices
You can jailbreak already with Pangu9! If you love solid, existing jailbreaks, stay where you are. However, if you’re really undecided then these are your options:

1) Stick on 9.0-9.0.2 permanently. Live long and prosper with your jailbreak. The only downside is the loss of the update to iOS 10.

2) Upgrade to iOS 10.2 with Prometheus, and then jailbreak with Yalu. This is choosing asemi-(un)tethered future jailbreak over an existing untethered jailbreak.

This may not be possible. It requires valid .shsh2 blobs for iOS 10.2 and it depends on whether you can patch your jailbroken device to activate tfp0. If you do not know how to do this, disregard this option and pick option 1).

(You must patch your device for tfp0, you must have your .shsh2 blobs for 10.2 saved validly, you must successfully use Prometheus, and nothing else can go wrong. Otherwise you may go straight from iOS 9 to iOS 10.2.1 and be out of luck. Really, you should do 1).)

32-bit
You can jailbreak already with Pangu9!

It’s not really necessary, but if you’re obsessed with being on the highest possible firmware that’s jailbreakable and you have blobs for iOS 9.1-9.3.4, you might soon be able to upgrade to any of them and then jailbreak with Home Depot again. If you have no blobs saved, start saving them. This would be upgrading from an untethered to a semi-(un)tethered jailbreak however, and so may not be worth it.

iOS 8.4.1

64-bit devices
You’re out of luck, sorry, you missed the boat. You’re too high for Taig 8.0-8.4 and too low for Pangu9. Stay on your current firmware (8.4.1) and pray for another jailbreak to come along. Don’t upgrade. You can hope for a FriedAppleTeam release.

32-bit devices

If you have blobs for iOS 9.0-9.3.4, you might soon be able to upgrade to any of them and then jailbreak with Home Depot.

If you have no blobs saved, start saving them. Stay where you are and hope for FriedAppleTeam.

iOS 8.4 and below

64-bit devices
You can jailbreak already, with various tools, depending on your firmware version. If you love solid, existing jailbreaks, stay where you are. However, if you’re really undecided then these are your options:

1) Stick on 8.4 or below permanently. Live long and prosper with your jailbreak. The only downside is the loss of the update to iOS 10.

2) Upgrade to iOS 10.2 with Prometheus, and then jailbreak with Yalu. This is choosing asemi-(un)tethered future jailbreak over an existing untethered jailbreak.

This may not be possible. It requires valid .shsh2 blobs for iOS 10.2 and it depends on whether you can patch your jailbroken device to activate tfp0. If you do not know how to do this, disregard this option and pick option 1).

(You must patch your device for tfp0, you must have your .shsh2 blobs for 10.2 saved validly, you must successfully use Prometheus, and nothing else can go wrong. Otherwise you may go straight to iOS 10.2.1 and be out of luck. Really, you should do 1).)

32-bit
You have two options. You can jailbreak already, with various tools, depending on your firmware version. Stick where you are and jailbreak today!

Or, if you have blobs for iOS 9.0-9.3.4 and want to upgrade for better compatibility, you might soon be able to upgrade to any iOS 9 firmware and then jailbreak with Home Depot. This would be upgrading from an untethered to a semi-(un)tethered jailbreak however, so you’ll have to choose between a newer iOS with better app support, and an untethered jailbreak.

If you have no blobs saved, start saving them.

tvOS and Apple TV

tvOS 10.1.1
If you’re patient, you might just get a jailbreak yet! For now, you’re out of luck though. It’s too late to downgrade to 10.1. Stay on your current firmware (10.1.1), and do not upgrade.

tvOS 10.0.1-10.1
Stay where you are and jailbreak with liberTV. Disable firmware updates after jailbreaking, and wait for some tvOS jailbreak packages, like nitoTV, to spring up and make your jailbreak useful.

tvOS 9.1
Stay where you are and wait for 9.1 jailbreak support to be added to liberTV. Disable firmware updates after jailbreaking, and wait for some tvOS jailbreak packages, like nitoTV, to spring up and make your jailbreak useful. It may be possible to use Prometheus to upgrade from tvOS 9 to tvOS 10.1, but unless you saved .shsh2 blobs for 10.1 while it was still signed, it’s not going to happen. Even if you did, the unsigned upgrade process may be more complex than on iOS, so contact tihmstar or nitoTV for advice. If in doubt, stick on tvOS 9. You’ll still get the upcoming updates to nitoTV.

tvOS 9.0-9.0.1
You can jailbreak already with Pangu, so stay where you are. It may be possible to use Prometheus to upgrade from tvOS 9 to tvOS 10.1, but unless you saved .shsh2 blobs for 10.1 while it was still signed, it’s not going to happen. Even if you did, the unsigned upgrade process may be more complex than on iOS, so contact tihmstar or nitoTV for advice. If in doubt, stick on tvOS 9. You’ll still get the upcoming updates to nitoTV.

Apple TV 3 and below
There’s nothing you can do. You will not be supported by any upcoming jailbreak, so carry on as you were.

Conclusion

All that is left to say is that regardless of device, current iOS version, model, or happiness with your current setup, save blobs for all iOS versions from now on. They open up more options in this guide, and they might allow you to jailbreak in the future too. Do not wait until it’s too late to find out their uses. Even in the last few months we’ve seen Prometheus spring up, and there will soon be an iOS 9.x downgrade tool for 32-bit too. Both require blobs, which people kept saying were useless before. Developers of these tools havealways advised you to save blobs as they can come in handy, and they’re right.

For 64-bit devices, .shsh2 blobs can be saved with TSS Saver in a matter of moments. For 32-bit devices, TSS Saver can also be used. These blobs can be converted to normal .shsh blobs easily if required, and contain extra information that may be of use in future. If you want to be doubly safe and save a normal .shsh too, try savethemblobs, forget Tiny Umbrella.

Remember, blobs can only be saved for an iOS version while that version is signed by Apple. You do not have to actually have your device on the iOS version to save blobs for it, it just needs to be currently signed. Get saving!

That just about wraps it up. Hopefully this advice covers you (it should cover all recent situations) but if you’re on a very old firmware, or see something I haven’t addressed, send me a message in the comments below and I’ll see what I can do. Stay blessed and also stay updated @ our breaking news here