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A12 A13 Tethered

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LukeeGD edited this page Oct 25, 2026 · 13 revisions

Legacy iOS Kit supports tethered downgrades and restores on A12/A13 devices compatible with usbliter8. The a12a13 module is heavily based on surrealra1n. Credits to pwnerblu and all surrealra1n contributors for their work.

Supported Devices

  • iPhone XS, XR, 11, and SE 2020, including Pro and Max variants
  • iPad mini 5
  • iPad Air 3

Supported Versions

  • A12: iOS 14.0 beta 4 through iOS 16.6.1
  • A13: iOS 13.4 through iOS 16.6.1

Note: Support for iOS 16.1 and newer has been added thanks to libdmg-apfs by NSSpiral (LukeZGD fork for fixes and build)

Additional Steps for iOS 14 and 15 Restores

When restoring to iOS 14 or 15, complete the following procedure before restoring to your desired version:

  1. Restore to iOS 14 beta 4 (build 18A5342e). For A13 devices, an iOS 13.x version can also be used.
  2. Perform a tethered boot using Just Boot.
  3. Complete device activation during setup.
  4. Once activation is complete, restore to your desired iOS 14 or 15 version.

This procedure is not required when restoring to iOS 13 or 16.

Tethered Restore/Downgrade

This is a tethered restore/downgrade. You will need a PC/Mac and a usbliter8-compatible board to pwn the device and boot iOS after every reboot or power-off.

To boot the device, select Just Boot from the main menu, or run the following command, replacing <ios build id> with the target iOS build ID:

./restore.sh --just-boot --build-id=<ios build id>

For example, to boot iOS 16.0.3 (build 20A392):

./restore.sh --just-boot --build-id=20A392

TrollStore

TrollStore is the recommended way to install the jailbreak apps on iOS 14-16. The installation method depends on the target iOS version:

  • iOS 14 and 15: Install TrollStore using the TrollHelperOTA method.
  • iOS 16: Use the Install TrollStore option in the Legacy iOS Kit main menu, which uses the TrollRestore method.

iOS 13 does not support TrollStore. Instead, sideload the jailbreak app. See the Sideload Method in the Jailbreaking wiki page.

Jailbreaking

Use the following tools to jailbreak your device, depending on the iOS version:

Broken Device Features and Info

The following limitations are based on information from surrealra1n and may vary depending on the iOS version and device.

iOS 13

  • SEP: Partially incompatible.
  • Passcode and Touch/Face ID: Cannot be configured because of BPR enforcement.
  • Home button: The Haptic Home button will not work, and the AssistiveTouch Home button option will not appear.
  • iPhone 11 models: Should be largely functional, with the exceptions of Ultra Wideband (UWB), Face ID, and passcode functionality.

iOS 14 and 15

  • Activation: SEP is partially incompatible, so the device cannot be activated after restoring without first completing the preliminary procedure described above.
  • Passcode and Touch/Face ID: Cannot be configured because of BPR enforcement.
  • Sideloading: Installing apps outside of TrollStore may not work.
  • Other issues: Additional features may be broken due to SEP incompatibility.

iOS 16

  • Passcode and Touch/Face ID: Cannot be configured because of BPR enforcement.
  • Haptic Home button: Will not work.
  • Activation: The device should activate normally. Restoring to iOS 13.x or iOS 14 beta 4 is not necessary.
  • Developer Mode: Enabled automatically during the restore; manual activation is not required.

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