PSA: Jailbreakers have until January 31st before OTA update-blocking tvOS 17 beta software profile expires
One of the most used ways to block over the air (OTA) updates on a jailbroken iPhone or iPad is by installing a specially made tvOS beta profile. This beta profile effectively makes your iPhone or iPad look elsewhere for iOS or iPadOS updates – a place where such updates don’t exist. Consequently, your device will never again nag you to update its outdated software as long as the profile remains active and installed.
For the longest time, those jailbroken using Dopamine, palera1n, XinaA15 v2, or some other modern rootless jailbreak would have used the tvOS 17 beta software profile to block updates, but it’s worth noting that it’s close to expiring. In fact, users have until January 31st, 2025 to remove the expiring profile and find an alternative before it is no longer operational and your device nags you to install updates once more.
Fortunately, there is a tvOS 18 beta software profile available that jailbreakers can now use instead. It’s as simple as deleting the old tvOS 17 beta software profile you may already have installed on your jailbroken iPhone or iPad and then downloading and installing the newer tvOS 18 beta software profile in its place.
As you may come to expect, the newer tvOS 18 beta software profile gives jailbreakers another full year to use it, so it won’t expire until January 31st, 2026. This means you can go another full year with your jailbroken iPhone or iPad without the Settings app nagging you to install software updates with the annoying red badge. It can also prevent tricky iOS background processes from attempting to update your device in the background.
When installed, your jailbroken iPhone or iPad sees itself as being on the latest available firmware, as shown below, even though that is clearly incorrect:
Using the tvOS beta software profile has long been an effective way to block OTA software updates on jailbroken iPhones and iPads. It can also be used on non-jailbroken iPhones and iPads for users who are looking to stay on the lowest possible firmware as they await a jailbreak, precluding the possibility of any accidental software updates that could patch critical security vulnerabilities and prevent them from jailbreaking in the future.
Our friend and jailbreak tweak developer ichitaso provides a resource for finding the latest tvOS beta software profile on his repository page that you can visit in the web browser on any iPhone or iPad that you wish to install it on:
https://cydia.ichitaso.com/
Please note that you can always manually remove the tvOS beta software profile from your device to resume normal OTA software updates by visiting Settings → General → VPN & Device Management.
With just under three weeks before the tvOS 17 beta software profile expires, we wanted to give our readers ample time to prepare before they find themselves blindsided by prompts to update their firmware. We strongly encourage anyone using the tvOS 17 beta software profile to prepare accordingly.
