Continue Updating iPads to 9.3.5 After iOS 10 Arrives?

[cpdecker]

Anyone know if there is a way for us to update iPads on 9.x.x and 8.x.x to iOS 9.3.5 even after 10 is released? Our 10,000 iPads aren't even in the hands of end users yet so we don't have a good way to lead a mass update campaign right now.

I'm staunchly against jumping onto the newest version on day 1--I seem to recall last December when iOS 9.2 (I think) broke our MDM communication to thousands of iPads for nearly 2 months with no fix.

Any help or advice is appreciated.

[St0rMl0rD · Accepted solution]

You can do that with Apple Configurator, but not after Apple stops signing older iOS versions.

[CasperSally]

Unless you have a bunch of iPad2s like us, then no iOS10 for you!

[cpdecker]

@St0rMl0rD , are you referring to using the IPSW file when you mentioned using Configurator? (http://osxdaily.com/2016/08/25/ios-935-update-iphone-ipad-ipsw-download/)

I had never heard of these, I guess it is just the entire iOS image file, and apparently you can Option+Click Update in iTunes and also choose one of these files. I am about to try this now and see how it goes.

[cpdecker]

This works.

Downloaded the IPSW file from this article:

http://osxdaily.com/2016/08/25/ios-935-update-iphone-ipad-ipsw-download/

When choosing Update or Restore in iTunes, hold down the option key and you can choose this file. Thanks!