Downgrade dance
The news that neither iOS 16 nor iOS 16.0.1 can be downgraded to was first reported by 9to5Mac and comes just weeks after they were released. The main iOS 16 update arrived on September 12 following months of beta testing. The iOS 16.0.1 update was an update that was designed specifically for the iPhone 14 lineup, with a number of bugs that needed to be fixed around the September 16 release.
Apple subsequently released iOS 16.0.2 for all iPhones on September 22, adding yet more fixes including one that prevented iOS apps from displaying a permission request every time users copy and pasted content.
Apple routinely stops people from downgrading to older versions of iOS as a security system, preventing people from installing releases that are known to be susceptible to exploits. It also pushes people towards newer versions of its iPhone software to ensure as many people as possible have access to the latest features and APIS — in turn giving developers confidence that those APIs can be used by their apps.
The iOS 16 update came pre-installed on the new iPhone 14 models and can be installed on all devices from the iPhone X and newer. It's the best iPhone software to date, allowing people to more heavily customize their Lock Screen than ever before. The update also includes support for editing iMessages, unsending emails, and more.