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J4M3S704

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Oct 31, 2025
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Hey everyone,

I’m looking for the official macOS Sequoia 15.7 IPSW file directly from Apple’s servers, but I can’t find it on any of the usual IPSW sites.

I need it for reinstalling and testing purposes.
If anyone has a direct Apple link or knows where it’s listed, please let me know.

Thanks in advance!
 
Hey everyone,

I’m looking for the official macOS Sequoia 15.7 IPSW file directly from Apple’s servers, but I can’t find it on any of the usual IPSW sites.

I need it for reinstalling and testing purposes.
If anyone has a direct Apple link or knows where it’s listed, please let me know.

Thanks in advance!
The latest IPSW that Apple made is 15.6.1. For some reason once Apple releases the next major OS version they stop releasing updated IPSW files for older ones. As such, what you’re looking for simply doesn’t exist.
 
For some reason once Apple releases the next major OS version they stop releasing updated IPSW
Maybe I'm not understanding things, but this article provides steps to rollback Tahoe back to Sequoia.

How to downgrade macOS update: Rollback Tahoe to Sequoia

The first stage of this method is to get the installer for the version of macOS you require, with the prerequisite that your Mac needs to be able to run it. See: macOS compatibility–the versions your Mac can run.


We have links to some recent versions of macOS below so you can download the one you want.


 
Maybe I'm not understanding things, but this article provides steps to rollback Tahoe back to Sequoia.
I didn't see Tahoe mentioned anywhere in the OP's question. In any case, what I said remains true: the latest Sequoia IPSW file is 15.6.1.
 
I didn't see Tahoe mentioned anywhere in the OP's question. In any case, what I said remains true: the latest Sequoia IPSW file is 15.6.1.
No but when someone is asking to reinstall an older version of macOS, particuarly right after the release of the new version - likely that they want to roll back. I know its perfectly reasonable that the OP has other needs but I wanted to provide the steps to reinstall Sequoia

I don't know what the difference between an IPSW is vs.downloading 15.6.1 from the app store but there is a way to reintsall an older version of macos.
 
No but when someone is asking to reinstall an older version of macOS, particuarly right after the release of the new version - likely that they want to roll back. I know its perfectly reasonable that the OP has other needs but I wanted to provide the steps to reinstall Sequoia

I don't know what the difference between an IPSW is vs.downloading 15.6.1 from the app store but there is a way to reintsall an older version of macos.
The difference with the IPSW is that by using Configurator you can put an entirely new OS on an Apple Silicon Mac much more quickly than with an installer. The IPSW will also downgrade firmware to whatever version came with that particular OS, while using an installer will not. For testing purposes, using the IPSW can give you a more controlled environment than using OS installers can.
 
The IPSW will also downgrade firmware to whatever version came with that particular OS, while using an installer will not.
Apple Silicon Macs always use the firmware that corresponds to the installed macOS version. So at least from my understanding at the time when M1 released you will automatically use the older firmware to boot an older macOS unless Apple have changed this again since M1? Intel Macs were the last that had their firmware on the logic board separate from the SSD and you couldn’t downgrade it. Apple Silicon takes the firmware from the SSD at whatever version it finds. Thats why Intel Macs work without an internal SSD and Apple Silicon cannot even show a boot selection screen if the internal SSD doesn’t work and it can’t load the firmware required for the most basic system initialization.
 
Apple Silicon Macs always use the firmware that corresponds to the installed macOS version. So at least from my understanding at the time when M1 released you will automatically use the older firmware to boot an older macOS unless Apple have changed this again since M1? Intel Macs were the last that had their firmware on the logic board separate from the SSD and you couldn’t downgrade it. Apple Silicon takes the firmware from the SSD at whatever version it finds. Thats why Intel Macs work without an internal SSD and Apple Silicon cannot even show a boot selection screen if the internal SSD doesn’t work and it can’t load the firmware required for the most basic system initialization.
I've had instances where beta versions of firmware are higher than the release OS firmware on Apple Silicon and so the firmware remains at the beta level until a newer version gets released. Restoring from IPSW would resolve that.
 
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