iPhone, iPad or iPod Touch iOS software firmware update
File type: Mobile phones related file
Files with ipsw extension can be found as firmware update files for iPhone, iPad or iPod Touch. IPSW archive contains DSG Apple disk images with iOS system installation, updates and fixes that are installed to iOS device via iTunes.
File type category:
Mobile phones related file
Date updated: July 13, 2025
File extension ipsw is best know for the firmware update files for Apple portable devices (iPhone, iPad or iPod Touch) based on the iOS operating system and Apple iTunes.
IPSW archive contains encrypted DMG Apple disk images with iOS system installation, updates and fixes.
IPSW packages are automatically downloaded from Apple update servers by iTunes that can also installs data from .ipsw file to iOS device. iTunes stores only the last downloaded .ipsw file, because iOS device can be officially only updated, or restored to factory settings. Users cannot downgrade iOS to older versions, however all versions of IPSW images are unofficially available to download on iOS fan Internet servers.
IPSW file location in Microsoft Windows:
Users\<UserName>\AppData\Roaming\Apple Computer\iTunes\<iOS device> Software Updates
IPSW file location in macOS:
Users/<UserName>/Library/iTunes/<iOS device> Software Updates/
The ipsw file is also need if users want to jailbreak their iOS device. Special iOS hacking tools, such as PwnageTools and redsn0w customize the IPSW file with jailbreak that allows users access to tweaks, 3rd party application installers (Cydia), the root directory and the file system. This customized IPSW can be also installed via iTunes.
If you want to select ipsw file manually in iTunes use:
iTunes for Windows:
Hold Shift key and click the Restore button on Device Summary window.
iTunes for Mac:
Hold Alt key and click the Restore button on Device Summary window.
DMG images and settings files can be extracted from .ipsw file by compression utilities that support ZIP compression file format. Only rename ipsw file extension to ZIP.
To install the ipsw firmware update file to iOS device, use Apple iTunes or reds0w utility.
To open ipsw archive, rename IPSW file extension to ZIP. Use compression utility that supports ZIP archive format and use it to extract data from renamed ipsw archive.
There is no way how to convert *.ipsw files to other formats.
PwnageTool (Apple macOS / Mac OS X)
redsn0w (Apple macOS / Mac OS X)
Apple iTunes for Windows (Microsoft Windows)
Apple iTunes for Mac (Apple macOS / Mac OS X)
PwnageTool (Apple macOS / Mac OS X)
redsn0w (Apple macOS / Mac OS X)
Apple iTunes for Windows (Microsoft Windows)
EaseUS MobiSaver (Microsoft Windows)
Apple iTunes for Mac (Apple macOS / Mac OS X)
EaseUS MobiSaver for Mac (Apple macOS / Mac OS X)
Apple iOS (Apple iOS)
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