macOS 26.1 (25B78)

iMac 24-inch (M1, Two Ports, 2021)

1. Download the UniversalMac_26.1_25B78_Restore.ipsw file to your computer.
2. Connect your iMac 24-inch (M1, Two Ports, 2021) to your computer with a USB cable.
3. Open Finder (macOS Catalina+) or iTunes (Windows / older macOS) and select your device.
4. To Update (keeps data): hold Option (Mac) or Shift (Windows) and click Check for Update.
5. To Restore (erases data): hold Option (Mac) or Shift (Windows) and click Restore iPhone/iPad.
6. Navigate to and select the downloaded .ipsw file, then confirm.
7. Wait for the process to complete — do not disconnect the device.

An open-source command-line tool that restores IPSW files without needing iTunes. Useful for advanced users, automation, and custom restore workflows.

1. Install via Homebrew: brew install idevicerestore
2. Connect your device and put it into DFU mode.
3. Run the restore command:

idevicerestore -t UniversalMac_26.1_25B78_Restore.ipsw

futurerestore allows restoring to any firmware when you have saved APTickets (blobs) from a tool like TSSSaver or shsh.host.

1. Download futurerestore from github.com/futurerestore/futurerestore.
2. Ensure you have a saved .shsh2 blob for macOS 26.1 (25B78) on your iMac 24-inch (M1, Two Ports, 2021).
3. Put your device into DFU mode and run:

futurerestore -t your_blob.shsh2 --latest-sep --latest-baseband UniversalMac_26.1_25B78_Restore.ipsw

DFU (Device Firmware Update) mode is required for most manual restores. The button combination varies by device:

💡 Tip: In DFU mode the screen stays completely black. If you see the Apple logo or a "Connect to iTunes" screen, you entered Recovery mode instead — try again.