Do you want to downgrade your iPhone or iPad to an earlier iOS version? There are a number of reasons why you might want to do this but the main one is that the current iOS version is causing problems. When Apple releases a new firmware version, you get a short time in which to try it and downgrade if you need it.
Why is this?
Because after a set period of time, usually a week, Apple will stop signing the old firmware so you won’t be able to downgrade back to it; you’ll be stuck on the new one, problems and all!
Let’s dig in
Before Downgrading:
Before you downgrade your iOS version, you need to do three things. These will ensure that your data is safe and that you can downgrade successfully:
- Make sure iTunes is up to date. Open iTunes and click on Help>Check for Updates. Follow the onscreen instructions to update.
- Make sure your data is backed up. You can use iTunes and/or iCloud for this; if you don’t and something goes wrong, you will lose everything.
- Disable Find My iPhone/iPad, your passcode and, if enabled, Touch ID. You can enable them all again after the downgrade.
Ready to get started?
How to Downgrade iPhone iOS Version:
- Download the IPSW for the iOS version you are downgrading to. It must correspond to your specific device and model
- Plug your iPhone or iPad into your computer
- Launch iTunes and click the device summary for the connected device (only if you have more than one registered device)
- Now put your iPhone or iPad into DFU mode. To do this, press and hold the Power and Home buttons until the Apple Logo appears on your screen. Let go of the Power button; hold the Home button down until a Connect to iTunes message appears on the screen. iTunes will also show a Device in Recovery message
- Now press the SHIFT (Windows) or ALT (Mac) key while clicking on Restore in iTunes.
- Find your IPSW file and click on it
- Follow all the on-screen instructions and click Install
- Wait; iTunes will downgrade your device to your requested iOS version.
- When your device reboots to the Hello screen, the downgrade is finished.
It’s really quite simple
A word of caution:
You cannot downgrade to an iOS version that Apple no longer signs. If you try, you will get an iTunes error that reads, “Device Isn’t Eligible For Requested Build”.
Ready to give it a go?
Remember, you don’t have long to downgrade once a new firmware is released so do it quickly. Let us know if you run into any trouble and follow us on Facebook for more tips.