Everyone wants to upgrade the iOS from a previous version to the newer version. Of course, Apple supports upgrading to the newer iOS version without much difficulty. But, what if someone wants to downgrade to a previous version? Does Apple support that?

Why You Need to Downgrade

Apple normally releases the beta iOS version before they release the full fledged version. So, if you have already upgraded your iOS to the beta release and then want to move back to a stable iOS version, you need to downgrade iOS to a previous version. Many people worldwide do this as they feel it is better to use a stable version.

The process of downgrading iOS to a previous version is easy, but you need to keep in mind that it is not possible to restore the backup you may have made with the beta release in the iOS downgraded version. So, you either have to restore any old existing backups taken using the stable iOS version or start from the scratch.

Steps to Downgrade

To downgrade iOS to a previous version, you must have a MAC system or a computer that is running iTunes so that you can easily connect your iOS device to it.

Connect to the Device: Make sure you have switched off your iOS device. Then to downgrade iOS to a previous version, connect the iOS device to the system.  Connect the cable to your system and hit on the button ‘Home’ on the iPhone. Ensure to keep pressing on the button ‘Home’ till you see the option “Connect to iTunes” on your system screen.

Erase and Update: Now, launch iTunes. The next step is to click “Restore” button and after that, click on the “Restore and Update” option. In this step, iTunes will erase all the data that is saved on your iOS device and downgrade iOS to a previous version that is stable. If a backup has been taken prior to upgrading to the beta release, you can use that to restore.

Find the IPSW file: Another way to downgrade iOS to a previous version is by restoring the stable version using the IPSW file. For this, you need to first find the IPSW file. You can usually find this file in your PC if it used to connect to iTunes or else you can download it from the internet. You need to keep in mind that restoring to a stable version via IPSW file is only possible if the iOS image is indicated to be signed.

For downgrading iOS to a previous version via the IPSW file, you need to connect your iPad or iPhone to your system and then by holding the option key in your iPad or iPhone, click on the Restore iPhone or Restore iPad option. Now, using the browse option, browse for the IPSW file in your system and restore the specific version.

Conclusion

iOS does provide the user with the option to downgrade iOS to a previous version if you have upgraded to their beta version by mistake. This downgrade option will be available until Apple launches the latest iOS version.