When you upgrade your beloved iPhone to the latest IOS operating system but are dissatisfied with it, you might wonder how to downgrade IOS without data loss
Although downgrading is possible, it can be quite challenging, so you want to ensure you won’t lose any data when reverting from one iOS version to another. Here’s what you need to know.
Note: This article is for IOS 13; if you are using an older version, the process is similar but may vary slightly.
What is IOS Downgrade – Downgrade IOS?
Downgrade IOS or also called Download IOS involves downgrading the iPhone’s IOS from a higher to a lower version. That is, if you upgrade IOS to a new version but are not satisfied and want to go back to the previous OS, that is called downgrading IOS.
Why should you downgrade IOS?
You might want to downgrade from a newer iOS version to an older one for several reasons, including:
- Bug emergence: The new version might have bugs making your iOS device difficult to use. You may want to downgrade to a previous, less buggy version and wait for bug fixes before upgrading again.
- Unwanted changes: New versions of iOS sometimes introduce significant changes to the user interface or features. If you really dislike these changes or they interfere with how you want to use your device, downgrading becomes attractive.
- Slowness: If you have an old phone, installing the latest iOS update can severely slow down your device. In such cases, the latest version isn’t worth it, and you might want to revert.
What prevents downgrading iOS?
Downgrading iOS certainly has its appeal, but it’s not always easy to do. Usually, the best you can do is revert to the version you just upgraded from, but even then, you can only do this for a limited time.
Basically, if you want to downgrade, you should do it immediately or you will miss your chance.
The reason relates to how Apple secures its operating systems. When you upgrade or downgrade ios, your device communicates with Apple servers to verify that you are installing an official update, which requires Apple to digitally sign the iOS version. If it’s not signed, you cannot install that OS version.
The issue with downgrading is that Apple stops signing older iOS versions shortly after a new release.
You can downgrade IOS 13 to IOS 12.4.1 easily. Downgrading IOS 12 or lower versions, such as IOS 11, is similar.
Precautions before downgrading IOS
Before starting the downgrade process, it’s important to understand what you are doing. Downgrading involves erasing all data from your device and reinstalling the older operating system. It’s different from upgrading, which retains your data.
To be safe, it’s better to back up your data and save a backup on iCloud or connect to iTunes to backup a copy on your computer. This way, you can restore quickly if something goes wrong.
If you don’t, you will need to downgrade your device and then manually sync all your data, which is not very pleasant but is your only option.
How to downgrade iOS without data loss
If you are ready to revert to a previous iOS version, follow these steps to downgrade ios:
Step 1: Download the older IOS firmware at https://ipsw.me/product/iPhone
Step 2: Go to Settings > [your name] > Find My > Find My iPhone, then turn off Find My iPhone.
Step 3: Put your device into Recovery Mode. Doing this will allow you to install a different version of the OS on your iPhone.
Step 4: While in Recovery Mode, connect your iPhone to your computer and open iTunes.
Step 5: In iTunes, select the iPhone icon at the top left.
Step 6: To install an older iOS version, you need to do a special step. First, press and hold Option (on Mac) or Shift (on PC), then select Restore iPhone.
Step 7: A new window appears, navigate through your hard drive and select the older iOS version you downloaded in step 1.
Step 8: Click Restore in iTunes and follow any on-screen prompts in iTunes or on your iPhone.
Step 9: After your iPhone restarts several times and the downgrade completes, you can restore your backup data to it.
Summary
Hopefully, the knowledge from Softbuzz can help you downgrade IOS 13 and other IOS operating systems easily. Please share this article if you find it useful.
