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How to rollback IOS version on iPhone, iPad. How to Downgrade to a Previous iOS Version Saving Important Data

On iPhone and iPad, it is possible to rollback to the previous version of the OS. Traditionally, after the release of each new edition of the proprietary "axis", Apple leaves such an opportunity for a short while. A day after the release of the cumulative update, the company is still issuing certificates for iOS 9.2.1.

Released on March 21, iOS 9.3 is a major software release with a long list of changes. The main innovation is support for the Night Shift mode, which automatically shifts the color temperature of the display to the warmer end of the spectrum at night. Research has shown that the bright blue color in the evening can affect a person's circadian rhythms, making it harder to fall asleep. Other innovations include password-protected Notes, an improved version of the Apple News app, and an updated CarPlay interface.

Based on benchmarks, iOS 9.3 performs better than iOS 9.2.1 when it comes to performance. Nevertheless, some users complain about the accelerated discharge of the battery of their devices and problems with the activation of gadgets. In such cases, it makes sense to use the instructions for downgrading to the previous OS version. Another reason why a user may decide to downgrade is jailbreak. According to preliminary information, the upcoming exploit will not be available for the most recent version of the OS, at least for the first time.

Note that we are talking about refunds only on iOS 9.2.1 - Apple still issues digital certificates for it. The situation can change at any time.

Requirements:

  • iPhone or iPad running iOS 9.3.
  • IOS 9.2.1 IPSW file.
  • iTunes 12.3.3 for Mac or Windows.

How to rollback from iOS 9.3 to iOS 9.2.1:

Step 1: Download the iOS 9.2.1 file from Apple servers at this link.

Step 2: Make sure you have iTunes 12.3.3 installed. You can download the latest version on this page.

Step 3: Back up your data. This can be done in the settings of your iPhone or iPad: iCloud -> Backup -> Create a backup, or by connecting your mobile device to your computer and saving the backup using iTunes.

Step 4: Turn off Touch ID / Password in Basic settings.

Step 5: At this step, you need to disable Find My iPhone. The option is in the Settings -> iCloud menu.

Step 6: Connect your iPhone, iPad or iPod touch running iOS 9.3 to your PC.

Step 7: Open iTunes and select the icon of your gadget in the top bar of the program.

Step 8: Hold down Shift (or Alt on OS X) and click the "Restore" button.

Step 9: In the program window, specify the iOS 9.2.1 firmware file that you downloaded in step 1.

Step 10: Wait until the procedure is completed, the OS recovery process will take some time. You can now use your device with iOS 9.2.1.

Almost everyone is familiar with updating software on mobile devices today. This operation usually does not provide anything difficult. The owners of Apple phones were offered a new iOS 10 version. However, this software did not impress users too much. Therefore, many are thinking about how to roll back iOS 10 to 9. What should every owner of an "apple" phone or tablet know about this operation? What scenarios are possible?

Myth or Reality?

To begin with, it is necessary to understand whether it is possible to roll back iOS 10 to version 9 of the software. Indeed, often after updating one or another content on a mobile phone, it is impossible to return to older versions.

Fortunately, downgrading iOS to iPhone / iPad is possible. This is an operation available to all. It is recognized as official and does not require any special knowledge and skills. However, there is some information you need to read before rolling back.

Before reset

How to rollback iOS 10 to 9? Before bringing the idea to life, you need to remember the following:

  1. Backups from the tenth version of the operating system are not suitable for iOS 9.
  2. There are several types of rollbacks - "clean" and with data retention. The second method is not recommended. It causes problems when using the Music app.
  3. Before performing the operation, you must make sure that sync is turned on in iCloud. In the corresponding settings item in the "Settings" -iCloud menu, you must enable the appropriate switch. The slider "Media Library" also needs to be activated.
  4. Disable Find My iPhone. If you neglect this step, rollback will be impossible.

Perhaps this is enough. You can think about how to roll back iOS 10 to 9.

Full rollback

Let's start with the preferred approach. This is a "clean" pullback. This method is most often used in practice. It avoids system crashes and malfunctions.

How to roll back iOS10 to 9? To do this, you must follow certain instructions. It looks something like this:

  1. Launch iTunes on PC.
  2. Connect iPhone to computer. To do this, you need to use a USB cable.
  3. Launch iTunes. In the "Browse" menu, select the "Back up" option. Wait for the operation to complete.
  4. Go to the site ipsw.me. Choose here your phone model along with the firmware.
  5. Wait until the corresponding software is loaded. After completing the operation, go to iTunes and in the "Overview" tab, click on Option (in Windows, this is the Shift button).
  6. Click on "Restore iPhone".
  7. Select the previously downloaded iOS in the window that appears.
  8. Complete the update by clicking on the "Restore" message.

That's all. Now you can wait for the device to reboot. During OS initialization, you cannot disconnect the device from the PC. In the end, you need to select "New iPhone" and go through authorization using the AppleID.

Saving settings

From now on, it is clear how to roll back iOS 10 to 9. The instructions presented to your attention earlier imply a complete reset of settings and data. You can save them if you want. What is required for this?

How to rollback iOS 10 to 9 while keeping the information on the device? We'll have to adhere to the previously proposed algorithm, but with some changes. During the selection of the firmware, you will need to click on "Shift", and then select "Update". Otherwise, the algorithm of actions will be exactly the same. When updating, you must unlock the gadget for the operation to complete successfully.

So, now it is clear how you can rollback the operating system from Apple phones and tablets from version 10 to version 9. No further options for the development of events are envisaged. You cannot rollback without iTunes.

Which method should you use? As already mentioned, it is recommended to pay attention to the "clean" rollback. This is the only way to speak with confidence about normal work with iOS in the future.

Not perfect. It offers several new features, but is not much different from the previous version. At the same time, users of old devices may experience various difficulties associated with the fact that their devices are not powerful enough for the new firmware. In this connection, there may be a desire to return to a stable one. To do this is quite simple, the main thing is to follow the instructions.

  1. Make sure your smartphone or tablet is at least 75% charged.
  2. Disable Find My iPhone. To do this, go to "Settings" and go to the iCloud section, and then turn off the Find My iPhone function. The system will ask for your Apple ID password and you will need to enter it.
  1. After that, the "apple" device must be connected to the computer and run iTunes, and the device itself must be put into firmware mode (DFU, Device Firmware Update). To do this, simultaneously hold down the Power and Home buttons for 10 seconds. Then release the Power button while continuing to hold the Home button. The system should indicate that the device is in DFU mode and ready for firmware. Click the "Ok" button.


  1. Select the "Restore iPhone" (or iPad) option. iTunes will ask you to confirm that you really want to go back to the old firmware. We confirm this by pressing the "Next" and "Agree" buttons, after which the automatic process of installing the old firmware will begin.


  1. It usually takes about 20 minutes to update the firmware, but if you encounter problems (for example, with Internet access or connecting to Apple servers), you can manually install the firmware using the file image. Just hold down the Shift key on your keyboard (or Option on MacOS) and click on the "Restore iPhone" option. In the window that opens, find and select the image file you downloaded and sequentially click the "Open" and "Restore" buttons. You don't need to do anything else, just wait for the result.
  2. After returning to the previous version of the firmware, the system will persistently ask you to update, therefore, in the settings of your device and iTunes, you must disable automatic updating.

The differences between iOS 9.3.2 and iOS 10 are minor. The latter got a beautiful new lock screen, a keyboard with hints and a bunch of new emoticons. The system also became more open (for example, Siri made friends with third-party applications) and learned to automatically group photos of people, places and objects into beautifully designed collections. There are no other significant innovations, and those that do exist may cause performance degradation on older devices. At the same time, it is not known what problems will still be discovered and how long it will take to fix them.

Each Android and iOS update has its own benefits. However, it sometimes happens that a fresh version of the system has some critical flaws that are not corrected by the developer for a long time. Or, a situation may arise when a new update just terribly loads the mobile device and slows down. One such unsuccessful update was iOS 9.3.5. And all would be fine, a new version was released that would correct the existing shortcomings, but this update was the last for a number of devices based on the A5 processor, and more specifically:


  • iPad 2.

  • iPad 3 (iPad with Retina display).

  • iPad mini (1st generation).

  • iPhone 4s.

  • iPod touch 5.

The first thing we need to do is use an exploit that will allow us to get a jailbreak. The list of devices on which it turns out to be used is as follows:


  • iPhone 4s.

  • iPhone 5.

  • iPhone 5c.

  • iPad 2.

  • iPad 3.

  • iPad 4.

  • iPad mini 1.

How to Jailbreak


  • 1. Download

  • 2. Download

  • 3. We connect the iPhone or iPad to the computer using a cable.
  • 4. Launch Cydia Impactor and drag the ipa file into the program window.

  • 5. When prompted, enters your Apple ID information in the pop-up window.

  • 6. Go to "Settings" -> "General" -> "Device Management" on the mobile device, select the Phoenix certificate and press the "Trust" button twice.

  • 7. Return to the home screen and launch the Phoenix application. We agree to the offer to receive push notifications. Uncheck Phoenix at the bottom and click on the circle.

  • 8. Lock the screen of your mobile device and after a few seconds you will see a message about the successful hacking of the system.

  • 9. Unlock your smartphone or tablet and open Phoenix again. You will see an animation indicating that Cydia is being prepared to install. Wait for the device to restart, after which the Cydia app store will be installed.

  • 10. It is worth clarifying that after each reboot you will have to repeat steps 7-9.

How do I downgrade to iOS 8.4.1?


  • Open the Cydia store and search for "Filza File Manager".

  • We launch this file manager.
  • We go to the address / System / Library / CoreServices

  • We are looking for the SystemVersion.plist file

  • Editing Version (9.3.5) and Build (13G36) to Version (6.1.3) and Build (10B329), respectively.

  • We save and reboot the device (simultaneously hold down the power button together with the Home key and hold it until the loading screen with an apple appears).

  • We go into the settings and check the version of the system. If we see the values ​​that we assigned, then everything went well.

  • Go to the "Software Update" section and download the update to iOS 8.4.1

  • After the update, you need to do a full reset through the "Erase all content and settings" item

When you upgrade to a newer version of IOS, you may notice that you don't like the firmware. In this case, there is a great way out - to roll back the software to the optimal version, in your opinion. That is, if you have updated to, for example, IOS 10, then you can safely install IOS 8 on your device using the instructions below.

When to rollback iOS

The reasons for installing an older version of the operating system may be the following circumstances:

  • Design changes with new firmware versions, and not all users may like the new design.
  • The most common reason is the appearance of freezes and glitches. There are similar problems for two reasons: either the new version of the firmware has become available to users in a too raw form, with errors in the code and flaws, or the device that has been updated has become outdated for the loads created by the new version of IOS.

Please note that rollback of any device for any version is impossible, detailed information on which device to which firmware version can be rolled back can be viewed on the following website - http://appstudio.org/shsh. All data is arranged in a table format.

How to rollback iOS to a specific version on an Apple device

Before starting the process, you need to prepare the following things:

  • ITunes installed on your computer and updated to the latest version.
  • The version of the software of your choice, in the IPSW format, downloaded to an easily accessible folder. You can download it from trusted Internet sites that distribute IOS firmware for free, for example, at the following link - http://appstudio.org/ios. Download the firmware strictly for your device model, otherwise there will be problems during installation.
  • USB adapter that connects your device to your computer.

If you have met all of the above conditions, then the next step will be to prepare the device itself for the rollback process.

Saving important data

Keep in mind that when you roll back a device, all data, apps, and media files are permanently erased from the device, so it's worth taking care of them. There is an option that allows you to delete files from the device, it will be discussed below in the article, but it is no less stable. You can save everything you need using a backup, created as follows:

Disable password

Another important point is disabling the password and Touch ID, if supported and enabled on your device.

Deactivating Find My iPhone

Before any actions with the device's firmware, you must disable the "Find iPhone" function, otherwise, iTunes will simply not allow you to perform any actions:

Rollback firmware

If all the previous preparatory work has been carried out, then you can proceed to the rollback itself. It does not matter from which device you rollback, as well as from which and to which version of IOS you will be migrated.

  1. Connect your device to your computer using a USB adapter.
  2. Log in to the system.
  3. Go to the settings of your device by clicking on the icon in the form of a phone or tablet.
  4. Hold down the Shift key on your keyboard if you're using Windows, or the Option key if you're using Mac OS. Without releasing the key, click on the "Restore" button.
  5. A window with folders will open, you need to specify the path to the firmware that you downloaded earlier.
  6. Wait for iTunes to extract the software from the firmware and install it. The process can last from five minutes to half an hour, do not disconnect the device from the computer and do not interrupt the process with any action, otherwise the device may enter the infinite recovery mode.

Rollback without data loss

This rollback option also exists, it allows you to rollback without losing data on the device. To do this, in paragraph 4 of the "Firmware Rollback" section, you need to click on the "Restore" button, and the "Update" button. All other steps are exactly the same. The only thing worth considering is that performing a full recovery, that is, resetting the system and installing it from scratch, is safer, since the chance that any elements will remain from the previous version is much lower.

Video Tutorial: How to Roll Back iOS Version

Third party rollback programs

If for some reason the method with iTunes does not suit you, then you can use the third-party program RedSnow. It is distributed free of charge for both Windows and Mac OS on the developer's official website - http://redsnow.ru.

  1. After downloading and opening the program, select the Extras section.
  2. Click on the Even More button.
  3. In the menu that opens, go to the Restore block.
  4. Click the IPSW button to specify the path to the pre-downloaded firmware.
  5. In the notification that appears, you will be asked whether to cancel the promotion of the modem or not. Click on the "Yes" option.
  6. A window will open in which you will be warned that now the device will need to be put into recovery mode, close it.
  7. Connect your device to your computer with a USB adapter and enter it into DFU Mode. How to do this is described step by step in the program itself.
  8. If you have not performed such rollback operations with this program before, then click on the Remote button so that it automatically finds the necessary hashes on its servers.
  9. Done, now it remains to wait for the end of the process. The device will automatically update to the version you downloaded and turn on, after which you will have to go through the initial setup process.

Is it possible to rollback individual applications

If the purpose of your system rollback is to install older versions of applications, then it is not worth it, since there is a better option - to use the special App Admin program. You can download it directly from the App Store for free. Thanks to this application, you can view all available versions of applications installed on your phone and roll back to them. To use the program, you just need to select the applications to rollback and enter a unique version number to which you want to roll back the selected application.

So, the installation of an older version of the software is possible on all devices from Apple, but you can rollback not to any version, but only to those that have the SHSH signature. The process can be performed both through the official iTunes application and through third-party programs. The main thing is to download the correct firmware version and not interrupt the update process until it is fully completed.

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