Hello everyone! The topic of restoring iOS firmware has long been considered on the Internet up and down. And, frankly, at first I didn't want to write about what is already on the net. Why produce instructions of the same type? But then it was nevertheless decided (these are the torments of choice for the author of this blog! :)) that there is a need for this.
So why another instruction? Everything is very simple - I receive a lot of questions, both in the mail and in the comments about various glitches in the iPhone software, and, in most cases, they can only be cured with the help of software recovery. So this is an important process and there is no way to bypass it, and it will be easier for me to answer your questions - just by pointing out a link to this article. Eh, it seemed to be justified :) Let's go!
A few important notes:
- When restoring an iPhone, absolutely everything is deleted from it. It turns out such a phone, as if you just bought it in a store.
- It can only be restored using a computer and iTunes. This cannot be done "over the air", via iCloud or otherwise.
- The procedure is performed both with a fully functional device and if the iOS system does not boot (in this case, you will need to enter the DFU mode).
By the way, recovery is the only way to properly remove jailbreak from iPhone.
Detailed instructions for iPhone recovery
So, complete and detailed step-by-step instructions. We launch iTunes on the computer and connect the iPhone, if everything went well, then the phone model, its firmware and other data will be displayed in the main window of the program. At this stage, two errors are possible:
- The computer does not detect the iPhone - about that.
- If the device shows no signs of life, try it.
As a result, with any successful connection, we get one of two windows
And here we are only interested in one button - "Restore". If you just click on it, iTunes will start preparing the iPhone, download the latest firmware from Apple servers, and begin installing it on the device.
Attention! Find My iPhone must be disabled!
The biggest "snag" lies precisely in the firmware download. Sometimes this process takes quite a long amount of time, especially with a slow Internet connection. Plus, if the connection is not stable and connection breaks are possible, then iTunes will start downloading it again every time, which is not very pleasant and long, you will agree.
But there is a way to speed up the recovery process. To do this, you must independently download the software file in the .ipsw format (from any third-party resource, for example, w3bsit3-dns.com) and save it on your computer. Please note - for each iPhone model, there will be a different file from the others!
Now, hold down the "Shift" key on the keyboard and only then click on the "Restore" button. A window will open asking you to specify the firmware file. We select the one downloaded in advance and wait - iTunes will do everything on its own.
Why can't I restore my iPhone and what should I do?
In fact, there can be a lot of reasons. Moreover, they are connected both with a computer or a device, and simply with inattention.
Here are the most basic ones:
- Lack of access to the Internet on a PC or periodic interruptions and disconnections.
- Antiviruses, firewalls and other programs that interfere with the normal functioning of iTunes. Maybe your security settings are configured in such a way that iTunes simply does not get access to Apple servers.
- Slow internet. Not even that. Very slow Internet. Now this is rare, but I remember my attempts to reanimate the iPhone back in 2009 using a network connection from a USB modem. I will not paint everything, I will say the result - the restoration failed.
- In the case when you download the firmware yourself - see if it is exactly suitable for your phone model.
- Check for iTunes. If so, install the latest version of the program.
- It is very desirable, but what is there, be sure to use the original USB cable, not certified can contribute to the appearance of various errors. Non-original ones are only possible, and even then not always, and they are not suitable for reflashing (restoration).
- It is quite possible that the problems are already inside, that is, "iron". There can be a lot of faults - from the loop to the motherboard. Remember, not or too hard.
As you can see, there are really many options. Please, pay attention to any little detail - after all, it is because of it that problems with restoring iPhone can arise. Anyway, something doesn't work out? Be sure to write in the comments - let's try to figure it out together!
P.S. They say that in order for the recovery to be successful and correct, you need to "like" this article. They probably lie, but just in case I put it ... and everything worked out! :)
Hello everyone! Apple is constantly releasing new versions of iOS and, frankly, thanks a lot for that. Why? Because, thereby, she does not let me get bored - something is constantly happening. Well, okay, back to the topic of the article. So, Apple is trying and producing, and the developers of games and applications, in turn, timely and very quickly rewrite their programs so that they are fully compatible with the new firmware.
And in the end, such a situation may turn out - you are trying to download an application from the App Store, and the iPhone or iPad tells you that you need to update your gadget to a new version of iOS and nothing will be installed and downloaded until that moment. Here is such an unexpected ultimatum from the "apple" company and its services. Checkmate! Or not?
This disgrace looks something like this:
This content (app) requires iOS 7.0 (any version can be here) and newer. Please update to iOS 7.0 (or higher) to download and use this app.
And it would seem, what is the problem? Update and download! But:
- There is not always a need for a new version of the firmware, someone wants to leave their device on the old and tested version of the software. "Jambs" in iOS 10! Not everyone will want to update.
- Many people simply cannot install new firmware - pay attention to the number of comments.
- At the moment, people still have many such gadgets in their hands as the iPhone 4. And, as we know, the latest version of iOS for it is 7.1.2. That's it, you can't update it further, and many applications and games, when downloaded from the App Store, require iOS 8 and no less! And in the future it will continue - the next in line is the iPhone 4S, and there it is not far from the “fives”.
What to do in this case? Leave the gadget without programs and games? Of course not, there is a way to download applications on the iPhone that require a newer version of iOS than the one currently installed.
Updated! Apple surprised everyone and removed the App Store from newer versions of iTunes. Therefore, before you start following the instructions, it is worth checking - do you have access to the games and applications store from your computer? Not? ... All OK"? Continue ...
True, one smartphone is not enough for this, you will also need a computer. The algorithm is quite simple:
That's it, we managed to install a program that previously required a newer version of iOS on your iPhone and iPad. And we didn't even touch the firmware - we didn't need to update it!
The only thing, as you already understood, this way old versions of applications and games are installed (specifically for the iOS that is installed on your device at the moment). So, there may not be any new chips (introduced in subsequent editions of the program).
Sooner or later, every user of Apple mobile devices is confronted with the thought that it might be worth bringing back an old version of iOS. There may be many factors for this - a new unusual interface that came with the next update, errors in the new version associated with flaws or poor compatibility with a particular device.
The company itself has never welcomed the return to the device of previous versions of software and, strictly speaking, neither the iPhone nor the iPad supports installing older versions of iOS. Nevertheless, after the release of a fresh iteration of the operating system, users have a couple of weeks to properly study the new version, make the choice and, if desired, make the so-called rollback of the firmware to the previous version.
With the release of iOS 9, this question has again become relevant for some users, and therefore we want to remind you in this guide how to return an old version of iOS.
Necessary preparation
First of all, we recommend that you make a full backup of your device both in iTunes on your computer and in the iCloud cloud storage. The procedure for returning the previous firmware version itself implies the complete erasure of information from your device and the restoration of absolutely clean software. Accordingly, you must have a backup copy from where you can restore all your personal information and files.
It is advisable to copy it in two of these ways at once, since on some versions of iOS it was impossible to restore data from a backup made on a more recent firmware.
After that, in your device, be sure to follow the path Settings> iCloud> Find iPhone or iPad and disable this feature. This is done temporarily, in order to remove protection from the software of your device and after the firmware is restored, the function will be turned on again automatically.
How to return an old version of iOS
To start restoring the previous version, you need to download the firmware file itself, and to carry out the procedure for installing it on your iPhone or iPad, you need a computer, the latest version of iTunes and a USB cable.
- Go to getios.com.
- In field YOUR DEVICE select the Apple mobile gadget on which you are going to restore the old version of the software.
- In field THE MODEL please indicate your device model.
- In field iOS VERSION select the version of iOS you want to restore. Keep in mind that Apple only supports downgrading one firmware back and only for a few weeks after a new version is released.
- Click the button DOWNLOAD and wait until the firmware file is fully loaded.
Now you can move on to the recovery process itself:
- Open iTunes. For any operations with firmware, it is advisable to use only the latest version of iTunes, so before starting the procedure, check for updates and install them if necessary.
- Connect your device to your computer with a cable and wait for iTunes to recognize your device.
- Open the page for managing your device in iTunes.
- While holding down the Shift key on your keyboard (or Alt if you are using a Mac computer), click the Refresh button in the Device Control window.
- In the Explorer (or Finder, if you are using a Mac computer) window that opens, select the firmware file that you downloaded in the previous step.
- Confirm your intention to install an older version of the iOS operating system.
- After that, the process of restoring the firmware will be launched. You can watch its progress in the upper part of the iTunes window.
During the installation of the firmware into the device, it cannot be disconnected from the computer and it is advisable not to press anything until a white screen with a welcome message appears. It will mean that the process has been completed successfully and the device can be activated.
Quite a common situation - you update an application or game and instead of improved performance and new features, you get a completely inoperative tool. Developers of all stripes make such mistakes, and you can only roll back from a new version to an old one using the Charles Proxy tool.
The Charles Proxy program can also come in handy in cases where some functions have been removed in new versions of applications or games. There are a lot of examples of such remote functions, take at least the official applications of VKontakte or YouTube, the latest version of which causes only negative emotions in users.
We want to note right away that despite the apparent complexity, any user can install an old version of any application. The main thing is to follow the instructions clearly. In it, we installed on the iPad one of the first versions of the application of the popular social network Instagram.
Step 1. Download, install and run Charles tool for Windows or Mac (download)
Step 2. Launch iTunes and start downloading the application, the old version of which you want to install on your iPhone or iPad
Step 3. In the Charles window, select the iTunes server from which the application is downloaded, with the word "Buy". Right-click on the server name and select Enable SSL Proxying
Step 4. Return to the iTunes window and stop downloading the app
Note: if the application has already been downloaded, then it must be removed in the "My programs" section
Step 5. Find the desired app again in iTunes and start downloading it again
Step 6. Go to the Charles window and find another line with the word “ buy"- this is exactly the object that we are looking for. Go back to iTunes and stop downloading the app
Step 7. Expand the found branch with the word “ buy"In Charles and find the line buyProduct
Step 8. Select a stitch buyProduct and go to the tab Response, where specify the type of display XML Text
Step 9. On the screen, after sewing softwareVersionExternalIdentifiers, you will see lines like:
where the seven-digit number refers to the application's version numbers in ascending order. In our example, we rolled back Instagram to the truly ancient version 1.8.7, whose build number was first in the list. In practice, it is most often necessary to rollback to the previous version, so it is recommended to choose the build number (the one enclosed in the tag
Step 10. Make a right click on the item buyProduct and select Edit
Step 11. Select a section XML Text and find the line in the field:
where XXXX is the latest version of the application. Instead of XXXX, you need to paste the value you copied in step 9, and then click Execute... In our example, we changed the number 81542337 to 2948163, thereby rolling back the most recent version of Instagram to the earliest one.
Step 12. Again, right-click on the item buyProduct and select the item Breakpoints
Step 14. Go to iTunes, find your application and refresh the page (Ctrl + R on Windows). Then start downloading the tool
Step 15. A moment after you clicked the download button, you will be transferred to Charles, where you need to switch to the screen Edit Request -> XML Text... In field
Step 16. Then press again Execute
Step 17. Go to iTunes and make sure the application download has started. Wait for the download to finish
Step 18. In iTunes, select the " My programs", Find your application and by right-clicking on it, select" Intelligence". Here you can make sure that it is the old version of the application that is being downloaded.
Step 19. Remove the new version of the required application from your iPhone or iPad, connect the device to iTunes and install the old assembly
Step 20. After the end of synchronization, the old version of the required application will appear on your smartphone or tablet.
Restoring iPhone is a standard operation to return an Apple smartphone to a working state after various failures. Unsuccessful firmware, incorrect jailbreak, incorrect iOS update - if you know how to restore your iPhone, you can fix almost any malfunction that occurs during the operation of this device.
Recovery order
To restore iPhone, you need to enter Recovery Mode. It's easy to do:
When the iPhone is ready for the rollback and error correction procedure, click the "Restore" button. 
iTunes will independently find the current version of the firmware and install it on the smartphone, returning it to the state in which it was immediately after purchase.
DFU operation
If iPhone recovery does not work in Recovery Mode, then you need to enter the device into DFU mode. This mode is used when there are software errors - for example, when the iPhone does not turn on. DFU mode works in hardware, so it helps to perform a factory reset even in the most difficult cases. To enter DFU mode:
- Connect your device to your computer.
- Press and hold Power and Home for 10 seconds.
- When you count to 10, release Power while continuing to hold the Home button.
It is difficult to enter DFU mode the first time, as nothing changes on the screen. If the recovery mode detects itself as an iTunes icon, then the phone does not seem to turn on in DFU. Therefore, you need to look at the computer screen where iTunes is running. As soon as the iPhone enters DFU mode, a notification will appear in iTunes informing that the program has detected the device in recovery mode, and you need to reset all settings and content in order to continue working with the smartphone. 
If you need to install a different firmware, then hold down Shift and click "Restore". An explorer will appear, through which you need to specify the path to the previously downloaded firmware.
Recovery without a computer
If the computer is not at hand, it does not turn on, or you cannot connect an iPhone to it, then try resetting all settings through the device's settings. As a result of this operation, you will get a clean smartphone without settings and user information, so be sure to make a backup before resetting. If the smartphone turns on normally:
It is not necessary to delete custom files. If the iPhone turns on, then you can fix the malfunctions in its work by simply resetting the settings. In this case, the user's personal data will remain intact.
Recovery after a reset
If you need to restore your iPhone after resetting all settings and deleting content, then you won't be able to do this without a backup. The presence of a backup file with information stored in the device's memory is the main point that you need to check before performing a reset. When the iPhone is rolled back to its factory state, all of the user's personal data is erased from it.
Create a backup before factory reset:
After the reset, the iPhone will be like new: no content or settings remain on it. To get all the information back, you need to connect the device to your computer and restore from a backup via iTunes. Choose the most recent backup, as it contains the most relevant information. 
You can also restore all settings after a reset through iCloud, provided that you have stored backups on the cloud. In this case, when setting up your iPhone, you need to select the "Restore a copy from iCloud" option and specify the appropriate backup.
Recovery problems
If after the usual recovery the phone does not turn on, then it makes sense to put it into DFU mode and try to restore it again via iTunes. This time you should not trust iTunes: download the official firmware and select it in the explorer window by holding Shift and clicking on the "Restore" button ... 
Sometimes the TinyUmbrella utility helps to solve the problem that the smartphone does not turn on after a factory reset via iTunes. This program has an "Exit Recovery" button. If the iPhone after the recovery does not turn on, you need to select it in the TinyUmbrella window and click "Exit Recovery".
