On September 19, Apple released the final version of iOS 11. Millions of iPhone, iPod and iPad users immediately started updating "over the air" and today everyone decided whether to stay on the new version of the system or better wait for more stable iOS 10.
At the time of publication of this manual, Apple continues to sign iOS version 10.3.3, so the rollback procedure is still possible. If you decide to return to the top ten, try not to hesitate - then it may be too late.
What to do before downgrading from iOS 11 to iOS 10?
The process of preparing an iOS device is quite simple and allows you to restore all data immediately after installing iOS 10, but with one condition - you must have an iTunes or iCloud backup created under iOS 10.
When downgrading the firmware, restoring data from a backup from a newer version of iOS is not possible.
Go to the menu Settings -> Touch ID & Passcode and disable the corresponding slider. Rollback is possible only when protection is disabled.
How to rollback from iOS 11 to iOS 10. Step by step instructions
1. Hold down the Power key and turn off your iOS device. For iPhone 7: Hold down the Volume Down button while holding down the Home button.
2. Hold down the Home key and connect your smartphone with a USB cable to a computer or Mac with iTunes installed. Hold down the Home key until you see the iTunes icon.
3. iTunes should recognize your device and offer three options: Cancel, Refresh, or Restore. Choose "Cancel".
4. Download the firmware image specific to your device.
Let's figure out how to properly roll back iOS on iPhone to the previous version of the operating system. In the article we will consider a specific example of versions, but this is also true for newer iOS.
This article is suitable for all iPhone Xs/Xr/X/8/7/6/5 and Plus models on iOS 12. Older versions may have different or missing menu items and hardware support mentioned in the article.
Reasons for iOS Rollback
Users may have completely different reasons for rolling back to a later version of iOS. Some may be dissatisfied with the visual changes in the interface design of Apple gadgets, which change in some details with each update.
Others want the same stability in the device after the update. Problems began to be noticed by users who updated to iOS 12 on the iPhone. Even in iOS 12, there are new system items in the menu that users seem superfluous and not aesthetically woven into the smartphone interface itself.
There are also users who roll back the iOS version after the release in order to check the overall performance of this function against official Apple packages. For example, we have already found out that you can only rollback from iOS 12 to iOS 11.4, which was the last in the iOS 11 update series.
Other versions of iOS are not covered by the company package subscription. This was mentioned in the official Apple blog.
Important nuances
- During the rollback process, the device must be reset, and then restored from a copy. This will take some time, depending on your internet connection and the amount of data you have.
- You should start rolling back when you have a backup of your gadget in iTunes or iCloud.
- A standard copy of iTunes or iCloud will be based on iOS 12, so after rolling back to iOS 11, it may not function properly. It is better to use a copy that is saved before anyone, as iOS 12 was installed.
Rollback from iOS 12 to iOS 11.4.1 without losing information
This method is risky, but it can be used to roll back from iOS 12 to iOS 11.4.1 without losing data. Another process is faster than the second method, which we will discuss later.
To roll back from iOS 12 to iOS 11.4.1, follow the instructions:
You can use an alternative method if this one does not work. For it, you need to have a saved backup copy of the gadget, which was created before installing iOS 12.
Rollback from iOS 12 to iOS 11.4.1 using the restore method
- Download the firmware file for your device https://ipsw.guru/firmware/11.4.1/.
- Launch iTunes on the computer.
- We connect a gadget with iOS 12 to the computer.
- Now you need to enter the device into DFU (recovery) mode. This process is different for different models.
- In the iTunes window that appears, click on "OK".
- Hold down the “Alt / Option” button on a Mac or “Shift” on a Windows computer, then select “Restore ...” your gadget.
- Select the iOS 11.4.1 ipsw.
- Click "Restore" to continue.
- The user will be shown information about version 11.4.1. Click "Next", then "Accept".
- iTunes will install the latest version on your device. The whole process takes approximately 10 minutes.
- When the process completes successfully, the device will display the familiar power-on screen. The device can be restored using a saved backup.
If any errors occur during the rollback, then most likely the downloaded firmware is not for your model.
After updating to a new version of IOS, you may notice that you do not like the firmware. In this case, there is a great way out - to roll back the software to the optimal, in your opinion, version. That is, if you have upgraded 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:
- With new firmware versions, the design changes, and not all users may like the new design.
- The most common reason is the appearance of freezes and glitches. Such problems happen for two reasons: either the new firmware version became available to users in a too raw form, with errors in the code and shortcomings, or the device that was updated was outdated for the loads created by the new IOS version.
Please note that it is not possible to roll back any device for any version, you can view detailed information about which device to which firmware version can be rolled back to the following site - 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.
- An IPSW version of the software of your choice 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.
- A USB adapter that will connect your device to your computer.
If all of the above conditions are met by you, then the next step is to prepare the device itself for the rollback process.
Saving important data
Please note that when you roll back a device, all data, applications, and media files are permanently erased from it, so you should take care of them. There is an option that allows you to delete files from the device, it will be discussed later 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 to disable the password and Touch ID, if it is supported and enabled on your device.
Deactivate Find My iPhone
Before any actions with the firmware of the device, you must turn off the Find My iPhone function, because, otherwise, iTunes simply will not allow you to perform any actions:
Firmware rollback
If all the previous preparatory work has been carried out, then you can proceed to the rollback itself. It doesn't matter which device you're downgrading from, or which version of IOS you'll be migrating from and to.
- Connect your device to your computer with a USB adapter.
- Log in to the system.
- Go to the settings of your device by clicking on the icon in the form of a phone or tablet.
- Hold down the Shift button on your keyboard if you're using Windows, or the Option button if you're using Mac OS. Without releasing the key, click on the "Restore" button.
- A window with folders will open, you need to specify the path to the firmware that you downloaded earlier.
- Wait while iTunes extracts the software from the firmware and installs 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 in any way, otherwise the device may enter the endless 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 iTunes method does not suit you, then you can use the third-party RedSnow program. It is distributed free of charge for both Windows and Mac OS on the official website of the developer - http://redsnow.ru.
- After downloading and opening the program, select the Extras section.
- Click the Even More button.
- In the menu that opens, go to the Restore block.
- Press the IPSW button to specify the path to the pre-downloaded firmware.
- In the notification that appears, you will be asked whether to cancel the modem upgrade or not. Click on the "Yes" option.
- A window will open in which you will be warned that now the device will need to be put into recovery mode, close it.
- Connect the device to the computer using a USB adapter and enter it into DFU Mode. How to do this is described step by step in the program itself.
- 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.
- 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 you should not carry it out, since there is a better option - 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, just select the applications to roll back and enter a unique version number to which you want to roll back the selected application.
So, installing an older version of the software is possible on all devices from Apple, but you can not roll back 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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It often happens that after the update, the operating system on the iPhone / iPad starts to get very buggy. Rollback to the previous version will help restore the previous performance of your favorite device.
Before you get an answer to the question of how to rollback from iOS, you should know that the device will only work on an outdated version for a while, because Apple hashes new firmware with a SHSH digital signature, which does not allow old versions of the OS to be distributed. The "apple" company prescribes such hashes only to current firmware, so the lifespan of previous versions is extremely short.
1 step
Make sure you have the latest version of iTunes on your device. Otherwise, you need to update the program, and then run it.
2 step
Find and download the version of iOS that was before the updated one.
3 step
Now you need to put your device into recovery mode. To do this, you need to turn it off and connect it to a PC using a usb connection by holding down the "Home" button.
4 step
A window should pop up on the computer screen offering to restore or update your iPhone / iPad. We hold down the Shift button on the keyboard (if you use mac OS, then you should hold down Alt) and click on "Restore".
5 step
"Windows Explorer" or Finder will appear, where you need to specify the path to the folder with the previously downloaded version of iOS.
6 step
After clicking on the "Open" button, the process of "moving" to the previous version will start. This may take some time.
Important! To successfully complete the rollback to an earlier version of iOS, make sure that your computer is connected to the Internet.
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Yesterday we talked about how iPhone and iPad can install outdated versions of applications using the Charlie program. From the comments on that article, it turned out that there is an easier way that does not involve the use of third-party tools. This method only works if the new version of the app is not supported by your device due to system requirements.
If you are using an old Apple smartphone or tablet, or have not updated iOS to version 8 or 9, you will inevitably run into restrictions - the App Store will prompt you to first or update the operating system. However, you can cheat and download not a new version of the application, but one compatible with old technology or an outdated build of iOS.
How to install an old version of the application on iOS?
1. Go to iPhone or iPad system settings and enable iCloud sync.
2. Launch iTunes on your computer and download the application you need, even if it's a newer version.
3. Open the App Store on your mobile device and find the app you downloaded via iTunes.
4. A cloud button will appear next to the name of the application instead of the “download” button, which shows that a “purchase” is already registered in your account, and you can freely download this application to your device.
5. If your iPhone or iPad is not compatible with this application, the system will give an error and ... offer to download the version that was once compatible with it.
6. Wait a while - the outdated version of the application will be downloaded to your device.
We emphasize once again that this installation method can only be used on older devices (iPhone 3, 4, etc.), and you can install outdated versions of applications on new Apple smartphones and tablets can be used with the Charlie app, which we recently wrote about. Charlie works as a proxy that downloads from Apple servers the version of the application you need - more stable than the new one or with features that were subsequently removed by the developers. One of these applications is the official VKontakte client, which once had a full-fledged music section, but now only excerpts from songs leading to the iTunes store are available.
The editors do not stand aside from the pre-New Year's excitement and the preparation of surprises. Together with the Apple Jesus online store, we have prepared one of the best gifts for any holiday - a brand new iPhone 6s in any color you choose. To participate in the draw, you need to complete only five simple tasks. Read, participate and good luck!
