It’s a question that has been asked ever since Apple released new versions of its mobile operating system. The answer is always the same: No, it isn’t possible. However, some people will still want to give it a try – or they might have already tried and failed. In this article we show you how to downgrade iOS no matter what version you are running.
Please note: Downgrading to an older iOS version on your iDevice is at your own risk. A downgrade will usually void the warranty of your phone or tablet and can lead to various bootloop-issues that might “brick” (render useless) your device. Furthermore, upon downgrading you will lose any jailbreak (or untethered) your device might have.
How To Downgrade IOS from 10.2.1 to 10.2
Step 1) Put Your iPhone/iPad/iPod Touch In DFU Mode. The first step is to get your iPhone in DFU mode, also known as Device Firmware Update mode. This can be done by simply plugging the device into your PC or Mac, turning off the phone or tablet, holding down both the power button and home button for 10 seconds. After 10 seconds, let go of the power button but keep holding onto the home button until iTunes detects your device in recovery mode.
Step 2) Update iOS To The Version You Wish To Downgrade. For this guide, we decided to downgrade from iOS8 back to iOS6.1.6 – the last version of iOS that can be jailbroken on A4 devices (iPhone 4, iPod touch 4th gen and iPad 1st Gen). If you want to downgrade to iOS5, then select that instead of iOS6.
Step 3) Download The Firmware You Wish To Downgrade To. After updating your device to the newest version (in this case iOS 8.1), launch iTunes and check for updates. You will be offered the latest iOS firmware file for your device (in this case iOS 6.1.6). Click on “Download And Install” to download the .ipsw file.
Step 4) Put The Device In DFU Mode Again. Take your iDevice and get it back in DFU mode (by following step 1).
Step 5) Restore Your iPhone To The Firmware You Just Downloaded. After restoring your device, iTunes will ask if you want to update to the latest iOS version or restore from a previous backup. Select “Restore from a Backup” and select the latest backup you made of your iOS device before upgrading to the later version.
Step 6) Sit Back & Relax! Now all you need to do is wait for iTunes to restore your iPhone, iPad or iPod touch from its backup and downgrading will be complete.
What Are You Trying To Do Here?
Basically, there are two reasons why people want to downgrade their iOS device’s operating system. The first is that they have updated to the latest iOS build but then find it unstable, or simply don’t like all of its new features. They then decide that they would like to go back to a more stable and older iOS build. Alternatively, some people will want to downgrade their device so that they can jailbreak it again.
Downgrading is Not Allowed By Apple, Why?
Apple does not allow users to downgrade their iDevice’s operating system because of one very important reason: security. Every new version of iOS that is released by Apple contains fixes and improvements to the security of the software. By allowing users to downgrade, Apple would be exposing its users to malicious code exploits which could potentially lead to their iDevices being hacked and data stolen. For this reason, you will not find any official tools on the internet that allow you to downgrade the iOS software on your iDevice.
Conclusion
Downgrading is possible, but not recommended because it could lead to security issues. You should always stay up-to-date on new iOS software updates as they contain important bug fixes and improvements to the OS which will help make your device more secure.