How to install another version of iOS. Rolling back an iPhone or how to return to a previous version of iOS

How I started receiving requests for instructions on how to roll back the firmware.

We asked - we answer...

Guaranteed way to downgrade iOS 11 to iOS 10

Step 1. Connect your iPhone/iPad/iPod Touch to your computer via a wire. Open iTunes (it is advisable to update it to the latest version). The device should be detected in iTunes.

Step 2. Turn off your iPhone/iPad/iPod Touch. Power button (hold for a few seconds). Then swipe on “turn off”.

Step 3. Press the Power button for 3 seconds. Without releasing, hold down the volume down button (in some older devices the Home button). And hold these two buttons for about 10 seconds.

iTunes should respond and display a message:

iTunes detected iPad/iPhone/iPod in recovery mode. This iPad/iPhone iPod must be restored before using it with iTunes.

Step 4(main) A “Restore iPhone” button will appear in the iPhone description. Click on it and agree that the iPhone will be restored to factory settings.

Step 4(alternative) You can download the final current version of the firmware, for example, from our article. Then hold Shift if you have Windows (Alt-Option for MacOS) on your keyboard and click the “Restore iPhone” button. After that, select the firmware file.

What will happen?

After this, iTunes will delete everything on the iDevice and download the latest firmware version.

Then there are two ways: either set up the device as new, or roll a backup copy if you made one in advance in iOS 10. Please note that having made a backup copy in iOS 11, you will not be able to roll it back to iOS 10. The phone or tablet will inform you if that the backup is new and not suitable.

Is it possible to roll back to iOS 9, 8, etc. in this way?

NO! And again NO. You can't even roll back to 10.2.1, because it's fresh in this moment 10.3.2. Apple has such restrictions.

Is this instruction relevant now?

Yes, and it will be relevant until the release of the final version of iOS 11 in the fall of 2017.

Data-lazy-type="image" data-src="http://androidkak.ru/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/android.png" alt="android" width="300" height="206"> !} Sometimes it is useful to know how to roll back the Android firmware to the previous version. This operating system receives updates regularly. For example, Android 4.4.4 KitKat could have been upgraded to version 5.0.1 Lollipop at one time.

Thanks to updates, the system becomes more secure, since developers are always striving to find and fix vulnerabilities. In addition, after the improvement, Android receives a new graphical interface, as a result of which it acquires a more stylish and modern appearance.

Why do you need a rollback?

Changes sometimes concern not only functionality and visual design. Some applications that were actually usable in the previous version of the system may not be supported after installing the update, which is why the user begins to think about how to remove new version Android.

If there are concerns that switching to another version of the operating system may remove support for a particular application that was actively used by the previous system, then it would be wiser to wait until an official update for this program becomes available. If the user has updated the system, but for some subjective reasons is dissatisfied with the improvement and wants to return to the previous version, then he needs to perform a system rollback and remove the new software environment.

Next we will tell you how to return old version Android after update. The Nexus 5 phone will be used as an example since it is officially supported by Google and has its own Factory image file and bootloader that can be unlocked by restoring an older version. When performing this operation, the user will face the risk of losing important data being deleted.

The user must act at his own risk. Performing the following steps may damage your mobile device beyond repair after unsuccessful firmware update.

Read also: How to change imei on Android

Preparing to perform a rollback

Nexus devices are very convenient for performing rollbacks. All you need to do is save your personal files, go to the developer page on Google and download any factory image ever released for the device. Then you should flash it via ADB data-lazy-type="image" data-src="http://androidkak.ru/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/14722200366071-300x225.jpg" alt="nexus" width="300" height="225" srcset="" data-srcset="http://androidkak.ru/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/14722200366071-300x225..jpg 350w" sizes="(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px"> !} (Android Debugging Bridge).

IN in this example you are using a Nexus 5 phone with Android 5.0 installed, which should be replaced with version 4.4.4 (you need to find this firmware on Android and download it to save it in accessible location). If you need to roll back another device, you should search for suitable images for it using the Google search engine.

So, how to restore the firmware on Android? In addition to the Factory image, you should download a few more files to your PC. Will need Android app SDK required for flashing the firmware. In addition to the SDK manager, you also need a standalone SDK file. To use this software You will need the latest Java environment. During the SDK installation process, you will need to specify where Java is installed.

After installation is complete, go to the SDK manager to select Tools, Platform-tools, Android Support Library, Google USB Driver and install them. Now you need to go to where the Nexus 5 Factory image was previously saved. You should extract the contents of this file to the Platform-tools folder. From this moment, you can assume that all preconditions have been met and begin the procedure of rolling back the mobile device.

Process of reverting to a previous version

It is necessary to perform the following steps sequentially:

  • go to the settings of your mobile device, scroll down the page and find the section with the build number;
  • Click on the build number until a notification appears that developer mode has been successfully enabled;
  • a new section “Developer Options” will appear in the settings, there you need to scroll down and enable “USB Debugging”;
  • Connect the device to your computer using a USB cable and make sure that the computer recognizes it.

Many users do not know how to return the old version of iOS. To do this, just follow our instructions.

1. Installation process of the old version

Before describing the installation process, it is worth saying that you must have a source file in the .ipsw format. No other format in in this case won't do.

You can download such a file on many sites, for example, appstudio.org. To use it, you just need to follow the link, select your device, model and firmware. After this, the download of the installation file in .ipsw format will begin immediately.

Now let's start the installation.

To do this, perform the following series of actions:

  • Connect your Apple device to your computer using a USB cable. Must be installed on PC/laptop iTunes program. If this is not the case, download it from the official website and install it.
  • Launch iTunes. At the top left, click on the icon for your device type to display the sections. Go to the “Overview” section and click on the “Update” button. In this case, be sure to press and hold the “Shift” button if you have Windows and “Option” if you have a Mac.

  • A standard dialog box will appear in which you will need to indicate where the same installation file of the .ipsw format is located, which you previously downloaded from appstudio.org or any other website.

After this, the installation will begin, you will only have to follow the instructions of the conductor, if any. In most cases, everything happens very quickly, without any problems.

Advice! Before starting the update, make a backup copy just in case. If something goes wrong, you can always return everything as it was. To do this, in the same section of the iTunes program there are buttons “Create a copy now” and “Restore from a copy.”

It happens that the above procedure is interrupted at some stage or other problems occur that make installation impossible. Perhaps this is due to device glitches (Apple has a lot of them, believe me) or because it was jailbroken. In any case, you should try to install the old version of the OS using the redsn0w program.

2. Use the redsn0w program

Remember that this program will actually jailbreak your device, and after that it will no longer be subject to warranty repair.

If you have problems using your iPhone or iPad, it is better to contact support. How to do this is described in detail.

And if you are willing to take such a risk, do this:

  • Download the program on its official website. Launch redsn0w on your computer. Connect your iPhone or iPad to your computer using a cable. Select "Extras" and then "Even more".
  • In the window that appears, click “Restore” and then “IPSW”.

  • Indicate in the dialog box where the installation file (.ipsw format) is located. A window with a question may appear, click “Yes” on it. This is a request to perform an OS rollback on the connected device.
  • Enable DFU mode on the connected device. Read how to do this. In short, you need to hold down the power button until iTunes asks you to restore your device.
  • Next you will need to specify the path to the SHSH certificates. Without going into details, let's say that we are talking about special digital signatures of Apple firmware. You can get them using the iFaith program. After downloading and launching it, click “OK” in the welcome window and the “Show Available SHSH Caches on Server” button next. In the next window on the right, select your device model and click “Show Available Blobs”. Then click "Fetch the latest SHSH blobs Apple is actively signing". In the next window, check the box next to the type of firmware you downloaded and the “Download selected blob(s)” button. In redsn0w, simply provide the path to these files.

  • At the end you will see a message stating that the restoration was successful (“restore successful”).

The release of a new version of iOS is always an important event for all product users Apple. New interface, functions, fixing old errors, improving performance and much, much more - all this can be provided by the new firmware... for the majority of users. However, what if you didn’t like the new firmware from Apple or, for example, your device had some serious problems with it? In this case, you can carry out the process of rolling back to the previous version of iOS.

It’s worth saying right away that the process of rolling back to a previous version of iOS is not an extremely complicated process, and even a user who has mediocre knowledge of modern technologies. It is also worth mentioning that, unfortunately, the rollback process can only be performed to the previous version of the operating system, and in a rather limited time. Apple, so to speak, allows its users to check the new version of the firmware, and then return to the previous one if you are not satisfied with something.

In this article, we will describe the rollback process in detail so that you do not face any problems. So, what do you need to perform a rollback? And you will need the following:

  • Firmware of the previous version.
  • Your device, i.e. iPhone, iPad or iPod Touch.
  • USB cable.
  • A computer and iTunes installed on it (the latest version, of course!).

As you can see, you don't need much. Find the most common USB cable, install it on your computer latest version iTunes and let's get started. So, first we need to provide you with the required firmware version.

for rollback

At the moment, the firmware version of iOS 11 is available to users, which was released quite recently, and therefore we will need to find iOS 10.3.3 for you. However, you can apply this rollback guide to any version at any time. The best place To find the required firmware, a resource called getios.com is considered. Go to this site using your computer's browser.

  • YOUR DEVICE - Select the device available to you on which you want to rollback to a previous version of iOS.
  • THE MODEL - select the device model in this field.
  • iOS VERSION is the previous version of iOS that you will install on your device. If you want to downgrade from iOS 11, you will need iOS 10.3.3 firmware.

Once you fill out the required fields, you only need to click on the DOWNLOAD button, after which the file with the treasured firmware will be downloaded to your computer. After downloading the firmware, it’s time to move on to the fun part - rolling back iOS.

Creating a Backup

It is worth mentioning in advance that rolling back to the previous version will completely delete all personal data and files from your device, and also reset the settings to factory settings. In this regard, unless you do not care about the contents of your device, we recommend creating a backup copy.

There are two ways to back up your Apple device: in iTunes on your computer and in iCloud. You can use one way or another - it doesn't matter. As a precaution, we recommend that you create two backup copies at once in the specified locations. This is done in case something goes wrong when using one of the backup copies.

Rollback to a previous version of iOS

So, if you have prepared the necessary things, and also created backup copies to restore your data, let’s proceed directly to the rollback process, which, it is worth noting, is much easier to perform than it initially seems. Let's describe further actions as a list:

  • First, you will need to disable software protection on your device. Go to Settings→iCloud→Find iPhone or iPad, and then deactivate protection. This is necessary in order to reflash your device.
  • Next, go to your computer and open iTunes on it. We remind you that you need to use the latest version of the program to avoid problems when flashing.
  • Now connect your iPhone, iPod touch or iPad to a computer via a USB cable. iTunes will begin the process of detecting the device connected to your PC.
  • Once iTunes makes the determination, go to the device management page.
  • Next, hold down the Shift button on your keyboard, and then click on “Update” in the open control window for your device.
  • A Windows Explorer window will open in front of you, in which you will need to point to the previously downloaded firmware. Once you do this, you will be prompted to confirm that you have installed iOS. Confirm your request.

That's all. By clicking on confirmation, the process of installing the previous version of iOS firmware will begin in iTunes. This may take some time, so you may want to keep your mind busy. It is also worth remembering that the process of rolling back the firmware should not be disturbed under any circumstances, unless you want to create a real brick for yourself, which will be much more difficult to bring back to life.

The iOS firmware rollback will be completed when a welcome message appears on the screen of your device. After it, you can safely configure the device again, and also use a previously created backup copy to restore personal data and settings. As you can see, the process is extremely simple and does not require deep knowledge.

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Hi all! In today's topic I would like to continue the conversation about the iPhone. In particular, in one of my previous articles I already told, so today’s article will be a continuation...

When a smartphone starts to work incorrectly, the first thing you need to do is check the operating system. The most common cause of deterioration in iPhone performance is glitches in iOS. Defects appear due to malware, system clogging with unnecessary software, or hardware conflict with a certain version of the operating system.

How to return to the previous version of iOS?

I have already told you how to update or restore a gadget; in both cases we used standard schemes. But sometimes the current version of the operating system turns out to be too “heavy” for the gadget, usually this happens with outdated iPhone models. The user updates the gadget and realizes that the new version of iOS overloads the gadget. Having gone into the settings, the owner of the smartphone discovers that there is no “Go back” button in the settings. After studying this issue, I found a fairly simple way to return to the previous system, that is, install the iOS we need manually.

Difference from recovery

Surely you have already encountered gadget restoration. Very often, users mean by one concept “flashing” three actions at once. Let's briefly go through each option so as not to get confused in the future. We can perform the following manipulations with our smartphone:

Restoration - returning the gadget to its original settings, while all data and content from the device are deleted, the smartphone receives a clean operating system.

Update - Using iTunes or the built-in iPhone tool, you can update the operating system to the latest version, personal data and content are preserved.

Rollback means returning to an earlier version of the system; using special tools, the user can select any firmware for his gadget, including custom one.

This material discusses rollback in detail. Follow my instructions and you will succeed. I recommend performing this manipulation only for those gadgets that began to slow down after updating to the latest version of the iOS operating system.

Preparatory stage

Before installing an alternative version of iOS, you will need to follow a few simple steps. Let's start with Reserve copy. No one is immune from a sudden error during a rollback, so you need to save all the data on your smartphone. You can create a backup using a standard tool in the iPhone. Go to “Settings”, in this section you will find the “Restore and Backup” menu. With simple manipulations you can protect all your data from loss.

The second step is to select the desired version of iOS. If you need a rollback, most likely you already have the operating system you need. If not, then on this resource http://appstudio.org/ios you will find the necessary firmware.

Download it and save it on your computer, since we will perform the rollback using a PC.

You can also download iOS from this site http://getios.com/ Go to the resource and find a field where you need to indicate the type of your gadget “YOUR DEVICE”. In the next window, you should enter the model, after which a window with iOS options that will work on your iOS will become available. All that remains is to download the desired version. The screenshot above shows the selection menu in detail.

Rollback process: instructions

We take a charged smartphone and connect it to the computer using a cord. Launch iTunes. IMPORTANT! The program must be the latest version, to update, go to the “Help” - “Update” tab. The application will automatically download the latest version and restart.

Now you need to wait until the program sees your device, it usually takes a few seconds, so you won’t have to wait long. You will also need to select the type of gadget you have; to do this, select the appropriate section in the settings or simply press the “Ctrl + S” combination on your keyboard.

In the window that appears, click the “Browse” button, and then click the “Update” button. If you are working on a computer with a Windows operating system, then you need to hold down the “Shift” key and at the same time click on the “Update” button. As for Mac users, you need to hold down the “Alt” key and click on “Update”.

After this, a form will appear where you need to select a new version to update. We will trick the system and click on the pre-downloaded firmware, which may be several levels lower. Thus, we will start the rollback process to the previous version. If you cannot return the old firmware using the standard method, try using a special program.

Rollback using RedSnow

Download RedSnow from the developer's official website and install it on your computer. The creators have taken care of a version for computers on Windows and Mac. Be sure to follow the preparatory steps described above to avoid losing important data and content. I’ll say right away that this method takes more time than working in iTunes, but in some cases it’s impossible to do without RedSnow.

To roll back using this program, you will need to enter DFU mode on your iPhone. To do this, you need to connect the gadget to the PC, turn off the device, and after the work is complete, you should simultaneously hold down the “Power” and “Home” buttons for about 10 seconds. After this, release the power button, while the “Home” button should remain pressed. Wait until the program, in our case RedSnow, detects the device in recovery mode.

The rollback is performed according to the following scheme:

— Launch the application on the computer and select the “Extras” section in the main menu and go to the “Even more” menu.

— Now press the “Restore” button. Here you will need to specify the path to the firmware file using the IPSW key.

— As soon as the question window appears, you should quickly click on the “YES” button.

— Now switch the device to DFU mode according to the instructions.

— When the program detects the device, you will need to specify the path to the certificates, usually they come along with the firmware file.

“We just have to wait for the process to complete.” The “Restore Successful” message will let you know that you did everything right.

As you can see, returning to the previous version is not difficult. It is important to determine whether you need it or not. If necessary, you can always upgrade to a newer iOS; the rollback operation does not affect this in any way.