How to Downgrade iOS Using IPSW Files

Downgrading iOS means installing an older version than the one on your device. It’s possible, but only while Apple still signs that version. The window typically closes one to two weeks after a new release, so a downgrade is always somewhat time-sensitive. This guide explains how the signing system decides what’s possible, then walks through the downgrade itself.

How Apple’s Signing System Works

Every iOS installation is checked against Apple’s signing servers in real time. If Apple currently signs the version you’re installing, it works; the moment Apple stops signing it, the same file and the same procedure simply fail. There is no workaround on modern devices.

What that means in practice:

• The window: after a new iOS release, Apple usually keeps signing the previous version for roughly 1–2 weeks (security point releases sometimes close it within days)
• The floor: you can never go below the iOS version your device originally shipped with
• The check: the live status is on our signing status page. Verify before you prepare anything else, because a closed window ends the project

When a Downgrade Makes Sense

• The new iOS version broke something important: battery life, performance, or a critical app
• You updated accidentally and want your previous setup back
• You’re a developer who needs a specific version on a test device

When It Doesn’t

• Apple stopped signing the version: no exceptions for consumers
• The device holds sensitive data and you rely on current security patches: downgrades don’t receive security updates, and the version you land on may have known vulnerabilities
• You depend on apps or services that require newer iOS minimums (this only grows worse over time)
• You’re not comfortable with Recovery Mode and a computer: this is a real procedure, not a Settings toggle

A downgrade should be treated as a temporary measure: plan to move forward again once a better release lands.

What You Need

• A computer (Windows with iTunes or the Apple Devices app, or Mac with Finder) and an original Apple USB cable
• The correct IPSW file for your exact model: iPhone firmware and iPad firmware on dotIPSW, and verify the checksum before use (how)
• 10 GB+ free space on the computer, device charged above 50% or plugged in
• A fresh backup, and your Apple ID password

The Critical Backup Caveat

Downgrading erases the device. And here’s the trap most guides skip: a backup made on a newer iOS cannot always be restored onto an older iOS. Apple doesn’t support downgrading backup contents; at best some data transfers, at worst the restore fails outright.

So before you start:

1. Back up anyway (full guide), from two sources: iCloud and computer
2. Export irreplaceable things manually: photos to a computer, notes, two-factor codes, message archives
3. Accept that after the downgrade you may be setting up as new and reinstalling apps manually

Step-by-Step: The Downgrade

Standard method (Recovery Mode)

1. Connect the device to the computer with an original cable

2. Put it in Recovery Mode:

   iPhone 8 and newer, or iPad without a Home button:

   1. Press and quickly release Volume Up
   2. Press and quickly release Volume Down
   3. Press and hold the Side (or Top) button until the recovery screen appears

   iPhone 7 / 7 Plus:

   1. Press and hold the Side button and Volume Down together
   2. Keep holding until the recovery screen appears

   iPhone 6s and earlier, or iPad with a Home button:

   1. Press and hold the Home button and Top (or Side) button together
   2. Keep holding until the recovery screen appears

   Full timing details in our Recovery/DFU guide.

3. When Finder or iTunes detects the device, hold Shift (Windows) or Option (Mac) and click Restore (not Update)

4. Select the IPSW file and confirm

5. Let it run: the device restarts several times. Do not disconnect it

DFU method (if Recovery Mode fails)

DFU is the deeper restore: same Shift/Option + Restore + IPSW selection, but from DFU mode, where the screen stays black. The button timing differs from Recovery Mode; follow the DFU instructions. Nothing is lost by a mistimed attempt, since the device just boots normally and you retry.

After the Downgrade

1. Verify the version: Settings > General > About should show your target version and build
2. Try restoring the backup if you kept the device set up with a computer. If the restore rejects it (likely), set up as new instead
3. Reinstall apps manually and sign back into accounts
4. Watch battery and stability for a few days before declaring victory

Troubleshooting

The Realistic Checklist

• Signing status confirmed today, not yesterday
• Correct IPSW file, checksum verified
• Backups from two sources, plus manual export of irreplaceable data
• Time set aside; don’t start this ten minutes before you need the phone
• A plan for setting up as new if the backup doesn’t come back

If any of those boxes can’t be ticked, the better move is usually waiting: the signing window closes either way, but your data doesn’t have to.