• How to restore iOS version. Restoring iPhone to old firmware in Windows without modem upgrade using SHSH hashes

    Developers from Apple New versions are published quite often operating system. But the updated version will not always be better previous iOS. Fortunately, if you want to rollback more earlier version, it's not that hard to do.

    In updates, developers change the way some applications work, optimize programs, and fix bugs. But it happens that new opportunities are not to your liking, while the old ones are no longer available. Yes, and the occurrence of errors in the updated version is also possible, and it will take a lot of time before they are corrected. It is in these situations that a rollback to a previous version of iOS may come in handy.

    There can be many reasons to roll back to a previous version of iOS.

    The easiest way to roll back to the old version is the official one. But it has a number of limitations. Officially, you can “roll back” only to the previous version of the system and only for a short time after the update is released. Then developers block the rollback option, and users have to look for other ways.

    Preparatory steps before downgrading to an earlier version of iOS

    Before you begin the rollback process itself, you need to perform preparatory steps. To do this you need:

    • create a backup copy of your files so as not to lose the data stored on your device;
    • select and download the firmware - it is very important that the firmware is downloaded from a reliable source and does not contain errors;
    • disable the Find My iPhone feature.

    Backup

    There are two ways to copy data from Apple devices: This backup to iCloud or copying data from using iTunes.

    Copying data using iCloud

    Once the process of transferring data to iCloud is complete, it will be contained in cloud storage. To copy, do the following:

    After this, the backup will be created. To avoid having to repeat manual steps on a regular basis, you can set up the entire process automatically. However, to create a copy before rolling back to the previous version, this is not necessary.

    Copying Data Using iTunes

    To create a backup using iTunes, you will need to install the media player on your computer. After that do the following:


    You can get one of the latest firmware versions for your device on third-party sites. Read reviews in advance to make sure the site can be trusted. Most likely, during the download process you will be asked to indicate which Apple device you use, specify the model and then select the proposed version from the list. After downloading the version you need, be sure to remember where you downloaded the file. You will need it later.

    Disabling the Find My iPhone feature


    If you did everything correctly, you will receive a message by email notifying you that the “Find iPhone” option has been turned off on your device.

    Reverting to a previous version of the operating system

    Firmware rollback is safe function, and in any case you will be able to return your device to previous state. However, you still act at your own risk. Be careful and you won't have any problems.

    To rollback, follow these steps:


    This way you can go back to one of the previous versions of iOS. But is it possible to choose the old version? No, they won't let you download it from the site. Even if you find it in third party sources, the correct installation will not be performed. These are restrictions from Apple, and official way there's nothing to solve here.


    Officially, you can downgrade your iOS device to one of the previous versions

    Rolling back the iOS version using a special program

    In addition to the ability to return the previous version using iTunes, there is another way. You can roll back your device using a special program. For example, a program called RedShow copes well with this task. But it is worth noting the following:

    • this method is much more complicated and may require you to install a jailbreak (unless, of course, you have already installed it);
    • if you want to rollback not only to the previous version, but also to earlier ones, you will need a SHSH certificate from old version. Saving occurs automatically if jailbroken. Or you can save the data manually after each update using the TinyUmbrella program;
    • The rollback option is not available for all devices. Ideal for iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4 and iPod touch 4G, rollback is also available on the iPad 2. Until recently, this feature was not available on other devices, but now the developers have added support for several more phones.

    The rollback process itself using this program is done as follows:


    Rolling back applications on iOS

    We figured out how to roll back the operating system. But what if you need to rollback one of the installed applications? After all, unsuccessful updates happen there too. There is an official Charles Proxy tool for this. It allows you to access older versions of apps or games on your iPhone or iPad. Using this program is not very easy, so this is a topic for a separate article.


    You can roll back apps on iOS to one of the previous versions

    Video: rollback iOS from any version to an older one

    For most users, the option of officially returning to one of the latest versions of the device will be enough. The main thing is that this version is still supported by Apple. If you need to revert to an earlier version, you can use one of the unofficial methods. In any case, now, when installing failed update, you know how to act.

    And install iOS 12. The system works very quickly even on the old iPhone 5s and iPhone 6! But this is the first beta and it does not work stably everywhere. Somewhere the camera lags, somewhere just some important applications do not launch, or notifications generally arrive empty. In such cases, you have one option: rollback to iOS 11.4.

    It's not that hard to roll back. The main thing is to download the file with the firmware.

    Remember that if you roll back without a backup, you will lose all your data. Therefore, if you do not have a backup made before iOS installation 12, but the data is needed, you will have to wait for official updates.

    If you made a backup on iOS 12, then you will not be able to use it if you roll back to iOS 11.4.

    So, let's start rolling back:

    1. Select the firmware file you need and download it to your computer.
    • iPhone 6s, iPhone 6
    • iPhone 6s Plus, iPhone 6 Plus
    • iPhone SE, iPhone 5s GSM, iPhone 5s CDMA
    • iPad Pro (12.9-inch) (First generation | Second generation)
    • iPad Air 2, iPad mini 4, iPad mini 3
    • iPad Air 1, iPad mini 2

    2. Disable the “Find iPhone” function on your gadget in the iCloud settings menu:

    This must be done! Without this, iTunes will not allow you to return to the old version of the system.

    3. After that, connect your gadget to your computer and launch iTunes:


    Select the device, press and hold on the keyboard Option key, if you have a Mac, or Shift if you have Windows, and click the Update button. In the window that appears, select the firmware file you downloaded. After that, agree to everything iTunes suggests you do. Let's go! This process will take 15 - 20 minutes.

    After the rollback, iTunes will offer to restore the backup. You can refuse and set up your device as new.

    Your device is now running iOS 11.4 again! As you can see, rollback is not a complicated process at all. Enjoy using it 😁

    After updating to a new version of iOS, you may notice that you do not like the firmware. In this case, there is an excellent solution - roll back the software to the optimal version, in your opinion. That is, if you updated to, for example, IOS 10, then you can easily install it on your iOS device 8 using the instructions below.

    When is it necessary 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 a new version of the firmware has become available to users in a too crude form, with errors in the code and shortcomings, or the device that was updated has become outdated for the loads created by the new version of IOS.

    Please note that it is not possible to roll back any device for any version, detailed information You can view which device to which firmware version can be rolled back to on the following website - http://appstudio.org/shsh. All data is located in table format.

    How to roll back iOS to a specific version on an Apple device

    Before you begin the process, you need to prepare the following things:

    • iTunes installed on your computer and updated to the latest version.
    • Your chosen version downloaded to an easily accessible folder software, having the IPSW format. You can download it from trusted Internet sites that distribute free of charge iOS firmware, for example, at the following link - http://appstudio.org/ios. Download the firmware strictly for your device model, otherwise problems will arise during installation.
    • A USB adapter that will connect your device to your computer.

    If you have met all the above conditions, then the next step is to prepare the device itself for the rollback process.

    Saving important data

    Please note that when you roll back your device, all data, applications and media files from it are permanently erased, so it’s worth taking 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 copy 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.

    Deactivating Find My iPhone

    Before any actions with the device’s firmware, you must disable the “Find iPhone” function, since, otherwise, iTunes simply will not allow you to perform any actions:

    Firmware rollback

    If all previous preparatory work has been carried out, then you can begin the rollback itself. It doesn't matter which device you're downgrading from, or from which version of iOS you're downgrading to.

    1. Connect the device to the computer using a USB adapter.
    2. Log in to the system.
    3. Go to your device's settings by clicking on the icon that looks like a phone or tablet.
    4. Clamp 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.
    5. A window with folders will open; you need to specify the path to the firmware that you downloaded earlier.
    6. 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 or interrupt the process with any actions, otherwise the device may enter endless recovery mode.

    Rollback without data loss

    This rollback option also exists; it allows you to rollback without losing the data on the device. To do this, in point 4 of the “Rolling Back Firmware” section, you need to click on the “Restore” button and the “Update” button. All other steps are completely the same. The only thing worth considering is that the execution full recovery, that is, resetting the system and installing it from scratch is safer, since the chance that previous version some elements will remain much lower.

    Video tutorial: How to downgrade iOS version

    Third party rollback programs

    If for some reason the iTunes method does not suit you, then you can use the third-party program RedSnow. It is distributed free of charge for both Windows and Mac OS on the official website of the developer - http://redsnow.ru.

    1. After downloading and opening the program, select the Extras section.
    2. Click on the Even More button.
    3. In the menu that opens, go to the Restore block.
    4. Click the IPSW button to specify the path to the previously downloaded firmware.
    5. The notification that appears will ask you whether to cancel the modem upgrade or not. Click on the “Yes” option.
    6. A window will open in which you will be warned that the device will now need to be put into recovery mode, close it.
    7. 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.
    8. If you have not performed such rollback operations with this program before, click on the Remote button so that it will automatically find the necessary hashes on its servers.
    9. Done, now all you have to do is wait for the process to complete. 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 roll back 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 special program App Admin. You can download it directly from App Store for free. Thanks to this application, you can view all available versions applications installed on your phone and roll back to them. To use the program, just select the applications to roll back and enter the unique version number to which you want to roll back the selected application.

    So, installing an older version of software is possible on all Apple devices, but you can not roll back to any version, but only to those that have the SHSH signature. The process can be done via official application iTunes and via third party programs. The main thing is to download correct version firmware and do not interrupt the update process until it is fully completed.

    Everything written below will only work if you have SHSH hashes from the firmware you are going to restore to.
    Read about what SHSH hashes are and what role they play when flashing Apple gadgets.
    Even if you didn't save the hashes yourself, that doesn't mean you don't have them. For devices that have been jailbroken at least once, hashes for all future firmware updates can be automatically stored on Cydia servers on the Internet.
    Remember that for iPhone 3G, iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4, iPod touch 2G, iPod touch 3G, iPod touch 4G, iPad 1G and Apple TV 2G, SHSH hashes can be extracted directly from the firmware currently installed on the device, even if it is no longer signed Apple. Read about how to do this.

    By this method You can restore an iPhone not only to a version of iOS lower than the one currently installed, but also to a more recent version, provided that it is no longer current and is not signed by Apple. For current versions iOS should be used.
    You can find out which versions of iOS are current on the pages with information on the corresponding firmware, or in ours.

    This instruction does not apply to devices with Apple A5 processors and later - iPhone 4S, iPhone 5 and everything that came out later. It is impossible to upgrade the iOS version on them without upgrading the modem version.

    1. Download from our firmware version the one you want to update to without upgrading the modem. Place the firmware file on your desktop.
    2. Download the latest version of redsn0w for Windows.
    3. Unzip the archive and place redsn0w on your desktop.
    4. IN context menu file redsn0w.exe select "Run as administrator":
    5. On the redsn0w start screen, click the "Extras" button.
    6. Then click the "Even more" button.
    7. On the next screen, click "Restore".
    8. Click the "IPSW" button, specify the path to the firmware file to which you want to restore without upgrading the modem.
    9. redsn0w will ask you if you want to prevent modem elevation. Be sure to answer yes!

    10. Then you will receive a warning about the need to enter the device into Pwned DFU mode. Click "OK".

    11. Redsn0w will then help you enter the device into the required mode. You will need to connect your iPhone to your computer via cable and turn it off while holding Power button(at the top end), and then sliding the slider that appears. Then click "Next".
    12. In the next step, you will need to press the Power button for 3 seconds, then hold down Home buttons and Power for 10 seconds, then release Power and hold Home for about 10 more seconds.
    13. You will be returned to the firmware recovery screen, where the "Local" and "Remote" buttons will become available.
    14. If you previously saved hashes using redsn0w or TinyUmbrella on your computer, you can click the "Local" button and specify the path to them. If you did not save the hashes on your computer, click the "Remote" button to have redsn0w look for hashes on the Cydia servers. If the hashes are found, the "Next" button will become available, all you have to do is click on it. Otherwise, there will be no way to restore your iPhone.
    15. Next steps will not require your participation. redsn0w will process the firmware itself and upload it to the device. All you have to do is wait for the gadget to load in normal mode.

    16. When the iPhone turns on, we recommend going to iOS settings, to the "Basic-About this device" section and make sure that the modem version remains unchanged.
    17. If any error occurs and the iPhone is left in DFU mode(with the screen turned off, not responding to any presses), you can bring it out from there by holding down the Home and Power buttons until the apple appears on the screen.

    When Apple releases a new version of iOS, many users may find it tempting to install beta version of iOS for developers to get acquainted with future functionality, especially when it comes to major releases such as iOS 11 (), which includes .

    The problem is that these pre-release versions of the operating system may be unstable, which will affect the performance of the iPhone or iPad. In this case, the best solution there will be a transition from the beta version to the official build. How to do this will be discussed in this article.

    How to find out the version of the official iOS to which you can roll back?

    Find out what latest version iOS is current for all iPhones or iPads you can always.

    You can download all official iOS firmware for any iPhone and iPad.

    Do iOS 11 backups work after downgrading to iOS 10?

    If you are planning to perform a rollback, you should be prepared for the fact that you will have to restore your iPhone or iPad, losing data such as settings, accounts email, downloaded applications, etc. It is also worth remembering that backup copy of iOS 11 created in iTunes on your computer or iCloud, not compatible with iOS 10.

    How to downgrade from iOS 11 beta to official iOS 10

    1 . First of all, take care of the safety of photos and videos from the Photos application. If you don't use iCloud Photo Library or others cloud services, the pictures will be lost. The same applies to other information.

    Detailed recovery instructions iPhone firmware or iPad via iTunes on your computer you can find .

    8 . After the current one is installed official version iOS, you will either have to use the data backup you previously created on iOS 10. As mentioned above, you will not be able to use backup copy, made on iOS 11 beta.