By Jennifer | Last Updated
New iOS brings lastest features that often attract many Apple fans to experience them early, and iOS 18 Beta is no exception. However, the updated softwares can bring instability, bugs, and unexpected issues. If you want to downgrade back to iOS 17 after updating to iOS 18, will you lose data in the process?
This guide will answer your questions and summarize the various ways to downgrade from iOS 18 to iOS 17, so let's get to the point now.
When downgrading from a higher version of iOS to a lower version, it essentially replacing the current operating system with an older version, a process that completely empties the device of personal data such as apps, settings, and files. Does this mean that downgrade iOS 18 to iOS 17 without losing data is impossible? The answer is not necessarily.
How to remove iOS 18 Beta from your iPhone without losing data? Here are some practical ways.
1. Backup your data. Before proceeding with the downgrade process, create a backup of your device using iCloud or iTunes to save a copy of your current data.
Note: Due to version incompatibility, backups made on iOS 18 cannot be directly restored to a downgraded iOS 17 device.
2. Use iCloud Sync. Although you can't restore iOS 18 backup directly, you can use iCloud to synchronize some data, such as contacts, photos and other important files.
3. Transfer important files. There are some third-party tools that provide the function of transferring data from iPhone device to computer or external storage device, such as iSunshare iSyncGenius.
iTunes is an application developed by Apple that provides features such as data management, system updates and system recovery. You can downgrade iOS 18 to iOS 17 with iTunes. It is a reliable method, but for newbies, the process of this method may be a bit complicated.
Step 1: Go to a trusted website in order to download the correct IPSW file that matches your device.
Step 2: Connect your iPhone to your computer and turn off its "Find My iPhone". And make sure iTunes is updated to the latest version and run it.
Step 3: Go to "Settings" column, hold down the Shift key (for Windows) or Option key (for Mac), then click the "Restore iPhone" button and select the iOS 17 IPSW file you just downloaded.
Step 4: Confirm to start to restore the OS and wait for the process to complete, then iOS 18 will be removed from your iPhone, after which your device will back to iOS 17 again.
How to downgrade iOS 18 to iOS 17 without iTunes? A number of users find it too complicated to downgrade iOS using iTunes, and therefore prefer to use other tools or methods to simplify the process. For example, iSunshare iOS Repair Genius is a popular choice. It not only helps users downgrade iOS easily, but also fixes a wide range of iOS errors, including iPhone shutting off with battery left, black screen of death, stuck issues, and so on.
Before you start, you need to download and install iSunshare iOS Repair Genius on your computer, which is compatible with both Windows and Mac systems.
Step 1: Double-click to run the software, select the "iOS Upgrade/Downgrade" option, and then click "Downgrade iOS", note that you can only downgrade back to the current version officially supported by Apple.
Step 2: Select the firmware package version and its save path, click "Download" and wait patiently for the firmware package to finish downloading.
Step 3: Click "Start" button, the software will immediately start to remove iOS 18 from your iPhone and install iOS 17.
When the "Downgrade Successfully" message pops up, your iPhone will reboot and now it is running iOS 17.
If you don't have a computer, how to remove iOS 18 from your iPhone without iTunes? It might be a good idea to download the iOS 17 IPSW file and install it. Note that this method only works on devices running iOS 16.4 or above.
Step 1: Open Safari or any other browser you prefer on your iPhone, search for and select a trusted website to get the iOS 17 IPSW file, make sure it's the right one for your iPhone model.
Step 2: Go to "iPhone Storage" in your device's "Settings" to find and delete the iOS 18 profile. Once deleted, restart your iPhone to apply the changes.
Step 3: In the Files app, navigate to the folder where your downloaded iOS 17 IPSW file is located, click on the file to start the installation and follow the on-screen instructions to complete the downgrade.
If this method doesn't work, then the only way to uninstall iOS 18 from your iPhone without a computer or iTunes is to wait for Apple to release the official iOS 18 in September 2024 (estimated).
The stability of the iOS 18 beta is uncertain. If you don't want to receive future iOS 18 public Beta versions, you can follow these steps to disable the update.
Step 1: Open the Settings app and navigate to "General" > "Software Update" > "Beta Update", and select "Off" to disable alerts for new beta updates on your device.
Step 2: For those who want to completely opt out of the "Apple Beta Software Program", you need to log in to the Apple beta website with your associated Apple ID and find the "Leave Apple Beta Software Program" button on the page. After that, your device will no longer receive any Beta updates.
If your iPhone has some glitches or you are not satisfied with the feel of its experience after updating to iOS 18, you can choose to downgrade it back to iOS 17, which helps to restore the stability of the system.
This article has covered three ways to downgrade from iOS 18 to iOS 17, and whichever you choose, make sure you've made a good backup of your data or else you won't be able to recover it once it's been wiped.
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