Whenever Apple comes with a new version of the iOS, iPad OS and Mac OS, they come with tons of new features. Apple lovers usually want to know about the new exciting features offered by the company and because of that, they usually end up downloading the beta software as soon as Apple announces the new version. However, it doesn’t always turn out to be great and some people may wonder how they can downgrade to the previous iOS version. At this point, there are Apple users who might be wondering how they can downgrade from iOS 16 to iOS 15 without compromising the safety of their data and losing any of them. So, if you are one of those users who are confused about how to downgrade from iOS 16 to 15, here we have mentioned how you can do that without compromising the safety of your important data files.
Why Would You Downgrade?
First, this question should be answered as everyone wants to get the latest updated version of iOS. So, why would anyone want to downgrade? Well, there are a few different factors that you will need to consider on, to decide whether you want to downgrade the iOS or not. For example, at this moment, Apple has two different beta releases: one is a developer beta which is first available on the market before the second one, which is a public beta. So, developers, as well as people who want to offer support to others with these beta versions, need to experience both of them.
Also, even if Apple had time and worked on these new versions for almost a year, the version comes with some system glitches and bugs which is quite normal for a beta version.
Besides all of these, people also need to consider app compatibility. Sometimes, a few apps may not work on a particular iOS or Android version. So, if you cannot run your favorite app on the updated version, you will feel the need to downgrade. Apple usually makes a lot of different changes on the operating system when launching a new one. So, when you update to a non-stable version, you can face a lot of trouble. It is best to downgrade to the previous operating system and wait for the stable release version of these operating systems.
How to Downgrade from iOS 16 to 15 without Losing Data?
There are two different methods that you can use to downgrade to iOS 15 from iOS 16. The first method is a manual method that you will need to do step by step and the second one is a bit easier. You can choose any of these two processes depending on whether you want to keep all your data on your iPhone or you want to start fresh.
Downgrade iOS 16 to iOS 15 Manually
So, the first method will offer you a fresh installation of the iOS 15 on your iPhone. Please remember that before applying this method, you must create a backup of your data so that you can get it back even if you lose the data on your device. Here are the steps for downgrading from iOS 16 manually:
Steps to downgrade from iOS 16 manually
- First, check the software update section of your system settings or system preferences to make sure that your iPhone is running the latest version of iOS.
- Now, open either the iTunes app or Finder on your computer.
- In the next step, plug your iPhone or iPad into your computer.
- Now, you will need to boot your device into recovery mode. Here we have mentioned the steps for that:
- iPhone 6s and earlier
Press + hold the sleep or wake button along with the home button simultaneously. You’ll need to keep pressing both buttons until you can see your phone booting into recovery mode.
- iPhone 7 or iPhone 7 Plus
Press + hold the sleep or wake button as well as the volume down button simultaneously and keep holding both of them until you can see your phone booting into recovery mode.
- iPhone 8 or later
Press and then quickly release the volume up button. Now, press and quickly release the volume down button. Next, you will have to press + hold the side button until you can see the recovery mode appearing on your screen.
- At this moment, your device’s screen remains blank with a dialog box appearing in iTunes/Finder saying “detected an iPhone in recovery mode. You must restore this iPhone before it can be used with iTunes/Finder”.
- Once you get your iPhone in recovery mode, you will need to click the restore button in iTunes/Finder.
- Once you are done with the restoring process, you will be asked to enter your Apple ID and password. Now, the activation lock will be deactivated.
- When you press the restore button in iTunes or Finder, your computer will automatically start downloading and installing the most current non-beta version of iOS or iPadOS.
Note– When your iPhone or iPad goes out from the recovery mode screen, you might need to put it back. This issue can occur if the software download takes longer than 15 minutes. So, your device automatically goes out of recovery mode.
Downgrade iOS 16 to iOS 15: The second method
The previous way that we have mentioned above is to install a fresh operating system. In that case, there is a slight chance that your backup from iOS 16 will not work with the older software version you installed on your device, which is an iOS 15 non-beta version.
Now, we will discuss the next method where you can keep all your iOS 16 beta data safe. Follow the steps mentioned below to apply the method:-
- First, open the settings app on your iPhone or iPad.
- Now, tap on the general button, followed by scrolling down and tapping on the VPN and device management option.
- Here, under the configuration profile option, you will need to tap on the iOS 16 beta software profile.
- Now, tap on the remove profile button.
So, with this method, you will not install a fresh version of the previous non-beta iOS. You will simply remove the beta profile to keep all your data safe. It is an easier method that you can choose if you are dealing with app incompatibility or any other issue while using iOS 16.
Ending words
So, here we have mentioned both the methods that you can go for depending your preferences. Both methods have their own pros and cons and you will need to choose one of them according to your requirements.
Experiencing difficulties with your Device, check out our “How To” page on how to resolve some of these issues.
