I’ve had an iPhone 3/6+ and since 2022 a 13maxpro - I run Windows and have Outlook. I use the built-in calendar on my iPhone. I have been syncing fine since my 3. I am running 18.6 and iTunes 12.13.7 - it appears that syncing stopped working with the update to 18. iTunes sees my phone and it seems to go through the process but nothing gets updated! I’ve looked at some online support and nothing makes sense.
Is it possible to roll back to iOS 17?
JimA
2 Likes
A quick google says it is possible. But you need a computer, and there is a specific series of steps to do it.
I have no iPhone or Mac, so I know nothing more than that. There’s probably a YouTube video about it. Just ask your question in Google.
Via Google:
Yes, it is possible to downgrade from iOS 18 (or later) back to iOS 17, but it requires a specific process and is not as simple as a typical software update.Apple doesn’t officially support downgrading through the standard restore process once a device has updated to a newer major iOS version. However, you can downgrade by using the last signed beta version of iOS 17 as an IPSW file and then updating to the latest iOS 17 release through OTA.
Here’s a more detailed explanation:
- Why downgrading isn’t straightforward:
- Apple typically only releases IPSW files (the firmware files for iOS) for the current and previous versions of iOS.
- Once a device has updated to a newer major iOS version (like iOS 18), Apple typically stops signing the older IPSW files for that device.
- This means you can’t directly restore your device to an older iOS version using a standard iTunes or Finder restore.
- The workaround (downgrading to iOS 17 from iOS 18):
- Find the last signed beta of iOS 17: You’ll need to locate the last signed beta version of iOS 17 (e.g., iOS 17.6 Beta 3). IPSW.DEV is one source for these files.
- Download the IPSW file: Download the correct IPSW file for your specific iPhone model.
- Prepare your device:
- Back up your device to a computer or iCloud.
- Turn off Find My iPhone.
- Connect your iPhone to your computer (Mac or Windows PC).
- Enter Recovery Mode: Put your iPhone into recovery mode.
- Restore using iTunes/Finder:
- On a Mac, open Finder. On a Windows PC, open iTunes.
- Hold down the Option (Mac) or Shift (Windows) key and click the “Restore iPhone” button.
- Select the downloaded iOS 17 IPSW file.
- Follow the on-screen instructions to restore your device.
- Update to the latest iOS 17 release (OTA): Once you’ve restored to the beta version of iOS 17, you can then use the standard over-the-air update mechanism to update to the latest stable release of iOS 17 (e.g., iOS 17.7).
- Important Notes:
- This process will erase all data on your iPhone, so make sure you have a backup.
- The downloaded IPSW file must be the correct one for your specific iPhone model.
- Apple may stop signing older iOS versions at any time, so this method might not always be available.
Well, thanks for that information. Does not look like something I want to bother with and has ‘disaster’ written in Bold Comic Sans!
Maybe I’ll send a strongly worded email to Apple Support expressing my disappointment.
JimA
Yes, it looks a lot more complicated than I expected, and going from a PC left me a blank as I’m all Mac here… Also, no more iTunes in Mac Sequoia, replaced by Music App, and Syncing is just another folder when the iPhone is selected.. So different game..
