How To

How To: Downgrade from iOS 10 to iOS 9.3.2

So, you didn’t listen to all of the warnings about how iOS 10 is a new beta, and how it should only be installed on a device that is used only for development, and… Blah, Blah, Blah! You were able to get your hot little hands on the beta – be it by hook, or by crook – and now it’s just not working out for you, is it? Don’t fret, oh impulsive one, there is still hope…

If you did install the beta of iOS 10 and now you regret it, don’t worry, with just a few steps, you can get your iPhone or iPad back to its old iOS 9.3.2 self again. Um, you DID make a backup of your device before you “upgraded” to iOS 10, didn’t you? Be advised, anything you’ve stored on your device under iOS 10 cannot be restored to the device once it is running iOS 9.3.2. That’s why you need a backup from before you made the jump to 10.

Pro Tip: Just to make sure everything goes smoothly, read through the instructions a few times, just so you’re comfortable with the process.

How To Get Back to iOS 9.3.2 on Your iOS Device:

  1. Make sure that you have the latest version of iTunes installed on your Mac or Windows PC.
  2. Download the iOS 9.3.2 IPSW file Apple for your specific iPhone, iPad or iPod touch model. There is a list of links at the bottom of this page, where you’ll find the correct version for your device.
  3. Turn off the Find My iPhone feature on your device. Navigate to Settings > iCloud > Find My iPhone, and make the toggle to move it to the “Off” position. (If the toggle switch isn’t green, it’s turned off.)
  4. Connect the iOS device to your Mac or PC via a Lightning USB sync cable.
  5. Launch iTunes on your Mac or PC.
  6. The device will now need to be put into DFU mode. (This might take a couple of tries, so don’t get frustrated.) Hold down the Power button and the Home/Touch ID button simultaneously for 10 seconds. Now, release the Power button but continue holding the Home/Touch ID button until the device enters DFU mode. You’ll see an alert in iTunes that it has discovered a device in Recovery Mode.
  7. In the iTunes app , within the options for the connected device, hold down the Option key on Macs, or the Shift key on Windows machines, and then click the “Restore iPhone…” button.
  8. When prompted, locate and select the iOS 9.3.2 firmware file that you downloaded in step 2. (You remember where you saved, right?) iTunes will then verify the file, and install a brand-new version of iOS 9.3.2 to the device.
  9. IMPORTANT: Do not unplug the device from the computer until iTunes has successfully confirmed the restore, and the device has rebooted into the welcome screen.

Now that the device is again running iOS 9.3.2, you can restore your backup to it, and all will be well. Remember, any backups you made while running iOS 10 will not restore back to the device now that it is once again running iOS 9.3.2. Let’s hope you have an iOS 9.3.2 backup somewhere. If not, at least you can get your contacts and such back on your device via iCloud, right?

Don’t let your abortive attempt to run the first iOS 10 beta on your device discourage you from installing the final version of 10 when it’s released in the fall. Most of the bugs will be worked out by then, and things will run a lot smoother..

iOS 9.3.2 IPSW Files

(Thanks to OS X Daily for the list of iOS 9.3.2 IPSW Files)
Chris Hauk

Chris is a Senior Editor at Mactrast. He lives somewhere in the deep Southern part of America, and yes, he has to pump in both sunshine and the Internet.

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9 years ago