How to Downgrade iOS 18 Beta to iOS 17 [Without Data Loss]

Apple has finally released the iOS 18 Public beta, almost a month after announcing iOS 18 at the WWDC24 keynote. iOS 18 is the next major update for the iPhone. It is now available in developer beta as well as public beta. iOS 18 comes with many new features that could attract anyone to try the beta build as soon as possible. Not many tech enthusiasts can resist upgrading to iOS 18.

If you have already installed iOS 18 for testing and have finished the testing, or you are facing issues with the build and are trying to switch back to iOS 17, you can easily do that. It’s also possible to return to iOS 17 without data loss by restoring a backup you took before upgrading to beta.

The iOS 18 developer beta is meant for developers to test their apps, while public beta is more stable, but still can have bugs. These beta updates usually contain some bugs and sometimes even major bugs. Although I haven’t found any major issues, I found it to be sluggish sometimes, but not frequently. Also, I haven’t explored everything after the update, so I can’t comment more on stability.

Two Methods to Downgrade iOS 18 Beta to iOS 17

If you are here, then either you want to know if you can downgrade after installing the iOS 18 beta, or you have already completed testing and found the update unusable for daily tasks. No matter the reason, you can easily downgrade your iPhone from iOS 18 Beta. The downgrade process requires a PC, so make sure you have one available at the time of the downgrade. As this is a one time process, you can borrow one from someone if you don’t have one.

If you have an iPad running iPadOS 18, you can follow a similar process, you only need to make sure to use the correct files.

You Need a Backup from before Upgrading to iOS 18

You cannot recover a backup of iOS 18 beta on iOS 17. So, you will need a iOS 17 backup from the time before upgrading to iOS 18 beta. If you have followed instructions to install iOS 18 beta, you may have also been instructed to take a backup.

Both cloud and local backup will work. Also copy the new data manually, created after upgrading to iOS 18, because it will not be restored with iOS 17 backup.

Download IPSW File

To rollback your iPhone, you will need an IPSW which is a firmware file for iPhone and iPad. Not all IPSW files will work, you need to get the signed IPSW. The current signed version is iOS 17.5.1, but it could be different at the time of your downgrade.

Note: You can skip this if you are following the first Method.

Before you download the file, you need to know that the IPSW files vary by model as well as iOS version.

IPSW.me is a trusted website from where I download IPSW. You can also use another trusted website as well. Choose your model, and then download the latest signed version which will be indicated in Green.

After downloading the correct IPSW, save it on your PC. Remember its location as you will need it later.

Restore iOS 17 from Restore Mode – Method 1

1. Make sure you have iTunes (for Windows PC) or Finder (for Mac) open.
2. Turn off your iPhone and connect it your computer using lightning or USB C cable.
3. Now press and hold the Power button until you see the Restore screen (with laptop and cable visual).
4. On iTunes or Finder you will see iPhone Recovery page when you select your iPhone. Click on the Restore button.
5. Select Restore and Update in the confirmation page. Then click Next > Agree.
6. It will start downgrading your iPhone from iOS 18 to iOS 17. You can see the status on your iPhone as well as PC.
7. Wait until the process complete. Your iPhone will auto reboot when the downgrade is complete.

When your phone boot up, jump to the Restore Data method that you can find below. In case if it doesn’t work and show some error, you can follow the second method.

Restore iOS 17 on your iPhone Manually – Method 2

1. First, turn off Find My iPhone from settings, which also require disabling Stolen Device Protection. You can enable it after the downgrade.
   
2. Open Finder on Mac, or iTunes on Windows.
3. Now connect your iPhone to your PC using the original or high-quality cable. And select your iPhone in Finder/iTunes. Make sure your iPhone is unlocked.
   
4. If you have taken backup through these apps, you may have already Trusted your computer. If not, you will receive a pop-up to Trust the PC. Tap the Trust button.
5. Mac – Press and hold the Options button on your Mac, and while holding the button, click on the Restore iPhone button.
6. Windows – Press and hold the Shift button, and while holding the button, click on Restore iPhone button.
   
7. Now browse and select the IPSW file you downloaded earlier. And then confirm the Restore.
8. Wait until the Restore process is finished, and your iPhone will Restart automatically.

Don’t do the iPhone setup yet.

Restore Your Backup

This is the time to get back your data. Start the setup of your iPhone. When you see the “Transfer Your Apps & Data” page in the setup process, choose the option based on your backup.

For example, if you took the backup on iCloud, choose ‘From iCloud Backup.’ Or if you took backup on your PC, then choose ‘From Mac or PC.’

If you choose iCloud, sign in with your account. It will show backup you took earlier. Choose the backup that you took before upgrading to iOS 18 beta. And just wait for the restore process.

You can also restore your local backups from Finder and iTunes. Open the app and then connect your iPhone. If you have a specific file to restore, tap the Restore Backup button in the Backup tab while holding the Option button (Mac) or Shift button (Windows). Then you can choose your file to restore.

So this is how to roll back your iPhone from iOS 18 to iOS 17. It’s always good to backup your iPhone before installing any major upgrade especially the beta update.

Also Check:

• How to Install iOS 18 Beta 1 on iPhone
• How to Restore Deleted Apps on iPhone and iPad [Guide]
• How to Enter and Exit iPhone Recovery Mode
• How to Factory Reset Apple iPhone 14 [All Models]
• How to Get iPhone’s Dynamic Island on Your Android Smartphone

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