Did you upgrade your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch to iOS 15/iPadOS 15 and realize that the new features are not for you? Maybe you don’t like how it affected your old iPhone or iPad’s battery life or performance? Follow our guide on how to downgrade iOS 15 to iOS 14.8 on your device using Finder on Mac or iTunes on Windows.
Note that Apple will continue to support iOS 14 with security updates, so users who chose not to upgrade can still stay secure.
Downgrade iOS 15 to iOS 14.8
Requirements
Here are some important requirements before you start:
- Back up your iOS 15 device using iCloud or Mac (Finder) / Windows (iTunes). The downgrade is a safe process, but it is better to be safe than sorry and have a backup of your data in case something goes wrong.
- Make sure that macOS is upgraded to the latest version i.e. it supports iOS 14.8 (currently macOS Big Sur 11.5.2). If you are using iTunes on Windows, make sure that it is updated to the latest version.
- On your iPhone or iPad, open Settings > Apple ID > Find My and disable Find My iPhone.
- Make sure that that your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch is fully charged so that you do not run out of battery during the process.
Steps
- Download the correct iOS 14.8 IPSW firmware file for your iPhone or iPad. Currently, the latest stable release is iOS 15 and iOS 14.8 is the only older version that is being signed by Apple. You can download iOS 14.8 or iPadOS 14.8 from the links at the end of this guide.
- Once you download the firmware file, connect your iPhone or iPad to your computer using a cable. Launch Finder (Mac), or iTunes (Windows). When your device appears in the sidebar, click it. If you see a ‘trust’ button, click it and enter the passcode on your connected device.
- Put your iOS device into DFU mode. If your device has Face ID, use this guide. For other devices, you can follow this guide.
- You should now see a ‘Restore iPhone’ button. While holding the shift key (on Windows) or option key (on Mac), click this button and browse to the firmware file that you downloaded from step 1. If it says that you have to turn off Find my iPhone, go to Settings > iCloud > Find my iPhone on your device and disable it.
- Finder or iTunes will ask you if you want to backup your device before restoring it. If you followed the requirements properly, you can skip this. Note that you cannot restore an iOS 15 backup to your iOS 14.8 device, but it is always helpful to have a backup of your data in case something goes wrong. In the next message, click the restore button.
- The restoration process will take some time so step away from your desk for some coffee and play your favorite Apple Music playlist. Once the restore process is complete, you will see the “Hello” screen and now you can set up your device. If you have an older iOS 14.8 backup, you can restore it to your device, or you can set up your device as new.
Once you set up your device and download and install all your apps, make sure to go to Settings > General > Software Update and disable Automatic Updates so you do not have to go through the downgrade process again.
Download iOS 14.8 IPSW firmware files
iOS 14.8 IPSW files
- iPhone 12 Pro Max
- iPhone 12 Pro
- iPhone 12
- iPhone 12 mini
- iPhone 11 Pro Max, iPhone 11 Pro, iPhone XS Max, iPhone XS
- iPhone 11, iPhone XR
- iPhone X
- iPhone 8, iPhone 7
- iPhone 8 Plus, iPhone 7 Plus
- iPhone SE (2nd generation)
- iPhone SE
- iPhone 6s
- iPhone 6s Plus
- iPod touch (7th generation)
iPadOS 14.8 IPSW files
- 11-in. iPad Pro (3rd generation), 12.9-in. iPad Pro (5th generation)
- 11-in. iPad Pro (2nd generation), 12.9-in. iPad Pro (4th generation)
- 11-in. iPad Pro (1st generation), 12.9-in. iPad Pro (3rd generation)
- 10.5-in. iPad Pro (1st generation), 12.9-in. iPad Pro (2nd generation)
- iPad (5th generation), iPad (6th generation)
- iPad mini (5th generation), iPad Air (3rd generation)
- 10.2-in. iPad (7th and 8th generations)
- iPad mini 4, iPad Air 2
- 9.7-in. iPad Pro (1st generation)
- 12.9-in. iPad Pro (1st generation)
Read more:
- PSA: there is no iOS 15 jailbreak available yet, stay on iOS 14 if it’s important to you
- How to upgrade an iPhone or iPad to iOS 15/iPadOS 15
- Here are iOS 15 features that are not available on iPhone X and older models
- iOS 15 features that have been delayed: SharePlay, App Privacy Report, Wallet IDs and more
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