Can I downgrade from iPadOS 26?

[Silly John Fatty]

If possible, I must downgrade from iPadOS 26 asap. The disutility of iPadOS 26 is too high for me. Is it possible? My iPad is set to auto-update, so I don’t even know what was installed before.

I think it may have updated up to 24 hours ago.

 

[FreakinEurekan]

no.

 

[JSDK]

If possible, I must downgrade from iPadOS 26 asap. The disutility of iPadOS 26 is too high for me. Is it possible? My iPad is set to auto-update, so I don’t even know what was installed before.

I think it may have updated up to 24 hours ago.

Apple has long since stopped signing pre-iOS 26 versions on devices that support iOS and iPadOS 26.

So no, it's not possible to downgrade. Instead, try to get to know the new version. Apart from the icons and the "glassified" interface, most things are the same, and with future updates, small errors, glitches and annoyances will be fixed.

 

[Silly John Fatty]

Apple has long since stopped signing pre-iOS 26 versions on devices that support iOS and iPadOS 26.

So no, it's not possible to downgrade. Instead, try to get to know the new version. Apart from the icons and the "glassified" interface, most things are the same, and with future updates, small errors, glitches and annoyances will be fixed.

That’s so frustrating… I’ve been thinking of accepting it and getting used to it, but so many things make no sense to me or become more complicated.

This started before iPadOS 26. It’s already the case with iOS/iPadOS 18 in some cases. I like when you had to go to the settings for an app for example, let’s say Safari. You used to go to Settings, and then to Safari. Now you have one more step: Settings > Apps > Safari. They have added one more step… 😭

Why would they do that? It’s irrational by category. It’s inferior by category. It has increased disutility and reduced efficiency.

With iPadOS 26 and probably also iOS 26 (which I haven’t upgraded) these kind of irrationalities take over the entire device.

Add to that small changes of icon locations that make no sense to me. Copying and deleting a screenshot was in the top left corner. Now it’s in the top right corner. Why? 😂 Using a device like this is a very motoric thing. It’s a lot about muscle memory. Why would you change that deliberately? You are increasing disutility again and reducing efficiency.

But I think I know why they are doing that. They’re doing it because marketing 101 tells you to keep customers engaged - no matter at what cost, even if it annoys them. That’s a standard marketing textbook theory. Now we can all be engaged learning new useless stuff. We can have emotions about disliking our devices and feeling like they were ruined. Later they will do some updates and we can feel great again. And they will say something is 3x times as fast before and who knows what. Yeah, well, you made 6x slower first. 😂

They want the device to be the central thing in your life. They don’t want you to use their devices to call your grandma and do your work. They want you to work and have a grandma to be able to use their product. A good device disappears in the background. It’s seamlessly integrated into your daily life. That would suck for them and would contradict the major marketing theories, because they want you to engage more with your device. You must be occupied with it non-stop. You know it all and use your device seamlessly? That’s an issue, something new that makes no sense must be introduced so you are kept engaged and invested.

What they don’t understand is their device is just a tool for me. I don’t want to use their device, I want to get my work done, I want to call my family, I want to look up something. I’m using the device to look up something, not looking up something to spend happy time with my iPad.

They introduce a billion new features that are completely useless so you can spend hours configuring your device and making it comfy and who knows what instead of doing the things you really want in life. Do people want to spend their limited time on earth living it to its fullest, experiencing amazing things, achieving meaningful stuff, solving critical problems, experiencing mind-moving emotions? Of course not, people prefer to spend their limited time on earth moving around virtual little icons and making them one colour or the other and customising them with other little icons and colours.

Why would you want to go diving or skiing when you could simply spend your time re-learning your iPad and where all the buttons are now? That’s much greater! And when you’re done, we’ll simply mix everything up again so you can start from scratch! 🙂

With people like Trump, Musk, Thiel on one side, and the Chinese with TikTok and who knows what other garbage on the other, I’m convince Apple has entered the trash contest of the planet. The people now working at Apple had TikTok as their parent and the soul purpose in life is just to have a lot of, well, of anything, and the main thing is that there is a LOT of it, anywhere and everywhere. Just flood everything with all kinds of flashy garbage.

Oh and Liquid Glass is amazing, the graphics animations are even in real time! So it uses CPU power for nothing basically. A little bit like a Dodge RAM. It consumes more than anything else, but it’s also slower than everything else 🙂 Yeah, Apple has definitely joined this club now. They’re no rationalists anymore. Sadly I can’t turn this off either, so I have to look at the ugly design. *sigh*

 

[Mike Boreham]

These do not sound big enough reasons to me to downgrade even if you could. No actual loss of functionality or capability. In other ways it adds capability.

I actually like the change to have app settings all in the same place, unlike iOS18.

I do agree that sometimes Apple seems to make changes for no good reason.

 

[Silly John Fatty]

These do not sound big enough reasons to me to downgrade even if you could. No actual loss of functionality or capability. In other ways it adds capability.

I actually like the change to have app settings all in the same place, unlike iOS18.

I do agree that sometimes Apple seems to make changes for no good reason.

When you have more steps, efficiency and utility is reduced. And cost is increased obviously. It’s time and energy.

There’s no good reason for me to have have app settings in “Apps” now. It’s one more step to app settings now. They were all in the same place before, separated by a space in the global settings. So it’s more work now and has less utility.

In my experience people who want to use these devices as gadgets don’t get any work done. I see it at work or when I hire someone. If you want to perform, you want a good setting that’s rational and then you want to go grind on your work and not be a princess fiddling with some irrelevant settings trying to find some irrational comfort. That’s just procrastination, these people are poor and get nothing done and prefer to play with their devices as if they’re toys.

 

[I7guy]

At some point it is what is. Learn it and get that muscle memory going. I think there are some good reasons for the changes but they are irrelevant to one has to move on.

To me these posts are the procrastination you speak of when one could be learning the nuances. Even Microsoft does the same thing on windows.

 

[Silly John Fatty]

At some point it is what is. Learn it and get that muscle memory going. I think there are some good reasons for the changes but they are irrelevant to one has to move on.

To me these posts are the procrastination you speak of when one could be learning the nuances. Even Microsoft does the same thing on windows.

They are not procrastination. It’s me fuming because of efficiency losses. I’m f*cking mad right now. Just noticed another one: I do a lot of screenshots. Either I’d save the screenshot to my camera roll, or I’d copy and delete it. Saving it to the camera roll would have been pressing the side button + volume button, then the screenshot would appear in the bottom left corner of my screen, and swiping it away would save it to the camera roll. Guess what it is now? You now additionally have to click the ✔️ symbol. Then you have to click "save in photos". Come on, this is TWO MORE STEPS!

WHY?? 😭 How could they be such morons at Apple. Is there any logical reasoning behind this? None of it has any rational foundation.

At least for this thing there was a setting to revert it the way it was. Why would the update modify my settings 😭 Why would an update even make a default setting that’s less efficient and has a higher cost without increasing utility in any way.

Yes, it’s energy I’m spending here. My hope is that people protest, Apple reads this, and reacts. The problem is Americans. It depends on them, they’re the biggest market share and they’d have to protest too. But they don’t. The Americans these days don’t know what democracy is and how to integrate into it. They just accept things, they’re conformist couch potatoes. We need to get Americans protesting about iPadOS 26 and iOS 26.

 

[FreakinEurekan]

You can whinge, you can accept, or you can vote with your wallet.

 

[Lounge vibes 05]

I like when you had to go to the settings for an app for example, let’s say Safari. You used to go to Settings, and then to Safari. Now you have one more step: Settings > Apps > Safari. They have added one more step… 😭

They have actually simplified this a good deal in 26.
Open Safari.
Pull down menu bar.
Tap Safari in the menu bar.
And then there’s a shortcut directly to the Safari settings right there.

 

[I7guy]

They are not procrastination. It’s me fuming because of efficiency losses. I’m f*cking mad right now. Just noticed another one: I do a lot of screenshots. Either I’d save the screenshot to my camera roll, or I’d copy and delete it. Saving it to the camera roll would have been pressing the side button + volume button, then the screenshot would appear in the bottom left corner of my screen, and swiping it away would save it to the camera roll. Guess what it is now? You now additionally have to click the ✔️ symbol. Then you have to click "save in photos". Come on, this is TWO MORE STEPS!

WHY?? 😭 How could they be such morons at Apple. Is there any logical reasoning behind this? None of it has any rational foundation.

At least for this thing there was a setting to revert it the way it was. Why would the update modify my settings 😭 Why would an update even make a default setting that’s less efficient and has a higher cost without increasing utility in any way.

Yes, it’s energy I’m spending here. My hope is that people protest, Apple reads this, and reacts. The problem is Americans. It depends on them, they’re the biggest market share and they’d have to protest too. But they don’t. The Americans these days don’t know what democracy is and how to integrate into it. They just accept things, they’re conformist couch potatoes. We need to get Americans protesting about iPadOS 26 and iOS 26.

I do not understand what you are referring to. I took a screenshot and swiped left and the screenshot went into my photos. If I tab on the screenshot it opens and I get additional options.

 

[TechnoMonk]

I actually like IPad OS 26. It has come long way since initial beta. I run beta on my iad pro and the latest beta has been solid. I had to tinker few settings and it’s been to my liking.

 

[TechnoMonk]

They have actually simplified this a good deal in 26.
Open Safari.
Pull down menu bar.
Tap Safari in the menu bar.
And then there’s a shortcut directly to the Safari settings right there.

Yep. One of the things I missed was having tabs displayed directly. I had to tap on the dots and then get to it. Luckily there was a setting to change it. They added more options for sure.

 

[Silly John Fatty]

I do not understand what you are referring to. I took a screenshot and swiped left and the screenshot went into my photos. If I tab on the screenshot it opens and I get additional options.

That's how I had it set before. But with the update, it changed the setting to a new setting that's now available and that needs additional steps to do this. I reverted it back. It was a nightmare. You can change it in the settings for the screenshots. Why anyone would want that new feature with additional steps is incomprehensible for me. It's not like it compensates it with any other advantages.

They have actually simplified this a good deal in 26.
Open Safari.
Pull down menu bar.
Tap Safari in the menu bar.
And then there’s a shortcut directly to the Safari settings right there.

I have nothing against the menu bar (I'm all for more settings than less), but that's not simplified.

Settings > Apps > Safari = 3 steps
Safari > Drag menu bar down > Safari menu > Settings = 4 steps

What I was talking about was the general culture of Apple to make things more complicated and then later sell them as being simplified again. And I was giving the example of how they restructured the Settings app. Originally, when you went to Settings, you'd have at the left the major settings at the top, then you'd have a space and finally you'd have the settings for each app below that. What's changed is that instead of all these App settings being accessible directly by simply scrolling the list, you now have one additional step because these App settings are now in a sub-menu "Apps", meaning you're scrolling down to "Apps", clicking it, and now you have access to all App settings. That's one additional step. Why would Apple add this? No idea. But it's just one of dozens of examples of making things more complicated for no reason.

Another thing I don't understand when it comes to screenshots is why they've mirrored everything that was left and right. Especially with these things where it's about muscle memory it makes no sense in my opinion.

Previously: Make a screenshot and click in the top left corner to save to photos, or copy and delete for example.
Now: You instant delete in the same spot and saving to photos or copy and delete is now at the right… So you want to copy your screenshot but you'll accidentally close the window now. What's the purpose in moving it? Nobody knows 😂 In two years they'll move it again… for fun, because they can't innovate and don't have any ideas so they're just like little kids without occupation.

 

[I7guy]

That's how I had it set before. But with the update, it changed the setting to a new setting that's now available and that needs additional steps to do this. I reverted it back. It was a nightmare. You can change it in the settings for the screenshots. Why anyone would want that new feature with additional steps is incomprehensible for me. It's not like it compensates it with any other advantages.



I have nothing against the menu bar (I'm all for more settings than less), but that's not simplified.

Settings > Apps > Safari = 3 steps
Safari > Drag menu bar down > Safari menu > Settings = 4 steps

What I was talking about was the general culture of Apple to make things more complicated and then later sell them as being simplified again. And I was giving the example of how they restructured the Settings app. Originally, when you went to Settings, you'd have at the left the major settings at the top, then you'd have a space and finally you'd have the settings for each app below that. What's changed is that instead of all these App settings being accessible directly by simply scrolling the list, you now have one additional step because these App settings are now in a sub-menu "Apps", meaning you're scrolling down to "Apps", clicking it, and now you have access to all App settings. That's one additional step. Why would Apple add this? No idea. But it's just one of dozens of examples of making things more complicated for no reason.

Another thing I don't understand when it comes to screenshots is why they've mirrored everything that was left and right. Especially with these things where it's about muscle memory it makes no sense in my opinion.

Previously: Make a screenshot and click in the top left corner to save to photos, or copy and delete for example.
Now: You instant delete in the same spot and saving to photos or copy and delete is now at the right… So you want to copy your screenshot but you'll accidentally close the window now. What's the purpose in moving it? Nobody knows 😂 In two years they'll move it again… for fun, because they can't innovate and don't have any ideas so they're just like little kids without occupation.

Yeah I don’t see things being made more complicated on iOS or iPadOS. Unless you give Apple feedback they won’t address anything, especially since some of the changes provide more options, imo, and none of this was difficult to me to relearn.

You might be better off selling your iPad and buying one with iOS 18. You can stay in it for several years. iOS 26/ipados 26 is where Apple is headed.

 

[Lounge vibes 05]

I have nothing against the menu bar (I'm all for more settings than less), but that's not simplified.

I disagree, now you can access an app settings without even having to manually open the Settings app, because it’s always available in the menu bar.
No need to open Settings, no need to scroll at all, just when you’re in an app and you need to change your setting, pull down the menu bar in there you go.

 

[HouseLannister]

You could sell the updated iPad and buy a used one. Make sure it is somewhere you can return it in case it advertises 18 but someone already updated it. Then you can just wait it out and hope things get better. Or you can realize you don't like the direction Apple is going in and get a Galaxy Tab S11 instead and learn something new. Vote with your dollar!

 

[Silly John Fatty]

Yeah I don’t see things being made more complicated on iOS or iPadOS.

Yeah I think I've given enough examples in this thread as well as the "iOS 26 is a mess" thread that very clearly show that for many features more additional steps are needed than it was previously the case, and all of these examples are empirically replicable by anyone. So at this point you're just being biased for reasons that are beyond my comprehension. Apple is a company, you're not in a romantic relationship with it or anything like that.

I disagree, now you can access an app settings without even having to manually open the Settings app, because it’s always available in the menu bar.
No need to open Settings, no need to scroll at all, just when you’re in an app and you need to change your setting, pull down the menu bar in there you go.

… which is now one more step than it was before, but yeah. 😂

You could sell the updated iPad and buy a used one. Make sure it is somewhere you can return it in case it advertises 18 but someone already updated it. Then you can just wait it out and hope things get better. Or you can realize you don't like the direction Apple is going in and get a Galaxy Tab S11 instead and learn something new. Vote with your dollar!

I'm all for updates. I don't want to use old software with security issues.

 

[I7guy]

Yeah I think I've given enough examples in this thread as well as the "iOS 26 is a mess" thread that very clearly show that for many features more additional steps are needed than it was previously the case,

No you cited one example and didn’t acknowledge that sometimes the “more” steps result in more work being done due to consolidation. You’re opinions are anecdotal.

and all of these examples are empirically replicable by anyone.

That doesn’t mean the entirety of iOS 26 isn’t more efficient.

So at this point you're just being biased for reasons that are beyond my comprehension. Apple is a company, you're not in a romantic relationship with it or anything like that.

It’s clear your are biased in a way that is beyond my comprehension. iOS 26 is a step up from iOS 18.

… which is now one more step than it was before, but yeah. 😂



I'm all for updates. I don't want to use old software with security issues.

The settings app is much cleaner with that one change making using the settings app more efficient. Overall a net positive.

 

[FreakinEurekan]

You can whinge, you can accept, or you can vote with your wallet.

I see the OP has made their decision.

 

[I7guy]

I see the OP has made their decision.

At some level it feels like op is trolling the forums. How many times does the average person go into safari settings? I haven’t been in safari settings in months except to see how the hullabaloo unfolds.

 

[Silly John Fatty]

At some level it feels like op is trolling the forums. How many times does the average person go into safari settings? I haven’t been in safari settings in months except to see how the hullabaloo unfolds.

Except it's not about Safari settings but about any App settings. And yes, it cumulates. Math helps!

No you cited one example and didn’t acknowledge that sometimes the “more” steps result in more work being done due to consolidation. You’re opinions are anecdotal.

No, I cited more than that, among others:

- App settings need more steps
- Closing Safari single open tab needs one more step
- Screenshots need one more step
- Closing windows in window management need one more step

And some I posted in this thread.

And I'm not sure what you mean with "more steps resulting in more work being done due to consolidation". What kind of BS is that. 😂 My opinions aren't opinions, they're empirical facts, and they're not anecdotal, they're practical and empirical. There's no workaround around having more steps now. And it doesn't help "more work being done". It's micro time waste, that's all. There's no function behind. Sure, there could be. But there isn't. You don't gain anything from it. You don't gain any utility, productivity, time, or resource. It's a categorically irrational development of the Apple OS.

That doesn’t mean the entirety of iOS 26 isn’t more efficient.

Well, for my random sample, it seems like it is. Which is a recurring thing in the Apple universe by the way. They make things slower and worse, and then they come back with "now 3x faster than before!". I don't know how long you've been using Apple, but I've had my first Apple computer 30 years ago, and it isn't new to me. We're in this phase right now. It's always when they run out of innovation and try to win some time but still have to release something. Then they deliver some design-y BS like this. I know this company in and out. I once almost even worked for them - thankfully I decided not to in the end, they all have a broom in their donkeys.

It’s clear your are biased in a way that is beyond my comprehension. iOS 26 is a step up from iOS 18.

I'm not biased, I'm just not interested in these kinds of updates. I just want to use it as a tool, not for entertainment. I get it that some people get excited on software for the sake of the art that it is, but it's super annoying when it makes processes less efficient for others who just want to use it as a tool.

The settings app is much cleaner with that one change making using the settings app more efficient. Overall a net positive.

You must be a hardcore Apple fan 😂 Visuals don't add up to efficiency… it's not more efficient if you have to use more resources (time and energy) to get the same result while deriving some utility from more pleasant visuals. That's a problem of your very personal and individual mind. Your mind wants to have specific visuals that are correlated with lower efficiency. That's fine, but not everyone wants that. Not only you have to click once more, but you now also have to scroll once more, meaning your first scroll is now interrupted and divided into two scrolls, separated by a second click on the "Apps" menu.

I don't know what you're working or what your hobbies are, but it's neither business nor technology, because us who work in these fields have a very different definition of efficiency 😂 Which is the textbook definition of efficiency and that's usually something like pareto-efficiency or a similar framework, and the new changes simply don't pass the efficiency test.

 

[I7guy]

Except it's not about Safari settings but about any App settings. And yes, it cumulates. Math helps!



No, I cited more than that, among others:

- App settings need more steps
- Closing Safari single open tab needs one more step
- Screenshots need one more step
- Closing windows in window management need one more step

And some I posted in this thread.

And I'm not sure what you mean with "more steps resulting in more work being done due to consolidation". What kind of BS is that. 😂 My opinions aren't opinions, they're empirical facts, and they're not anecdotal, they're practical and empirical. There's no workaround around having more steps now. And it doesn't help "more work being done". It's micro time waste, that's all. There's no function behind. Sure, there could be. But there isn't. You don't gain anything from it. You don't gain any utility, productivity, time, or resource. It's a categorically irrational development of the Apple OS.



Well, for my random sample, it seems like it is. Which is a recurring thing in the Apple universe by the way. They make things slower and worse, and then they come back with "now 3x faster than before!". I don't know how long you've been using Apple, but I've had my first Apple computer 30 years ago, and it isn't new to me. We're in this phase right now. It's always when they run out of innovation and try to win some time but still have to release something. Then they deliver some design-y BS like this. I know this company in and out. I once almost even worked for them - thankfully I decided not to in the end, they all have a broom in their donkeys.



I'm not biased, I'm just not interested in these kinds of updates. I just want to use it as a tool, not for entertainment. I get it that some people get excited on software for the sake of the art that it is, but it's super annoying when it makes processes less efficient for others who just want to use it as a tool.



You must be a hardcore Apple fan 😂 Visuals don't add up to efficiency… it's not more efficient if you have to use more resources (time and energy) to get the same result while deriving some utility from more pleasant visuals. That's a problem of your very personal and individual mind. Your mind wants to have specific visuals that are correlated with lower efficiency. That's fine, but not everyone wants that. Not only you have to click once more, but you now also have to scroll once more, meaning your first scroll is now interrupted and divided into two scrolls, separated by a second click on the "Apps" menu.

I don't know what you're working or what your hobbies are, but it's neither business nor technology, because us who work in these fields have a very different definition of efficiency 😂 Which is the textbook definition of efficiency and that's usually something like pareto-efficiency or a similar framework, and the new changes simply don't pass the efficiency test.

Most of what you claim as inefficiencies has been debunked by other posters. And ad-homs don’t really help your case either.

 

[Silly John Fatty]

Most of what you claim as inefficiencies has been debunked by other posters. And ad-homs don’t really help your case either.

It's just math. Plus, or minus. Plus is more, minus is less. Right now, it's a lot of plus. No big magic or myths around it. Just more steps all in all. In many different places, at many different tasks. Very easy to verify. And reported by thousands of users who complain about this new OS. It's the new least popular OS since iOS 7. It's a new record. People hate it. That's all there is to know. If people don't like it, all is said. There's no other purpose than people using it. Most people don't like it. So it failed its job. You can read it all over the web. TikTok, Youtube, MacRumors… people simply hate it.

 

[I7guy]

It's just math. Plus, or minus. Plus is more, minus is less. Right now, it's a lot of plus. No big magic or myths around it. Just more steps all in all. In many different places, at many different tasks. Very easy to verify. And reported by thousands of users who complain about this new OS. It's the new least popular OS since iOS 7. It's a new record. People hate it. That's all there is to know. If people don't like it, all is said. There's no other purpose than people using it. Most people don't like it. So it failed its job. You can read it all over the web. TikTok, Youtube, MacRumors… people simply hate it.

It’s not math. It’s the entirety of the operating system, which is a net positive. Many steps are less as has been shown by other posters who debunked your analysis.

Many people also like iOS 26. You have no specific citations to bolster your claims. MR is a bit of an echo chamber at times.

At this point is which ice cream is better vanilla or chocolate.