Evening all, first thread here, so please remove if this is the wrong place to post this / already been discussed.
I've seen a few posts around here asking how to revert to the previous iOS, so i thought I would make a quick guide that users can reference.
If you did not have a backup of your device before you updated, you will have to accept that you could lose all data. If you don't have a pre-existing backup (on iCloud or Mac/PC), all locally stored data will be lost. Please ensure you understand this before essentially nuking your device. You can back up to iCloud from ios 26 to minimise data loss, but this depends on your storage options in the cloud.
First, locate the file you need for your device, then download (it should be a .ipsw file), make a note of where this is, but it's usually your downloads folder.
You can obtain these directly from Apple (https://developer.apple.com/download/os/), or you can find them online. They will need to be signed or they may not work with iTunes. If you do not have a developer account, you can create one here (developer.apple.com/account), just sign in and agree to the terms and conditions, you'll then be able to hit the link above and move on.
Now that's done (friendly reminder to double check you have at least a recent backup in iCloud if you are able) plug your phone into your Mac/PC and open Finder (or iTunes if you are on Windows/Linux). From here, select your device, and option (alt) click on 'check for update' / 'update'. This will bring up a file selector and choose the .ipsw we grabbed earlier, then click open.
This will bring up a box that will say something similar to 'Your Mac will erase & restore your //device// to iOS//version// and verify the restore with apple'. If you are certain this is what you want to do and are sure you have a backup if you don't want to lose data, hit restore and let Finder / iTunes run through the process.
Once done, open the device and run through setup like normal.
Please drop a message here if any issues or questions, and i'll do my best to help!
I've seen a few posts around here asking how to revert to the previous iOS, so i thought I would make a quick guide that users can reference.
If you did not have a backup of your device before you updated, you will have to accept that you could lose all data. If you don't have a pre-existing backup (on iCloud or Mac/PC), all locally stored data will be lost. Please ensure you understand this before essentially nuking your device. You can back up to iCloud from ios 26 to minimise data loss, but this depends on your storage options in the cloud.
First, locate the file you need for your device, then download (it should be a .ipsw file), make a note of where this is, but it's usually your downloads folder.
You can obtain these directly from Apple (https://developer.apple.com/download/os/), or you can find them online. They will need to be signed or they may not work with iTunes. If you do not have a developer account, you can create one here (developer.apple.com/account), just sign in and agree to the terms and conditions, you'll then be able to hit the link above and move on.
Now that's done (friendly reminder to double check you have at least a recent backup in iCloud if you are able) plug your phone into your Mac/PC and open Finder (or iTunes if you are on Windows/Linux). From here, select your device, and option (alt) click on 'check for update' / 'update'. This will bring up a file selector and choose the .ipsw we grabbed earlier, then click open.
This will bring up a box that will say something similar to 'Your Mac will erase & restore your //device// to iOS//version// and verify the restore with apple'. If you are certain this is what you want to do and are sure you have a backup if you don't want to lose data, hit restore and let Finder / iTunes run through the process.
Once done, open the device and run through setup like normal.
Please drop a message here if any issues or questions, and i'll do my best to help!
