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Ipad Mini 4 running iOS15? Possible to roll back?

P

Peter Franks

macrumors 68020
Original poster
Jun 9, 2011
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It's changed and ruined so much I don't know where to start. Is it possible to roll back easily?
I see you can go back to 14 if you install 'beta' 15, but it's just the standard so called upgrade from Apple last night. Is it possible. I've read you have to be on latest Mac OS to do this, but I only have up to Sierra. I have latest back up of the iPad in iTunes before this upgrade. Can I do anything to get rid of 15?
 
Yes you can!

You need a mac / laptop

1.) Enter your iPad in to DFU mode (you may need to Google how to do this)
2.) Go to www.ipsw.me and download 14.8 IPSW file (MAKE SURE YOU SELECT THE CORRECT MODEL OF iPad)
3.) Connect your device to your mac / windows computer (Your computer should say its found an iPad in recovery mode, if you have entered DFU mode correctly)
4.) Select restore (if your on a mac hold down “alt” key and click restore) (if your on a windows pc i think you you need to hold down “shift” and click restore)
5.) select the IPSW file you downloaded above should be in your downloads folder
6.) Let your mac or PC do the rest.

Once its restored, select your backup and you should be good to go!

Also just in case your are wondering the website links all files back to the apple servers so you are downloading from APPLE and they are the official files.
 
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You're a star, thank you. I will fire up the laptop and charge it, and give this a go
 
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Also here is how to enter DFU mode

Entering and using DFU mode with iPad requires a computer with iTunes, a USB cable, and any iPad with a HOME button. Here’s what you’ll need to do:

  1. Plug the iPad into your computer (Mac or PC)
  2. Launch iTunes on the computer
  3. Hold down the Power button and the Home button at the same time
  4. Keep holding both of these buttons for 10 seconds
  5. After 10 seconds pass, release the Power button but continue to hold the Home button for another 3-5 seconds
  6. iTunes will notify you that it has detected a device in recovery mode.
I would recommend using the original lightning cable, is i have had problems using cheap cables before!
 
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Also, who thought putting an inch either side of the homescreen of unused space would be a good idea, and making the icons squeezed together would be a good look? It was fine before! The icons were evenly spaced and much easier view. This makes no sense whatsoever
 
Here is a link to the set of instructions I used to downgrade my iPad Air 2020 to 14.8.

If you have a backup of the iPad that was prior to iPadOS 15 being installed, then you can use that to re-populate your iPad after the downgrade. Don't try to use a backup that already had 15 though as it will just re-install that garbage OS again. I didn't have a backup from 14.x for my iPad Air 2020, but I had my iPad mini 5 that was still running 14.6, so I was able to use its backup to populate the iPad Air 2020 after I downgraded. Just be sure you sign in to both devices with the same Apple ID. You an downgrade without using a backup, but you will have a totally wiped (clean) install meaning you will have to set it up like a new device and reinstall all the apps and the data will be gone, so use a backup if you have one from 14.x.

When you connect your iPad to your Mac and start iTunes you might be prompted to install an update, so click yes, then your Mac will recognize your iPad and continue. This update install only takes a few seconds.

The downgrade took less than 30 minutes. Afterwards it took a while for all the apps and data to repopulate the iPad. I had to sign in to a lot of services and apps after downgrading too because when I first opened them they recognized the device as being a new one, or at least different. So that took a while to accomplish.
 
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w5jck said:
Here is a link to the set of instructions I used to downgrade my iPad Air 2020 to 14.8.

If you have a backup of the iPad that was prior to iPadOS 15 being installed, then you can use that to re-populate your iPad after the downgrade. Don't try to use a backup that already had 15 though as it will just re-install that garbage OS again. I didn't have a backup from 14.x for my iPad Air 2020, but I had my iPad mini 5 that was still running 14.6, so I was able to use its backup to populate the iPad Air 2020 after I downgraded. Just be sure you sign in to both devices with the same Apple ID. You an downgrade without using a backup, but you will have a totally wiped (clean) install meaning you will have to set it up like a new device and reinstall all the apps and the data will be gone, so use a backup if you have one from 14.x.

When you connect your iPad to your Mac and start iTunes you might be prompted to install an update, so click yes, then your Mac will recognize your iPad and continue. This update install only takes a few seconds.

The downgrade took less than 30 minutes. Afterwards it took a while for all the apps and data to repopulate the iPad. I had to sign in to a lot of services and apps after downgrading too because when I first opened them they recognized the device as being a new one, or at least different. So that took a while to accomplish.
Click to expand...

Thanks for this. I just don't get why they'd do what they've done. There is a load of space either side of home screens, and for what? It's not like it lines up with the dock. I assume it's the same on yours? Mine is the iPad Mini 4 so I'm not sure how different that will be to the more recent iPads. And like I said, all the downgrade instructions I found prior to these were you have to have the latest iTunes and OS, and only beta... etc ect. and my MBP is only up to Sierra. There's always been things wrong with updates and some things that just aren't great, but this is by far the worst I've known and the only one that I've really wanted to roll back because you know a lot of this stuff won't get changed on an update.
 
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