Restore iOS 10 Backup to New Phone Without Upgrading to iOS 11

[MacDann]

I recently changed over from an iPhone 6 to an iPhone SE.

The iPhone 6 was running iOS 10.x, and I did not allow it to upgrade to iOS 11 as I don't like it.

The iPhone 6 gets backed up regularly to my Mac Pro using iTunes.

When I got my new iPhone SE, I did a complete wipe/reset of the phone and restored it from the iPhone 6 backup. However, as a part of the restore process, it appears that iTunes or the process itself is automatically updating the phone to iOS 11.

I've read a number of descriptions on how to prevent the restore from installing the upgraded operating system, but nothing I have done seems to be able to prevent it.

How can I restore my iPhone 6 backup to my SE and keep iOS 10?

MacDann

 

[C DM]

I recently changed over from an iPhone 6 to an iPhone SE.

The iPhone 6 was running iOS 10.x, and I did not allow it to upgrade to iOS 11 as I don't like it.

The iPhone 6 gets backed up regularly to my Mac Pro using iTunes.

When I got my new iPhone SE, I did a complete wipe/reset of the phone and restored it from the iPhone 6 backup. However, as a part of the restore process, it appears that iTunes or the process itself is automatically updating the phone to iOS 11.

I've read a number of descriptions on how to prevent the restore from installing the upgraded operating system, but nothing I have done seems to be able to prevent it.

How can I restore my iPhone 6 backup to my SE and keep iOS 10?

MacDann

Backups and iOS installations are not really related. If you have iOS 11 on your SE then there's really no way to go back to an earlier version at this point, with or without a backup.

 

[MacDann]

Backups and iOS installations are not really related. If you have iOS 11 on your SE then there's really no way to go back to an earlier version at this point, with or without a backup.

I should be able to restore a completely wiped phone with a previous backup of an older OS. I know you could do this in the past.

MacDann

 

[C DM]

I should be able to restore a completely wiped phone with a previous backup of an older OS. I know you could do this in the past.

MacDann

Sure, you can wipe the phone and start new or restore from a backup. The backup will just have data basically, not iOS itself. The iOS version that is already on the device will remain as the one that's on it whether a backup is used or not (and whether a backup is from an earlier iOS version or not).

 

[MacDann]

Didn't realize that. I was thinking the restore was a bare metal restore of everything under those circumstances.

Dang it.

Thank you!

MacDann

 

[Gasnkery]

Sure, you can wipe the phone and start new or restore from a backup. The backup will just have data basically, not iOS itself. The iOS version that is already on the device will remain as the one that's on it whether a backup is used or not (and whether a backup is from an earlier iOS version or not).

Yeah , as long as you have backed up these data for your iPhone , it is not difficult to extract backup data , you''ll get exactly the same data as before , but just data ,

 

[eyoungren]

Didn't realize that. I was thinking the restore was a bare metal restore of everything under those circumstances.

No, never has been.

iDevices have two partitions. One is for the system and that's where all the system files and stock Apple apps are stored. The second, much larger partition is where your user data and apps are stored.

When you updated OTA or through iTunes the IPSW that is downloaded modifies only the system files on the system partition.

So, as previously mentioned the only thing stored in your backup is your data.