The right way to downgrade iOS on iPhone: Revert from iOS 26 to iOS 18

Apple updates iOS yearly with out fail, bestowing upon our iPhones a spread of latest options and safety enhancements in addition to the occasional redesign. In September 2025 iOS 26 made its debut. Most iPhone customers will transfer to the brand new platform just about immediately, and the bulk are positive to like the adjustments. However what if you wish to return to an older model of iOS? Is that even attainable?

On this article, we discover what choices you’ve when desirous to downgrade iOS in your iPhone.

Can I downgrade from one model of iOS to a different?

The reply to this is determined by whether or not you wish to obtain from a model new model of iOS to an outdated model of iOS, a beta to a non-beta model, or only a level replace inside a number of days of it being issued. In these situations, you may downgrade, however there’s a time restrict.

In case you are hoping to downgrade from iOS 18 to iOS 17, for instance, that’s not one thing you are able to do anymore. Even if you wish to downgrade from iOS 18.6.2 to iOS 18.6 that gained’t be attainable both. The explanation you may’t downgrade is that Apple is not ‘signing’ these variations of iOS, and lately Apple stops signing outdated variations of iOS inside days of a brand new model being issued.

However in case you are fast sufficient you would possibly have the ability to downgrade from a brand new model of iOS to the earlier model, we’ll present you ways.

The right way to downgrade from a brand new iOS: iOS 26 to iOS 18.6

Within the instance beneath, we downgraded from iOS 18 to iOS 17.6.1, however the course of would be the similar for downgrading from iOS 26 to the final model of iOS 18 (which was iOS 18.6.2), so long as you act rapidly.

The very first thing you might want to do is locate out if Apple remains to be signing the model of iOS you want.

To search out out whether or not Apple remains to be signing the model of iOS you want go to this web page and lookup your iPhone to see which variations are nonetheless signed by Apple. Apple normally stops signing a model of iOS inside one or two weeks of the brand new replace.

Foundry

In case you are fortunate and the outdated model remains to be being signed it is possible for you to to downgrade. Nevertheless, you continue to could choose to remain on the brand new model as a result of this course of will wipe your iPhone. The one strategy to reinstall an older model of iOS is to wipe the present one out of your gadget.

Observe that in case you restore from a backup made after the replace you may be placing the newer model of iOS again on to the gadget.

1. Go to IPSW.me (in your Mac) and obtain the proper model of the iOS you need that matches your iPhone mannequin. As stated above, it must nonetheless be signed by Apple, which generally is a very slim window certainly. The software program ought to begin downloading to your Downloads folder. (Observe, it will probably take a very long time to obtain an iOS from the location).
2. In your Mac, open the Finder.
3. Plug in your iPhone.
4. You’ll need to show off Discover My in your gadget. Go to Settings and click on in your ID data. Faucet Discover My > Discover My iPhone and change the slider to off. Enter your Apple ID password.
5. Maintain down the Possibility/Alt key and click on on Restore iPhone.
6. You must have the ability to choose the model of iOS you want to set up on the iPhone out of your downloads folder.
7. Click on on Open.
8. A message will seem saying which model of iOS you’ll set up – this ought to be the one you’ve chosen. Click on to verify this and wait whereas your iPhone is restored.
9. The telephone will probably be wiped and the outdated model of iOS put in on the iPhone. Once we did this the Finder wrongly recognized the model, nevertheless it was the one we wished.
10. You then have to arrange your iPhone as a brand new gadget, so watch out for this in case you don’t wish to run the danger of shedding knowledge.

Foundry

With just a little foresight you may put together your self in case you later remorse an iOS replace. One strategy to get an outdated model of iOS is to make a replica of it earlier than the brand new one arrives. Should you set up the model of iOS utilizing the Finder in your Mac (or iTunes on a PC), you may then discover that model. Within the Finder click on on Go > Library > iTunes > iPhone Software program Replace (sure, it’s nonetheless in an iTunes finder on the Mac!)

The right way to downgrade from an iOS beta

If you wish to downgrade from an iOS beta the method will be easy, or troublesome, relying on whether or not you simply wish to begin utilizing the official model of iOS quite than the beta.

If you wish to cease getting beta updates of iOS 26 and as a substitute use the usual model of iOS 26 then you definitely simply want to show off Beta Updates so that you just don’t obtain them in your gadget.

1. Open Settings in your iPhone.
2. Faucet on Normal.
3. Faucet on Software program Replace.
4. Faucet on Beta Updates.
5. Faucet on Off.
6. Faucet on Again.

Additionally it is attainable to revert from the beta model put in in your iPhone to the model of the earlier iOS. However as above, you’ll wipe your iPhone or iPad in doing so.

If you wish to obtain beta updates once more sooner or later simply return to this display and choose those you need.

We cowl the entire course of in our easy methods to take away an iOS beta out of your iPhone information.

Why can’t I downgrade to an older model of iOS?

As we stated above, there’s a very small window in which you’ll be able to downgrade.

When software program is made obtainable by Apple the corporate features a signature that confirms its authenticity. That is for safety causes, so that you just gained’t by accident set up bogus software program that claims to be iOS after which end up in a world of ache as all of your knowledge is stolen. Whereas prior to now Apple would depart the signature legitimate on earlier variations of iOS for a short while, in recent times the signature has been eliminated inside days of, and generally virtually concurrently with, the discharge of the newer model.

This isn’t a brand new state of affairs. At an Apple shareholder assembly again in 2016, the corporate’s senior vice chairman of software program engineering, Craig Federighi, was reported as saying that Apple did “not present a strategy to downgrade largely as a result of every iOS replace improves the safety of your iPhone, iPad or iPod contact. To downgrade iOS signifies that your gadget can be much less safe, and simpler for hackers to get into.”

If the model of iOS you want to reinstall doesn’t have this signature then you definitely will be unable to put in it in your iPhone or iPad.

One of the best ways to get again to a earlier model of iOS

Should you merely should have a sure model of iOS, maybe as a result of an outdated app is caught on that model and hasn’t been up to date since, then there’s a considerably drastic resolution. Purchase an outdated iPhone.

It sounds foolish, nevertheless it’s most likely the best approach to make sure that you’ve the iOS model you want. We’d suggest scouring eBay or among the refurbished shops like Amazon Renewed (or Again Market, MusicMagpie, or Amazon Renewed within the U.Ok.) to see if somebody is promoting an older mannequin nonetheless operating the iOS you need. Evidently, it is best to particularly ask the customer to verify this–don’t simply assume that the iPhone will nonetheless be operating the model of iOS that was present when it launched.

However keep in mind, lastly, that there’s a motive why Apple needs folks utilizing its newest software program. Not solely does this imply you get the latest options and design, nevertheless it also needs to be the most secure one obtainable because it has the most recent updates.