Apple recently published a guide for downgrading from its iOS beta to a stable variant of its operating system.
Seeing how the iOS beta is famed for being clunky and leading to a series of troubleshooting experiences, it is clear why some users might want to revert to a stable, earlier variant of iOS.
First off, you should know that the iOS beta reaches only developers and public beta testing volunteers, so common users should not fret about it.
However, for those who were brave enough to try out an iOS beta, a myriad of possible problems could sprout. Apps could suddenly choke, battery life could drain out unnaturally fast and unexplainable errors could simply pop up. To summarize, your phone would simply seem to work against you.
Sometimes, these issues are a reason for users to go back to a more stable version of iOS.
Luckily, the first step when doing beta installations is to create a backup of your device. This allows you to recover all your essential data, apps and files in case you want to restore your iPad or iPhone to a pre-beta state.
If you did not take the caution to create a backup, you'll have to begin anew with accounts, preferences and apps.
Here are the steps to a successful downgrade:
1. Go the the Settings app, find the iCloud section and disable the Find My iPhone option.
2. Shut down your iPad or iPhone.
3. While you are plugging the mobile device into a Mac or a PC, hold down the Home button. The Mac or PC must have iTunes installed and running.
4. Keep pressing the Home button until you see the iTunes logo pop up on the mobile gadget's screen. You have just entered recovery mode.
5. If the iTunes logo fails to appear, you did not access recovery mode. Repeat steps 2 to 4 until you enter recovery mode.
6. As soon as you reach recovery mode, an iTunes popup will be displayed on your PC or Mac. Click on "Restore." A secondary popup will notify you that the device will be erased.
7. Clicking on the "Restore and Update" button will take you to the iPhone Software Update menu. There, you can see the details of the presently available version of iOS. Press "Next" and then "Agree" to comply with the terms and conditions. This starts the restoration process.
8. Sit and wait while iTunes downloads the last stable version of iOS and the restoration will begin.
By following the steps above, you get a clean installation of the most recent stable iOS variant.
Take note that this involves erasing all apps and data, which is a good reason to have an archived iTunes backup from which to retrieve your information. The recovery process only takes a few minutes. When it completes, all you must do is restore from a backup.
The steps are:
1. Go to iTunes and select "Restore Backup."
2. Browse, find and choose the archived backup.
3. Click "Restore" to start the backup restoration process.
When this process ends, your iOS gadget will be the same as it was before the beta was ever installed. In case you do not have a backup, your device will start from zero, with its default factory settings.
Late last year, Apple put a halt on users downgrading from iOS 9.2 to iOS 9.1. Read our full coverage about the decision.
