Backup older iOS versions onto newer devices.

BlaaaaahBlah wrote:

Can’t seem to find a straight answer anywhere so hoping someone here could help me out. I’m currently using iPhone 13 Pro. If I create a backup on iCloud that’s running iOS 16.4.1 and I buy new iPhone 15 and restore using that backup, will the new iPhone 15 be running on iOS 16.4.1?

Any restore method is fine whether it’s on computer, iCloud backups or the side by side phone transfer.

The restore or the migration will work just fine, and the iPhone 15 will be running iOS 17.3 with the contents of your previous iPhone 13 Pro device preserved on the iPhone 15, and with all apps updated to current.

An iPhone 15 requires iOS 17.0 or later, and cannot run iOS as far back as iOS 16.4.1.

If you have some app or service that requires iOS 16.4.1, then you will have to continue with the iPhone 13 Pro until and unless the app is updated, or is retired, or the data is migrated.

But for migrating existing contents to a new iPhone with current apps and current iOS, that all works.

To make this as simple as possible:

1. If you buy a new iPhone 15, it will come with iOS 17 on it
2. If you move the backup from an iPhone with a lower level iOS version, it will not and cannot take the new iPhone 17 to the iOS version running on the old iPhone
3. It can't be said more simply that that. There is NO way to do what you want. The new phone will NOT be reverted to the iOS version of the backup of the phone you are moving the data from. It doesn't matter how you do it.

You are really asking about downgrading a brand new iPhone, which will come with iOS 17 and you are hoping to move a backup made on a phone running on iOS 16 to a new phone, with the hopes it will revert the new phone to the iOS version of the backup. That is downgrading and it's not possible.

BlaaaaahBlah wrote:

Gotcha thank you. If it were a new iPhone 13 would that change anything?

It depends on what iOS version was running on the iPhone 13. But a brand new iPhone 13 purchased from Apple will come with iOS 17. Any new iPhone you purchase from Apple will come with iOS 17.

At this point, you need to give up on the idea of buying a new iPhone and having any chance of moving the iOS version backwards on the new iPhone. It's NOT possible. It won't happen. You can't do it. So best to give up.

No. The restoration of a backup does not regress the iPhone’s iOS version.

BlaaaaahBlah wrote:

Darn. Was really hoping it would. Is there any possible way to? Thank you for the quick response. Bearer of bad news but still appreciate it.

No, there is no way to revert back to an older iOS version. Downgrading iOS has never been supported.

BlaaaaahBlah wrote:

I just wanna move everything over to a newer model phone. Including the iOS version I currently have

Do not want this. It cannot be done, and even if it could (it cannot), there is no reason to even desire it.