How can I downgrade from iOS 26 to iOS 18.5?

I ran into the same issue recently and managed to get back to iOS 18.5. The process isn’t super straightforward, especially if you didn’t archive a backup before installing iOS 26.

I found this guide that explains the whole thing step by step it really helped me out: you can also see the official documentation too: How to uninstall iOS or iPadOS beta software - Apple Support

Just make sure you download the right IPSW and turn off Find My iPhone before you start. Hope it helps someone here too.

[Edited by Moderator]

Gabrielwalker23 wrote:

I want to downgrade from iOS 26 to iOS 18.5

There is no downgrade to iOS 18.6.2.

Resetting to revert to iOS 18.6.2 means no local data is preserved.

Resetting and restoring means some local data — that which has changed since the beta was installed — is lost.

If there are no backups created immediately prior to the installation of the beta, all local data is lost.

iCloud data is probably still available, and apps can be re-downloaded, independent of the reset.

Here is: How to uninstall iOS or iPadOS beta software - Apple Support

Or you can stay with the iOS 26 beta through its upcoming iOS 26 release, as that probably avoids data loss.

Apple is having an announcement on September 9th.

gurpreet_gurii wrote:

Plea my backups 18.5?

Restoring a backup will not downgrade iOS. Backups do not contain iOS – only your data. So if you restored one of those backups, you would just be wiping the current data on your phone, in favor of possibly-older data, while keeping iOS 26.

There are no beta's available for the iPhone 6s. iOS 15 is the end of the line for that mode.

shambhu165 wrote:

How to iOS 26 Romeve

You can't.

Sorry what you want is impossible, downgrading is not supported.

No

selvie35 wrote:

Return in ios 18

No.

Your wish cannot be granted.

Sorry, but you can’t go back.

You can't. How many times do we need to say it?

Apple is no longer signing iOS 18, so it is unfortunately not possible to downgrade.

Koithahn01 wrote:

no computer to downgrade is there another way to do the change on the iPhone 16 Pro Max to Change to iOS 18.5 without having to have a computer. All I have is my iPhone.

Nope, sorry. Ask a friend or neighbor if you can borrow theirs, if not, visit your nearest Apple Store or Apple Authorized Service Provider to borrow theirs.

Right now, you need to read the more than 17 answers that have already been posted in this thread. We don't need to post the same answer again.

But, before you think about reverting, hopefully you made an Archive Backup of your phone running iOS 18 on your Mac......before.....you installed the beta software.

You will need that Archive Backup to restore the phone using iOS 18 if you want to avoid losing all of the data on your phone and starting all over.

Lefa128

If you backed your phone up to iTunes prior to the update to the beta you can format and restore that backup.

( Instructions do state prior to installing beta to make sure you back up to iTunes.) ❤️