How can I downgrade from iOS 26 to iOS 18.5?

Click here and follow the instructions. This will only work during the beta period.

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Follow the Support Article below. Hopefully you had a backup done on the stable commercial release of iOS 18 which you will need to restore, otherwise you may not be able to restore or even lose some data.

How to uninstall iOS or iPadOS beta software - Apple Support

How can downgrade iOS 26 to 18.5

Please read the answers already provided.

I want to degrade from iOS 26 to iOS 18.5 I need iOS 18.5 right now please

want to degrade from iOS 26 to iOS 18.5 I need iOS 18.5 right now please

Please read the posts above to see that 2 other users have already provided instructions on how to do this.

Please see the responses posted here: How can I downgrade from iOS 26 to iOS 18… - Apple Community

‏أريد رج تحديث iOS 18 من 26 في اسرع وقت ممكن

Read the other replies. Your question has already been answered.

Few questions.

I plan on reverting back to iOS 18.5 from 26, but I just wanted to clarify some things and make sure that I would do it correctly without losing any data.

From what I've read, I would go onto my mac or iTunes on my PC and pull up the Recovery Mode screen, where I would then press 'Restore,' deleting all data on my phone and installing the latest released nonbeta iOS (I'm assuming is 18.5).

My questions are:

• Would it be better to use my mac, iTunes on my PC, or does it not matter?

• Will my device automatically download 18.5 after clicking 'Restore,' or will it download something different, or will I get to choose?

• After installing the older nonbeta iOS, will my phone basically be like it was just turned on for the first time?

• After turning it on for the 'first time,' (after the nonbeta is installed, and if the phone had all data erased) will I be able to download my iCloud back-up from iOS 26 beta onto 18.5?

• Lastly, will I still have access to iOS developer beta updates in the future?

It doesn't matter whether you use a Mac or PC. The biggest question is whether you made an Archive backup on your computer before you downloaded the developer beta release? While your phone will be restored back to the public release of iOS 18.5, if you DIDN'T make an Archive backup before you installed iOS 26, your data, with the exception of anything you sync directly with iCloud, will be gone.

If you are a registered developer, you will always have access to developer beta options.

Would it be better to use my mac, iTunes on my PC, or does it not matter?

Does not matter. If I have a choice, my preference would be Mac, but that's just that.....a preference.

Will my device automatically download 18.5 after clicking 'Restore,' or will it download something different, or will I get to choose?

When you click Restore, the most up to date version of the current iOS will be installed. At this time, that is iOS 18.5. But, if there is a new update later tonight for iOS 18, that new update will be installed.

After turning it on for the 'first time,' (after the nonbeta is installed, and if the phone had all data erased) will I be able to download my iCloud back-up from iOS 26 beta onto 18.5?

No. At least I never could on previous beta testing. You can install an update from an older iOS, but you cannot install an update made on a higher iOS to a lower iOS.

Hopefully, you made an "Archive" backup of your iPhone running iOS 18.5.....before.....you installed the beta software on your iPhone. Then, you can use that "Archive" backup to install back onto the iPhone running 18.5.

Lastly, will I still have access to iOS developer beta updates in the future?

Sure.

Unfortunately, very few users are paying much attention to Apple's very strong advice to only install beta software on a spare phone. But, that's another discussion.

I unfortunately don't have an Archive backup on my computer, but I will make sure to make one next time.

By saying that I have things synced with iCloud, would those be things that I can see on the "Saved to iCloud" tab, or the "Storage" tab for iCloud on my iPhone? I have the 200 GB plan and have everything like photos, contacts, and whatnot saved to iCloud.

If that is the case, then how would I transfer those to my iPhone once I install 18.5? Would there be an option to transfer from an iCloud account or would I have to log into my apple account on my mac and transfer it from there? (I'm assuming that ALL data is deleted once I install 18.5, unless my apple account will stay on the iPhone.

Also, if I do have to transfer from a mac, it's actually my buddies mac and I don't have my apple account on it, so I would I add my apple account in order to do the transfer?

encocorsica wrote:

I unfortunately don't have an Archive backup on my computer, but I will make sure to make one next time.

By saying that I have things synced with iCloud, would those be things that I can see on the "Saved to iCloud" tab, or the "Storage" tab for iCloud on my iPhone? I have the 200 GB plan and have everything like photos, contacts, and whatnot saved to iCloud.

If that is the case, then how would I transfer those to my iPhone once I install 18.5? Would there be an option to transfer from an iCloud account or would I have to log into my apple account on my mac and transfer it from there? (I'm assuming that ALL data is deleted once I install 18.5, unless my apple account will stay on the iPhone.

Also, if I do have to transfer from a mac, it's actually my buddies mac and I don't have my apple account on it, so I would I add my apple account in order to do the transfer?

If you say you have content synced with iCloud, that would be in the Saved to iCloud tab. You don’t need to login or add your Apple Account to the computer at all. Hopefully your backup made on iOS 18.5 is the latest backup that was not overridden by a backup on iOS 26 which you can restore from. When you connect your iPhone to your friend’s computer, it will erase it clean and install the latest stable and public iOS 18.5 version. Then you can choose to restore from a backup or start a new.

juber129 wrote:

How can downgrade iOS 26 to 18.5

You need to backup your data, turn off find my, then downgrade your phone with tools like itunes or finder , then restore your data, it's best to follow a yt video or articale to do this step by step to avoid error, I camne across this and it shows full guide on restore your phone with itunes and stuffs to watch out for:

How to uninstall iOS or iPadOS beta software - Apple Support

[Edited by Moderator]