Restore iPhone 4s to original factory settings

Yes. You open the app on your device called "Settings". Then you go on "General". All the way to the bottom, you'll see "Reset". And then you select "Erase all contents and settings". Your device will then go back to factory settings.

The solution I offered you WILL put your phone back to factory reset and it WILL not update your device since it won't go through iTunes.

Unless what you're trying to do is to REPLACE the iOS software for a new one, that is something else.

Though, I can assure you that my method will work unless you have an Apple ID blocking your account and that you're unable to retrieve that password OR your device cannot connect to Wifi.

TO strengthen my point, this is taken from Apple Support webSite:

"I am SO not happy with the ios9 upgrade. I too have a 4s and it's been a nightmare since the update. Slow, battery not lasting - pebble (original) watches no longer work with iPhones."

I understand that you must feel frustrated. By agreeing to the term of condition for the firmware update, you cannot claim against Apple.

You simply must wait for the upcoming updates that will stabilize the software and eventually make your Pebble compatible once again.

I didn't do the update straight away, I did it a couple of weeks ago so missed the opportunity to downgrade.

I wasn't aware that Apple offered a possibility to downgrade.

Yesterday and today the phone freezes within a minute of trying to use it - have to soft reset. Black screen - have to soft reset.

Have you tried restoring your device and then set it up as NEW iPhone?

Then you can recuperate all your data manually (without restoring through a backup).

So your girlfriend is NOT alone in wanting to downgrade and there would be thousands of users experiencing problems.

Granted that many users are experiencing the similar issue. On the other hand, some don't experience such issue.

I am now terrified the phone will completely die on me. I have been a huge apple fan but seriously am considering an android as I resent having to fork out another $800 for a phone just because Apple don't give a **** about their customers who don't have the money to buy a new iPhone on each new release..

Again, it is a choice you're making. Apple orchestrated plenty of solution for us consumers to get the new generation of iPhone.

For example, that new program of financing you can undertake which was spoken during the keynote.

Apple Retail store also offers a recycling program where they buy your old phone and they provide you a gift card for you to buy a new phone.

If Apple didn't really give a **** about us, they wouldn't offer such solutions. I understand that being livid clouds your judgement and your rationality. Remember, Apple is here because of US consumers. I really doubt they would do on purpose to anger us.

NOT HAPPY. I sympathise with you and your girlfriend.

=(

I appreciate the answer, but that isn't necessarily what I'm looking for. I want to restore the software operating system back to it's factory original. When you try to do that on ITunes, it says that it will restore your phone to the factory original operating system but will THEN update your phone to the latest software operating system, which is what's causing the problems to begin with. I've already thought about the solution you volunteered, but while it will erase the settings and the contents of the phone, but I don't believe it will allow me to restore the original operating system which is what I'm having difficulty with right now.

This is perplexed4s but I'm logging in from work and can't recover this ID, Perplexed4s, that I created.

msultan22071 wrote:

I appreciate the answer, but that isn't necessarily what I'm looking for.

"but" nothing... You didn't ask the original question.

You are asking how to downgrade iOS. You can not do that.

While you are correct, I believe what the OP is looking for is to return the device to the operating system that came on it when it left the factory, not a factory setting of the latest iOS, hence the statement by AmishCake. I restore to factory will erase the device and restore it to factory condition of the latest iOS that is available for the device. For the iPhone 4s, the latest version is iOS 9.2.

Actually I DID ask the original question which I explained in the posts above, but I can't log back into this site using the name I started this discussion with so I'm going with my normal sign-in name.

I'm trying to restore it to it's Original factory settings. If you try to do it through ITunes, it restores it to it's factory settings AND THEN updates it to the most up to date software which is the problem.

The current operating system on it now is the most up to date system and it's not working well with this phone at all which is why I'm trying to restore it to it's original operating system to begin with.

I know it was once possible with ITunes but that capability no longer seems to exist which is why I posed the question to the forum because I find it hard to believe I'm the only person to have ever had this problem. My apologies if I'm coming off harshly but I've been trying to help my girlfriend with this issue and it's been driving us both nuts.

PLEASE READ MY PREVIOUS POST CAREFULLY. I stated that by going through the DEVICE ONLY (NOT ITUNES) on my original post, it will not update the device since the only thing we want to do is to erase the entire contents of the phone. YES. I agree that if TC is passing through iTunes, it WILL update his device.

And Chris, TC didnt specify if he wanted to go back to the original version that he had when he got the phone. Therefore I assumed that he simply wanted to stay at his current version.

The OP stated they were having troubles with the current installed software, hence the desire to restore to factory. They were referring to factory as the originally installed iOS from what I can gather from their post. And who is TC?

I disagree when it comes to the "never" statement.

I have restored my phone to the factory original operating system years ago using ITunes..

I haven't had to do it recently, but regardless, it doesn't seem to have that capability anymore.

If my girlfriend can't do it, then she'll be forced to try and trouble shoot the issues, but she's already tried to do that and it didn't work out at all.

msultan22071 wrote:

I disagree when it comes to the "never" statement.

You are welcome to do that, however there is only a very small window in which you can use older OS, and it certainly isn't now. Despite that window, my statement about Apple not supporting downgrading is correct. They do not support it. You may have been successful in downgrading one version down in the past, but as I said, that window is only open for a very, very short period of time. Other than that, it does not exist, whatever you may think you remember.

msultan22071 wrote:

If my girlfriend can't do it, then she'll be forced to try and trouble shoot the issues, but she's already tried to do that and it didn't work out at all.

As I said, she will not be able to downgrade. If she would describe the issues she is experiencing and provide detailed reports of what troubleshooting she has tried, not "everything", then someone should be able to help.

Chris,

the problem is that the phone is no longer covered by Apple Care warranty anymore.

The phone is no longer supported by Apple and she found that out the hard way when she asked to bring it in.

And yes, I realize that things have changed with Apple and ITunes and hence the question here in the forum to see if anyone had a solution outside of the box.

Despite the fact that the warranty is no longer valid, she can still get assistance from Apple. The provide post-warranty support, unless the device has been jailbroken, or opened by someone other than Apple. Unsure exactly what you may have asked for, but there is still support. There is no "outside of the box" solution to downgrade iOS. It is not available, especially the original iOS that came on the iPhone 4s. Downgrading of iOS has not changed, it is the same as it always has been. The only solution to your girlfriend's phone issues are for her to describe her problems and what troubleshooting she has tried and allow someone to assist in troubleshooting, bring the device to Apple for assistance in troubleshooting, accept the device as is, or discontinue using it. While I understand the last two choices are probably not what she is looking for, she needs to exhaust the other avenues first.

Yes, this is from the OP's second post.

This is perplexed4s but I'm logging in from work and can't recover this ID, Perplexed4s, that I created.

Not sure why they could not log back in again, but then.......

Chris

I am Most definitely the OP. LOL

I'm logging in from work and not sure if that's inhibiting me based on the security filters here, but I wasn't able to log into the name I created, so I am now "evenmoreperplexed4s". LOL