How do I switch back to an older version of iOS software?

Question

Level 1

8 points

How do I switch back to an older version of iOS software?

I updated to iOS version 11.2.1 and now have problems playing music using my Echo Alexa. Can I switch back to version 10?

iPhone 7 Plus, iOS 11.2.1, problem playing music using Alexa

Posted on Jan 2, 2018 11:05 AM

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Answer 1

Top-ranking reply

Michael Black

Level 10

80,623 points

Jan 2, 2018 11:11 AM in response to sonbob

You cannot do so. Apple has never supported downgrading iOS. Restoring from a backup does not change iOS at all - iOS is not part of a backup, only app data and settings are in a backup file. Restoring as new also does not revert iOS at all - in fact, restoring as new, if not on the most recent iOS version for your hardware, will upgrade it to the most recent for your detected hardware.

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Answer 2

Kappy

Level 10

361,995 points

Jan 2, 2018 11:10 AM in response to sonbob

I'm sorry, but Apple does not provide a downgrade path for iOS. Because downgrading is unsupported by Apple we cannot discuss it on these forums.

You may leave comments at Apple Feedback.

Have you tried any troubleshooting?

Restart: Press On/Off button until the Slide to Power Off slider appears, select Slide to Power Off and, after It shuts down, press the On/Off button until the Apple logo appears.
Reset: Press the Home and On/Off buttons at the same time and hold them until the Apple logo appears (about 10-15 seconds).
Restore: Connect your iPhone to iTunes on your computer, backup, and then select Restore to Factory.
How to erase your iOS device & then set it up as a new device or restore it from backups.

If the above doesn’t work for you, then:

Follow these steps to place your iOS device into recovery mode. If your iOS device is already in recovery mode, you can proceed immediately to step 6.

1. Disconnect the USB cable from the iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch and leave

one end of the cable connected to your computer's USB port.

2. Turn off the device: Press and hold the Sleep/Wake button for a few seconds

until the red slider appears, then slide the slider. Wait for the device to turn off.

* If you cannot turn off the device using the slider, press and hold the

Sleep/Wake and Home buttons at the same time. When the device turns off,

release the Sleep/Wake and Home buttons.

3. While pressing and holding the Home button, reconnect the USB cable to the

device. The device should turn on. Note: If you see the battery charge warning,

let the device charge for at least ten minutes, and then start with step 2 again.

4. Continue holding the Home button until you see the "Connect to iTunes" screen.

When this screen appears you can release the Home button:

5. If necessary, open iTunes. You should see the following "recovery mode" alert:

6. Use iTunes to restore the device.

If you don't see the "Connect to iTunes" screen, try these steps again. If you see the "Connect to iTunes" screen but the device does not appear in iTunes, see this article and its related links.

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Answer 3

as_909

Level 2

228 points

Jan 2, 2018 11:09 AM in response to sonbob

You generally cannot do that. However, did you create a backup to iTunes prior to updating the OS? Also, what OS originally came with your phone. You may try using iTunes to do a factory reset, then restore from an older backup. That may put the original OS on it.

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