Here’s how to downgrade iOS 26 beta 1 and iPadOS 26 beta 1 to iOS 18.5 or iPadOS 18.5 on your compatible iPhone or iPad device. This guide can be followed if you’re experiencing issues with the new beta and want to go back to a reliable version of Apple’s software.
Apple’s new iOS 26 and iPadOS 26 software is now available in its first developer beta release, which means that people are installing it on their devices right now. The release is only available to registered developers, but some people may have installed it on devices that are not only used for testing. In that case, bugs and other issues could mean that downgrading is the way to go.
Downgrading to iOS 18.5 is relatively easy, but you do need to keep in mind that you won’t be able to restore a backup created with iOS 26. Keep that in mind when downgrading — you’ll either need to restore the last backup you made before updating to iOS 26 beta 1 or set your device up fresh.
With that said, here’s how to downgrade your device.
Step 1: Ensure that you have upgraded to, and are running, the latest version of iTunes on your PC or Mac. If you are running macOS Catalina or later, then you don’t need to worry about iTunes, as this is all handled by the Finder app built directly into the OS.
Step 2: You will need to be in possession of the correct IPSW iOS/iPadOS 17.5.1 file that has been compiled by Apple and that is intended for your device. Will be downgrading to this file and can grab it from here.
Step 3: Now, you will need to make sure that the Find My feature is disabled on your iPhone or iPad. In order to do that, launch Settings > iCloud > Find My and toggle the switch into the Off position. Enter your Apple ID and correct password to confirm your decision.
Step 4: Connect your device to your PC or Mac. If iTunes doesn’t load automatically, you’ll need to do it manually and make sure that it’s running. If you’re running Catalina or Big Sur, then just launch a Finder window.
Put your device into DFU mode using the quick guides below (if you don’t already know how to do it):
iPhone XR / XS / XS Max / 11 / 11 Pro / 11 Pro Max / 12 / 12 mini / 12 Pro / 12 Pro Max / 13 / 13 mini / 13 Pro / 13 Pro Max / 14 / 14 Plus / 14 Pro / 14 Pro Max /15 / 15 Plus / 15 Pro / 15 Pro Max / 16 Pro / 16 Pro Max / 16e / 16 / 16 Plus, or 2018+ iPad Pro owners can follow this guide.
Step 5: With the DFU mode step out of the way, head into iTunes or Finder and press and hold the Option key on a Mac or the Shift key on a PC, and click the Restore iPhone/iPad option.
Step 6: Choose the IPSW file (iOS/iPadOS) that you downloaded earlier in the process. Exercise some patience and allow iTunes/Finder to go through the standard process and leave you with an iPhone or iPad that has been downgraded from iOS/iPadOS 18 to the version included within the IPSW file that you’ve chosen.
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