Apple picker If you have upgraded to the newly released iOS 16 and are considering going back to iOS 15, then you should definitely not waste your time. The time during which the so-called downgrade can be performed is limited. But how to actually do it? In this case, several methods are offered, but it is necessary to take into account that you can lose all data and practically reset the phone.
Fortunately, there is a solution to this particular problem. Either the backup can be modified to the desired form, or even more simply, specialized software can be used, with the help of which the downgrade can be performed and all data, files and settings can be preserved. The TunesKit iOS System Recovery app can easily handle this. So let's shine a light together on how to downgrade and how the mentioned software works.
Downgrade iOS with TunesKit iOS System Recovery
First of all, let's focus on how to downgrade with the help of specialized software. As we mentioned above, it is specifically about TunesKit iOS System Recovery, with the help of which the downgrade from iOS 16 to iOS 15 can be solved in a few minutes. However, before we look at the procedure itself, it is appropriate to briefly introduce the application and mention what it is actually used for in the core.
The popular application TunesKit iOS System Recovery in the core is used to fix various errors that are associated with damage to the operating system itself. The program can thus solve cases when you are stuck on the screen with the Apple logo, have a frozen, locked, white, blue or green screen, when your iPhone keeps restarting, when the recovery process fails or when the DFU mode is not working. In a way, it is a multifunctional tool, with the help of which you can solve really serious problems playfully and quickly. However, we haven't mentioned the most important thing yet - you can handle it all without data loss. Not only can it repair your entire system, but it also ensures that all your data, settings, and files remain on it. In addition, this is also true in our case, when it is necessary to perform a so-called system downgrade.
Now let's move on to the important part or how to downgrade from iOS 16 to iOS 15 via TunesKit iOS System Recovery. Fortunately, as we mentioned above, the whole process is extremely simple and practically anyone can handle it in a few minutes. First of all, of course, it is necessary to connect the iPhone to the PC/Mac and turn on the relevant application. It will ask you to choose a so-called mode right from the start, where you have to choose standardmode and confirm your choice at the bottom right with the button. In the next step, the software will prompt you to switch to Recovery Mode. Fortunately, instructions are displayed for this, just follow them and you're done. After that, the application will need to download the so-called firmware - just select your specific iPhone model and select iOS 15.6.1 (the last signed version of iOS 15) as the system. But that's not all. If you want to go back to iOS 15, you must have this system downloaded. This is done by the so-called IPSW file, which you can download at www.ipsw.me, where all you have to do is select iPhone, select your model, and then select the signed iOS 15.6.1 system (marked in green) from the list. Once the file is downloaded, return to the app and tap the button below in the firmware download step Select. Now all you have to do is select the downloaded IPSW file, confirm the selection and then continue by clicking the button Download.
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Once the firmware download finishes, you're practically done. Now all you have to do is tap a button Repair and wait - the application will solve the rest completely for you. After the process is complete, you can start using your iPhone normally and make sure that the required system downgrade has actually taken place. But keep in mind that Apple stops signing the latest versions within about two weeks of the release of the operating system, which means that you can't go back to them after that. You can see what the complete process using the TunesKit iOS System Recovery application looks like in the gallery attached above.
You can try TunesKit iOS System Recovery for free here
Downgrade via iTunes
But let's shed some light on how to downgrade the iOS 16 operating system via iTunes. But before we dive into the process itself, it is necessary to prepare the iPhone for it at all. Disabling Find is absolutely essential. So if you have it active, go to Settings > [your name] > Find and turn off the function here. However, you must confirm the choice by entering your Apple ID password.
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In the next step, you need to create a backup of your device. It is not mandatory for the downgrade, but we will later use it to restore all our data. Specifically, the backup is created via iTunes/Finder, when you just connect the iPhone to the PC/Mac via a cable and run the appropriate tool. Then select the option in the backup section Backup all data from iPhone to Mac and then click the button Back up. After the process is complete, a complete backup of the phone is created on your computer or Mac, i.e. including all files, settings and data.
Now we can move on to the main thing, starting with downloading the IPSW file, the role of which we explained above. For this reason, it is necessary to go to the website www.ipsw.me, where you have to select the iPhone section and choose your specific model. In the section Signed IPSWs then select iOS 15.6.1 (highlighted in green). After completing this step, you have practically everything ready and you can jump into the downgrade itself.
So just go back to iTunes/Finder and select the option Restore iPhone, which is located in the section Software. But now be careful - it is absolutely essential that you held down the Shift key while clicking Restore iPhone. In the next step, the program will ask you to select a specific file. So just choose the downloaded IPSW file and confirm the choice. The software will take care of the rest for you, and once the process is complete, you will have iOS 15.6.1 back installed on your iPhone. Now you are practically done. But there is also a minor catch - the phone will now behave like a brand new one. So it is necessary that you tick the option that you don't want any recovery when you turn it on. We will now shed some light on this together. For this reason, you need to go back to iTunes/Finder again and select the option Restore from backup. But in this case, you will encounter a minor problem – the software will not allow you to restore data from iOS 16 to iOS 15. Fortunately, this can be circumvented.
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First, it is necessary to find where the specific backup is actually located on the disk. If you are using a Windows PC, you can find it in AppData/Roaming/Apple Computer/MobileSync/Backup, where you just have to select the current backup (you can follow the change/creation date). On a Mac with macOS, searching is a little easier. Just click the button in the Finder Manage backups, where all created backups will be displayed. So just select the current one, right click on it and then select option View in Finder. Inside the folder, scroll down and open the file Info.plist in Notepad. Don't be alarmed that the document contains many lines of text. That is why it is necessary to search in it. Press the keyboard shortcut Control+F/Command+F to turn on the search, where you just need to type the phrase “product". So specifically, you're looking for type data Product Name a Product Version. Under Product Version then you will see the number "16", which points to the version of the iOS operating system from which the backup itself actually originates. Therefore, rewrite this data to "15.6.1". Then save the file and it will go back to iTunes/Finder. Now restoring data from the backup will work completely normally. What you might encounter is when the application asks you to deactivate the Find service. After the process is completed, it is possible to start using the iPhone normally.
Summary
So if you plan to downgrade from iOS 16 back to iOS 15, you have two options. However, if you are looking for a carefree process without having to worry about your data, then we can only recommend the mentioned application TunesKit iOS System Recovery. As you may have noticed above, recovery through this tool is much easier and faster. This is because it is a specialized software that can easily deal with such problems. You can see how the downgrade looks step by step in the video below.
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