How to Downgrade from iOS 16 Without Data Loss (2 Methods)
- Davis Turner
- Friday, September 23, 2022
When it comes to improving the performance of your iOS devices and enjoying more helpful features to use in daily life, upgrading from iOS 15 to iOS 16 will be a simple and ideal choice. But when some people do this, they find various issues during the upgrade, for instance, some apps failed to update as they used to do. Also, even if your iPhone is within the list of iOS 16 compatible devices, iOS 16 takes more space than the former iOS 15 system which may drag down the running speed of your iPhone and make you want to downgrade your iPhone to a previous version.
So in this article, you will be guided with 2 different methods (with or without iTunes) to downgrade from iOS 16 without losing any important data. Keep reading to learn more details.
1. Before Downgrading: Back up Your Data on iPhone
Before downgrading your iPhone system back to a former iOS version such as iOS 15 from iOS 16, the first preparation you need to do is to back up your device data. This is a big warning because some iOS downgrading methods would wipe all your device data and bring the whole iPhone back to factory condition completely. If you select to return back to the iOS version at which you have saved an archived backup before, then you can restore the data after downgrading from iOS 16. If not, then your file data would all lose.
Where to Get and Download iOS 16
Manually upgrade to iOS 16
There are several ways that people can get and download iOS 16 to their iPhones. The simplest way should be to go to "Settings" on iPhone, and scroll down to "General" for checking the "Software Update". When your iPhone detects the latest release of iOS 16, simply press "Download and Install" and you can install the latest iOS 16 system on your iPhone.
Upgrade to iOS 16 with a computer
Except for the method menioned way, by connecting your iPhone to a computer and using iTunes, you can also upgrade to iOS 16 on your computer.
Here are the simple steps.
First, you can download the latest version of iTunes and connect your iPhone to it.
Second, you need find the iPhone icon and click “Check for Update” to find iOS 16 update.
Finally, you need click “Download and Update” to install iOS 16 for your phone.
Common Problems After Upgrading to iOS 16
Each iOS update may come with some system bugs, which really spoils the experience and interest for people who prefer trying a new system upgrade. Therefore, it is also reasonable that you want to downgrade the iOS system to the previous versions. But what may go wrong with this iOS 16 update? Perhaps you should know these potential problems before you upgrade to iOS 16.
- Quick Battery Drain.
- iPhone Heat Up.
- Annoying Copy and Paste Prompt.
- Slow Spotlight Search.
- Unlock iPhone with Apple Watch Feature Not Working.
- App Crashing Issue.
- Wi-Fi Not Working
- Personal Hotspot Not Working.
- Touchscreen Unresponsiveness.
How to Back Up Data on iPhone
No matter if you've desided to download and install the iOS 16 updates or you want to roll back to iOS 15 or previous versions, just don't forget to back up your iPhone first. As what's been mentioned before, some iOS downgrading methods can wipe all your device data and bring the whole iPhone back to factory condition. And if you don't want to lose any important data, you can follow these official steps to back up iPhone data with iTunes.
1. Go to Settings > [your name] > iCloud > iCloud Backup.
2. Turn on iCloud Backup. If you have truned on iCloud, it will automatically back up your daily.
3. To perform a manual backup, tap Back Up Now.
To view your iCloud backups, go to Settings > [your name] > iCloud > Manage Storage > Backups. To delete a backup, choose a backup from the list, then tap Delete Backup.
Is it Possible to Downgrade iOS Without a Computer?
In order to downgrade the iOS system of your iPhone, you have to connect the device to a PC or Mac for operating from the computer side. That means you have to use a computer assisting to downgrade your iPhone system. The main reason is that you need the help of third-party software such as iTunes or other system recovery tools. As a result, the computer is neccessary when you have the need to downgrade the iOS system.
2. How to Downgrade iOS without iTunes (The Easiest Method)
The most helpful and reliable software to help downgrade iOS without using iTunes is Passvers iOS System Recovery. This software can be installed on Windows and Mac computers with a very easy setup process. There are several situations when you can ask Passvers iOS System Recovery to help:
- Downgrade iOS system to a former version
- Fail to reboot/update/re-open your iPhone
- Get stuck while using the iOS system such as recovering the phone or in DFU mode
- Meet some iTunes errors during the backup/update/syncing process
Under such situations, Passvers iOS System Recovery can help people to fix by providing the following amazing features:
- Offers a safe way to repair iPhone system problems without data loss
- Offers very simple UI and easy-to-use functions
- Supports the latest iOS 16, iOS 15 systems
- Be able to fix over 50 iOS stuck scenarios with easy clicks
- Works stably on both Windows and Mac computers
Here's how to downgrade from iOS with the reliable Passvers iOS System Recovery.
Step 1. Install Passvers iOS System Recovery
Before starting the downgrade process, you need to install Passvers iOS System Recovery to your Windows or Mac computer. The installing process would be very simple and you only need to follow the instruction to go.
Step 2. Open Passvers iOS System Recovery and Start Free Trial
When Passvers iOS System Recovery is installed and you open the software, a window will show up asking you to register it. You can start using the function by clicking the "Start" button.
Step 3. Connect iPhone with the Software
Now, connect your iPhone to the computer and Passvers iOS System Recovery will detect it for building the connection. You just need to press the "Start" button and select the "Standard Mode".
1. If your iPhone has been jailbroken, the downgrade will turn it back to the original non-jailbroken one.
2. If you have unlocked the iPhone, it will be turned back to the locked status.
Step 4. Downgrade iOS 16
Simply click the "Optimize" button and select a firmware iOS version such as iOS 15 for downgrading the current iOS 15 system. Simply click the "Download" button to save the firmware and click "Next". Then Passvers iOS System Recovery will bring your iPhone back to iOS 15 again.
3. How to Downgrade from iOS 16 with iTunes
iTunes offers a way to downgrade the iOS system from iOS 16 to an earlier version. It would be a bit more complex using iTunes because the official doesn't provide the firmware of the iOS former system version. So you have to search on the Internet for getting the iOS system version you want to downgrade to ahead of all. When you have downloaded the firmware, you can start downgrading from iOS 16 using iTunes. Here is how.
Step 1. Open iTunes on your computer, and also connect your iPhone to let iTunes connect to it.
Step 2. Turn on the DFU mode on your iOS 16 iPhone. Once you turn it on, iTunes will notify you to restore the iPhone. You should click the "OK" button.
Step 3. Directly click the "Restore iPhone" button in iTunes and choose the iOS firmware file you just downloaded for downgrading to by pressing the "Restore" button.
Step 4. After choosing the firmware file and click "Next" to continue the process, your iPhone can be downgraded from iOS directly.
4. If You Fail to Upgrade Your iPhone, How to Fix?
If you have problems in upgrading or downgrading your iPhone, here has an official way offered by Apple to help. You only need to put your device back in "Recovery Mode" and set it up again. The steps are introduced here.
Step 1. Make sure your Mac or iTunes has been updated to the latest version. Then you need to connect your iPhone to your computer.
Step 2. Enter the recovery mode screen shows up after connection. You need to find the correct way to open recovery mode because it will be different for different iPhone models:
iPhone 8 or later:
- Press and release the volume up button at a quick speed.
- Now also quickly press and release the volume down button.
- Then, press and keep holding the side button, then the recovery mode will be opened.
Step 3. Locate the iPhone device on your computer now, now a notification will show up. You should press the "Update" button.
Step 4. Finally, when the iPhone is updated, you can set up it again.
To downgrade from iOS 16, you can choose the method according to your need. It would be more convenient to use Passvers iOS System Recovery because you don't have to search for the firmware again. You can directly download the software for free trying it to downgrade from iOS 16 now.
Fix your iOS system without losing any important files!