How to Downgrade iOS 16 to iOS 15 without Losing Data(with Video)

I. Back Up iPhone before You Downgrade iOS 16/17

As you try to downgrade iOS 16 to a previous iOS, you are going to lose the data on your iPhone. Therefore, the first thing you have to do is to back up the data on the device. With this, you can easily recover the data when you are done with downgrading the iOS.

To back up the data of your iPhone, you can use iTunes. Just follow the steps below:

• On your iPhone, navigate to the “Settings” and click on the profile name. Look for “Find My” on the page and make sure it is turned off. You will be prompted to enter your Apple ID and passcode before completing the process.

  
• Utilize a USB cable to connect your iPhone to a computer. You may be asked to “Trust This Computer”. Click “Trust” and enter your passcode.

• Then, launch the iTunes app on the computer and navigate to the “Summary” page on iTunes.

  

• Go to the Backup field and choose “This Computer” as the preferred location for creating the backup. With this, a local backup will be created on your computer.

  

II. Top 2 Ways to Downgrade iOS 16/17 to iOS 15/16

After you have backed up your data, you will learn how to downgrade iOS 16 to 15 without losing data. Here, we will show you tested and trusted ways you can rely on. It should be noted that you cannot downgrade iOS 16/17 to iOS 15/16 without a computer. So, you need a computer for this task. This video will show you the detailed steps.

Watch this video to downgrade from iOS 17 to iOS 16.

Way 1. Downgrade from iOS 16 with iTunes

For the first method for how to go back to previous iOS, you need to use iTunes. So, let’s assume that you have used it already for backing up your data.

• Launch a browser on your computer and visit https://ipsw.me/ to download the official iOS 15.7 firmware.

  

• On the site, go to the iPhone section and select your iPhone model. Choose the latest IPSW file and tap “Download” to get it on your computer.

  

• Now, open iTunes on the computer and hold the “Shift” key on the keyboard. Now, click “Restore iPhone”. A window will pop up on the screen. Choose the downloaded IPSW file.

• Open the file and you will see “iTunes will erase and restore iPhone to iOS 15.7 and will verify the restore with Apple” on the screen. Tap “Restore” to start the iOS 16 downgrade. You will the downgrade progress on the screen.
• Once downgraded, you have to set up your device like a new one. When setting up at this stage, select “Don’t transfer apps and data”. Confirm the downgrade under the Settings app.

Way 2. A Quicker Way to Downgrade iOS 16/17 to iOS 15/16 without iTunes

Well, you don’t necessarily have to use iTunes to restore iOS 15/16 from 16/17. This is because Tenorshare ReiBoot can perform the same job in a faster and more reliable way than iTunes. ReiBoot is the best alternative to 3utools downgrade. With a few steps, ReiBoot will help you to downgrade iOS 16/17 to iOS 15/16; hence, you can start enjoying your iPhone once again. Also, it is the recommended method for people that don’t have an iTunes account.

For this downgrade, you will use the “Downgrade iOS” function of ReiBoot. Below is the step-by-step guide for using Tenorshare ReiBoot to go back to 15.7/16

Note: You can upgrade or downgrade your iOS devices to any version only if Apple still signing.

• Get started by downloading Tenorshare ReiBoot on your computer. Then, you have to install and run the software. Use a USB cable to connect your iPhone to the computer. Afterward, tap “Downgrade iOS”.

  

• Two downgrade options will show on your screen. Choose the “Deep Downgrade” option.

  

• Tap “Download” to get the latest firmware file that will downgrade your iPhone. In addition, tap “Browse” to choose the path where you want to save the firmware.

  

• Once the firmware package has been downloaded, you need to hit the ”Start Deep Downgrade” option. Your iPhone will start downgrading automatically.

  

• After some minutes, your iPhone will be back to the previous iOS.

  

Congrats! You have successfully downgraded the iOS 16/17 to iOS 15/16.

III. How to Restore Backup After You Revert to iOS 15.7/16.5

If the roll back to iOS 16 is complete, you need to restore the backup. Follow the steps below:

• Notably, the backup of the iOS 16 is not compatible with iOS 15. So, you need to change certain things. Hold the “Win” and “R” keys on your computer. Then, input “%appdata%” (or %userprofile%) in the command box and click “Ok”. Then, go to “MobileSync”.
• Scroll down and locate info.plist. Use Notepad to open it and press the “Control” and “F” buttons on the keyboard. Afterward, you have to type “product” and tap “Ok”.

• Look for 16.0. Now, you need to change 16.0 to 15.0. Save it and continue the process.

• Go back to iTunes and tap “Restore Backup”. Select the command you just modified and hit the “Restore” option.

  
• Finally, your iPhone will restart itself. Once it has restarted, you can set up your device as a new device.

FAQs about Downgrade and Uninstall iOS 16/17