How To Downgrade iOS 12 To iOS 11 [GUIDE]

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While the iOS 12 beta offers a number of improvements over iOS 11, the fact remains that it’s a test build and definitely has its share of issues. Here’s how to downgrade iOS 12 to iOS 11 in order to get back to the latest full consumer release.

Listed below is the process in order to downgrade iOS 12. Keep in mind that this process does wipe all data on your device, so you will need a backup from iOS 11 if you’d like to keep all of your apps, files, and photos.

How To Downgrade iOS 12 to iOS 11

Step 1: Ensure that your computer is running the latest version of iTunes, 12.7.5. In order to confirm this, you can open iTunes and navigate to “About iTunes.“ The latest version of the program is required to downgrade iOS 12, so install any updates necessary to ensure your application is current.

Step 2: Connect your iPhone or iPad to your Mac or PC using a lightning cable.

Step 3: Use the appropriate key combination in order to enter Recovery Mode. The right key combination will depend on your device, so we’ve listed the process for all modern devices.

iPhone X, iPhone 8, and iPhone 8 Plus: Press and release the Volume Up button. Press and release the Volume Down button. Press and hold the Side button until the recovery mode screen pops up.

iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus: Press and hold the Sleep/Wake and Volume Down buttons simultaneously. Continue to hold both of the buttons until you see the recovery mode screen.

iPhone 6s and earlier, iPad, and iPod Touch: Press and hold the Sleep/Wake and Home buttons at the same time. Don’t release the buttons when you see the Apple logo. Continue to hold both buttons until you see the recovery mode appears.

Step 4: Once the Restore or Update button shows up on your Mac or PC, select “Restore” in order to start the process to downgrade iOS. Keep in mind that this will completely wipe your device and install the latest non-beta version of iOS. Ensure that you have a backup handy or are okay completely deleting your data.

Step 5: Now you should be able to restore a backup from iOS 11 with iTunes or iCloud in order to get your previous data back, or you can downgrade iOS 12 without a backup and set up your iPhone or iPad as a brand new device.

If you don’t have a backup and are not comfortable with losing your data, you might have to settle for remaining on the iOS 12 beta until release. While there are a number of stability issues and bugs at this point, these will likely be ironed out over the weeks to come and the operating system will quickly become more fully-featured and impressive than iOS 11.

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