Downgrade

The next generation of iOS has arrived. Many enhancements and refinements contained in iOS 8 were revealed by Apple at the recent WWDC keynote. Developers have had access to the iOS 8 beta firmware since June 2, with the public release coming later this fall. Now that Apple signs firmware, downgrades to a previous IPSW file are not normally possible.

Developers looking to revert to iOS 7.1.1 are in luck for the time being. Since the latest version of iOS is still being signed by Apple, downgrades from iOS 8 beta to iOS 7.1.1 are possible. No matter what the reason for a downgrade on a particular iPhone with iOS 8 installed, the procedure can be accomplished easily by following the steps below.

Do you miss Google Maps? Did the iOS 6.0 update shorten battery life on your A4 device? Whether you upgraded by mistake, or you're just looking to bring back the older firmware, now you can downgrade your iPhone 4 or iPhone 3GS to iOS 5.1.1. The following iOS downgrade instructions work on most A4 devices, including the iPod touch 4G.

Now that Apple has stopped signing older firmware, you must have your SHSH blobs saved for iOS 5.1.1 for this procedure to work properly. Downgrading will also require that you have the appropriate IPSW firmware file downloaded to your computer. You can grab iOS 5.1.1 for the iPhone 4 here, or for the iPhone 3GS at this link. Make sure you know where this IPSW file is saved before starting the instructions below.