One of the golden rules for any smartphone or mobile device software provider is to allow users to downgrade — at least for a period of time — so they can return back to the software version they were using before. Android and iOS have very different platforms for users. With Android, some devices are easier to downgrade than others.
The beauty of running iOS software is you are in the same situation as everyone else around you who has an iPhone, iPad or iPod touch. The same can’t always be said for Android. The way you would downgrade for a Samsung smartphone varies a great deal compared to that of a Sony device. On the contrary, no matter what Apple device you own, if it has the potential to run iOS 8.4.1, you can use this guide below to downgrade back to the original iOS 8.4 software update. Here’s how:
BEFORE WE BEGIN
- Manually backup your data to iCloud or locally to your computer. You cannot restore a full backup from iCloud or iTunes after downgrading firmware. However, you can still backup bits and pieces manually and restore them later.
- Disable any Touch ID security on the iPhone by navigating to the Settings > Touch ID & Passcode.
- Turn off the Find My iPhone feature by navigating to the Settings > iCloud > Find My iPhone.
HOW TO DOWNGRADE IOS 8.4.1 TO IOS 8
1. Download the iOS 8.4 final IPSW file for your specific device from our page.
2. Download the latest version of iTunes currently available, iTunes 12.2.2 here.
3. Connect the Apple mobile device to the computer where you downloaded the IPSW firmware file and iTunes.
4. Launch iTunes and navigate to the Summary tab and choose your Apple device from the list.
5. Press the Options/Alt key for Mac users, or Shift for Windows users and click the Restore iPhone option.
6. Browse the desktop of location for the IPSW file you downloaded earlier.
Now iTunes will do the rest and take over from here. Just wait until the firmware is completely downgraded before disconnecting. You can see the progress with how long left to go on the display.