How to Downgrade From iOS 15 to iOS 14

Had it with iOS 15 bugs? Here's a solution

By
Jennifer Allen
Jennifer Allen
Jennifer Allen
Writer
  • Swansea University, Staffordshire University
Jennifer Allen has been writing about technology since 2010. Her work has appeared in Mashable, TechRadar, and many more publications.
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Updated on August 20, 2021
Reviewed by
Jerrick Leger
Jerrick Leger headshot
Reviewed by Jerrick Leger
Jerrick Leger is a CompTIA-certified IT Specialist with more than 10 years' experience in technical support and IT fields. He is also a systems administrator for an IT firm in Texas serving small businesses.
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What to Know

  • If you have a backup, connect your iPhone to your computer and enter Recovery Mode to restore it to iOS 14.
  • Without a backup, tap Settings > General > Transfer or Reset iPhone to reset your iPhone to factory settings and lose all files.
  • Remove the beta profile by tapping Settings > General > VPN & Device Management > iOS Beta Software Profile > Remove Profile.

This article teaches you how to downgrade from iOS 15 to iOS 14 through two methods: delete the beta profile information and why you might want to downgrade. 

How Do I Downgrade From iOS 15 to iOS 14?

When downgrading from iOS 15 to iOS 14, you have two options on how to do so. It depends on if you created a backup on your Mac beforehand. Here's how to restore the earlier backup, providing you made one.

This method requires you to have made a backup on your computer before you updated to iOS 15. Also note that downgrading from a public version of iOS to a previous version is not supported by Apple and downgrading to an unsupported versions of iOS such as iOS 14 is considered a major security risk.

  1. Connect your iPhone to your Mac or PC with a Lightning or USB-C cable.

    Make sure the backup is available on your computer.

  2. Enter Recovery Mode on your iPhone.

  3. When the restore option appears on your Mac or PC via Finder or iTunes, click Restore.

  4. Click Install when the prompt appears to restore your iPhone to the earlier version of iOS.

How Do I Revert to an Older Version of iOS?

If you didn't create an archived backup or don't mind losing all your existing data, it's possible to erase your iPhone and start over again. Here's how to do so.

This method wipes everything off your iPhone and means you lose anything that isn't backed up on iCloud or elsewhere. 

  1. Tap Settings.

  2. Tap General.

  3. Tap Transfer or Reset iPhone.

  4. Tap Erase all Content and Settings.

    Steps required to erase all content and settings on iPhone

  5. Tap Continue.

  6. Enter your passcode.

  7. Tap Erase.

  8. Wait for your iPhone to be completely deleted and restored to factory settings. 

How Do I Take iOS 15 Off My Phone?

If you want to remove the iOS 15 beta profile information from your phone, that requires a slightly different process. It won't restore your phone to iOS 14, but it means that when the next public version of iOS is available, you'll revert to the non-beta version of the software. Here's what to do. 

  1. Tap Settings.

  2. Tap General.

  3. Tap VPN & Device Management.

    Steps required to find VPN & Device Management within iOS 15 settings

  4. Tap iOS Beta Software Profile.

  5. Tap Remove Profile.

    Steps required to remove beta profile on iOS 15

  6. Restart your device for the changes to take effect.

Why Would I Want to Downgrade From iOS 15?

iOS 15 might be the future of iOS, but in a beta state, it can be unreliable. By downgrading to iOS 14, you get the most stable iOS experience and the latest security updates, but you miss out on some critical new iOS 15 features. It's up to you which tradeoff you wish to make.

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