If you've installed iOS 15 or iPadOS 15 through Apple's developer program or the public beta now it's been released, you may decide you want to downgrade because of usability or stability issues. Keep reading to learn how it's done.

iOS 15 banner public beta red
Apple usually only releases the public betas of ‌iOS and ‌iPadOS‌ once the developer versions are relatively stable. That said, Apple's beta versions of its major software updates can be notoriously buggy, especially the early releases.

You may find apps not working properly, poor battery life, device crashes, and features that don't do what they're supposed to. Fortunately, you can restore your iPhone or iPad to the previous version of iOS.

If you made an archived backup before you installed the beta, you can remove the ‌iOS 15 beta and restore the backup. If you didn't make a backup, you can still downgrade, but you won't be able to restore your device to its original state before you upgraded.

Also, if you've installed watchOS 8 on your Apple Watch, it's important to note that you won't be able to use it with your ‌‌iPhone‌‌ once you've gone back to iOS 14. And downgrading an Apple Watch to a previous version of watchOS can't be done manually either – if you want to remove ‌watchOS 8‌, you'll have to send your watch in to Apple.

How to Downgrade from iOS 15 or iPadOS 15

  1. Launch Finder on your Mac.
  2. Connect your ‌iPhone‌ or ‌iPad‌ to your Mac using a Lightning cable.
  3. Put your device into recovery mode. The method of doing this depends on your device, so check the list below these steps to find your model. Apple also provides more information on Recovery mode in this support article.
    restore

  4. A dialog will pop up asking if you want to restore your device. Click Restore to wipe your device and install the latest public release of iOS or iPadOS.
  5. Wait while the restore process completes.

How to Enter Recovery Mode on Your iOS Device

  • iPad models with Face ID: Press and quickly release the Volume Up button. Press and quickly release the Volume Down button. Press and hold the Top button until your device begins to restart. Continue holding the Top button until your device goes into recovery mode.

  • iPhone 8 or later: Press and quickly release the Volume Up button. Press and quickly release the Volume Down button. Then, press and hold the Side button until you see the recovery mode screen.

  • iPhone 7, iPhone 7 Plus, and iPod touch (7th generation): Press and hold the Top (or Side) and Volume Down buttons at the same time. Keep holding them until you see the recovery mode screen.

  • iPad with Home button, iPhone 6s or earlier, and iPod touch (6th generation) or earlier: Press and hold both the Home and the Top (or Side) buttons at the same time. Keep holding them until you see the recovery mode screen.

One you've followed the above steps, you can restore a backup of your device from iOS 14 or iPadOS 14 using your Mac or iCloud.

Related Forum: iOS 15

Top Rated Comments

Agit21 Avatar
48 months ago
We’ll you guys are smarter now. Don’t install beta updates. It’s just not worth it (for normal users).
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Mystakill Avatar
48 months ago
I just wish I could download the previous version of Safari. The new version is an absolute steaming pile o' crap. "Look! We put in all kind of new, useless gee whizzes & what's-its because our designer & developer wonks wanted to. Who cares if these (essentially) massive changes slow you down and make you less productive? It looks great, right? Right?"

I guess I'll be re-exploring Chrome, Firefox, et. al., for a new default browser.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
mystery hill Avatar
48 months ago

Can you do this for Watch OS ?
No.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
randyhudson Avatar
48 months ago

I would strongly advise against this if you were previously on the iOS 14.7 public beta.

I lost a good 4 hours of my life yesterday trying to do this.

Once you sign up for the iOS 15 public beta, the 14.7 will not be available again. The downgrade to iOS 14 will work but will put you on 14.6 but your backup will be from the 14.7 beta and is incompatible so can’t be used.

Complete **** show.

After getting back on iOS 14.6 and not being able to restore it. I had to set it up as a new phone, then get back onto the iOS 15 public beta, then reset the device and then restore it from the latest backup.
No sympathy for fools willing to be apple’s guinea pigs
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Marzzz Avatar
48 months ago

We’ll you guys are smarter now. Don’t install beta updates. It’s just not worth it (for normal users).
Not only do I not install beta updates, but I usually wait at least 6 months before installing a MacOS major update.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Saturnine Avatar
48 months ago

Only reason I want to downgrade is HSBC's app doesn't work under iOS15 public beta.
Is there a way to downgrade the Watch to watchOS 7? I don;t want to downgrade my phone to iOS 14 and lose connectivity to my watchOS 8 watch.
Same.

First Direct (same underlying app, different branding) doesn’t work on iOS 15. I didn’t want to downgrade back to iOS 14 so I’ve had to put the app on my iPad for the time being, and call them to deactivate/deactivate the stupid digital secure key.

Par for the course running betas though.

The only other iOS 15 issue I’ve had is my phone occasionally running really hot and depleting the battery very quickly for no apparent reason. No clues in the Battery settings page either. A reboot sorts it out and it hasn’t happened since I upgraded to the revised version of Beta 2. They must have encountered a serious bug to release a revised build and I wonder if that’s what I was hitting.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

Apple iPhone 16e Feature

Apple Announces iPhone 16e With A18 Chip and Apple Intelligence, Pricing Starts at $599

Wednesday February 19, 2025 8:02 am PST by
Apple today introduced the iPhone 16e, its newest entry-level smartphone. The device succeeds the third-generation iPhone SE, which has now been discontinued. The iPhone 16e features a larger 6.1-inch OLED display, up from a 4.7-inch LCD on the iPhone SE. The display has a notch for Face ID, and this means that Apple no longer sells any iPhones with a Touch ID fingerprint button, marking the ...
iphone 17 pro asherdipps

iPhone 17 Pro Models Rumored to Feature Aluminum Frame Instead of Titanium Frame

Tuesday February 18, 2025 12:02 pm PST by
Over the years, Apple has switched from an aluminum frame to a stainless steel frame to a titanium frame for its highest-end iPhones. And now, it has been rumored that Apple will go back to using aluminum for three out of four iPhone 17 models. In an investor note with research firm GF Securities, obtained by MacRumors this week, Apple supply chain analyst Jeff Pu said the iPhone 17, iPhone...
apple launch feb 2025 alt

Here Are the New Apple Products We're Still Expecting This Spring

Thursday February 20, 2025 5:06 am PST by
Now that Apple has announced its new more affordable iPhone 16e, our thoughts turn to what else we are expecting from the company this spring. There are three product categories that we are definitely expecting to get upgraded before spring has ended. Keep reading to learn what they are. If we're lucky, Apple might make a surprise announcement about a completely new product category. M4...
Generic iOS 18

Here's When Apple Will Release iOS 18.4

Wednesday February 19, 2025 11:38 am PST by
Following the launch of the iPhone 16e, Apple updated its iOS 18, iPadOS 18, and macOS Sequoia pages to give a narrower timeline on when the next updates are set to launch. All three pages now state that new Apple Intelligence features and languages will launch in early April, an update from the more broader April timeframe that Apple provided before. The next major point updates will be iOS ...
apple launch feb 2025

Tim Cook Teases an 'Apple Launch' Next Wednesday

Thursday February 13, 2025 8:07 am PST by
In a social media post today, Apple CEO Tim Cook teased an upcoming "launch" of some kind scheduled for Wednesday, February 19. "Get ready to meet the newest member of the family," he said, with an #AppleLaunch hashtag. The post includes a short video with an animated Apple logo inside a circle. Cook did not provide an exact time for the launch, or share any other specific details, so...
apple c1

Apple Unveils 'C1' as First Custom Cellular Modem

Wednesday February 19, 2025 8:08 am PST by
Apple today announced its first custom cellular modem with the name "C1," debuting in the all-new iPhone 16e. The new modem contributes to the iPhone 16e's power efficiency, giving it the longest battery life of any iPhone with a 6.1-inch display, such as the iPhone 15 and iPhone 16. Expanding the benefits of Apple silicon, C1 is the first modem designed by Apple and the most...
Apple Northbrook

Apple Store Permanently Closing at Struggling Mall in Chicago Area

Tuesday February 18, 2025 8:46 pm PST by
Apple is permanently closing its retail store at the Northbrook Court shopping mall in the Chicago area. The company confirmed the upcoming closure today in a statement, but it has yet to provide a closing date for the location. Apple Northbrook opened in 2005, and the store moved to a larger space in the mall in 2017. Apple confirmed that affected employees will continue to work for the...