The Apple Beta Software Program

You can sign up for the Apple Beta Software Program where you can test the new releases of the iOS, macOS, and tvOS of the company. The public beta benefits both the developers and the users. By providing feedback of the beta operating systems, Apple will know what bugs they need to fix in the full version. On the other hand, tech savvy users will have a chance to experience the features of the brand new OS. However, when an operating system has many issues, some users would like to quit and return to the previous version.

The iOS 11 beta was reported as “particularly buggy”. Some users complained about the bad animations, broken graphic elements and the frequent crash of apps. There was even an issue where the entire photo library of a user was deleted, however, later on, the operating realized the issue and restored it. If you find that iOS 11’s bugs are too much for you, this guide will help you to downgrade to iOS 10.

Downgrade to iOS 10

To recover the previous version of your operating system, you need to first navigate to Apple’s Beta Software Program where you will have to download and restore the image for the latest version of iOS 10 that matches your device. Since the file is in IPSW format, it means it will need a couple of gigabytes of storage. It also means you have to wait at least a few minutes for the download to finish. Next, open iTunes and select “Check for Update.” This way you can ensure that you are using the most recent version of the operating system.

If you have the right version, connect your iOS device to your computer and turn it into recovery mode. Recovery mode can be set, except for iPhone 7 and 7 Plus, by holding the Sleep/Wake and Home buttons together. iPhone 7 and 7 Plus users can do the same by holding the Sleep/Wake and the volume-down buttons. Don’t let go when you see the Apple logo, it is essential to hold the buttons until the connect to iTunes logo appears. When you see the connect to iTunes logo, you have successfully entered recovery mode. At the same time a pop-up will appear on your PC or Mac stating there’s a problem with your device and that you should choose a “Restore and Update” option. Do an “Option + click” on your Mac (Shift + click on PCs) on the Restore button and choose the IPSW file you downloaded earlier and click Restore.

When finished with all the steps, your device will restart. When the restore process is complete, you will have the option to select from setting it up as a new device or choosing a backup you created when you were previously running iOS 10.