How to Downgrade iOS 13 Beta to iOS 12 | Win2Key

How to downgrade iOS 13 beta to iOS 12

Want to upgrade from iOS 13 beta to stable iOS 12 builds? If you installed the beta version of iOS 13 or iPadOS 13 on a compatible iPhone or iPad and now want to go back to the previous version of iOS 12, you can do this using iTunes and a computer. And yes, this also applies to downgrading the iPadOS 13 version to iOS 12, since the iPadOS is just iOS, renamed for iPad.

We’ll show you two different ways to downgrade iOS 13 to iOS 12, the first approach will use ISPW recovery to go back to the previous iOS build, and the second approach will cover the downgrade of iOS 13 using recovery mode.


Lowering iOS 13 requirementsA: You need a Mac or Windows computer with the latest version of iTunes, an Internet connection, a USB cable to connect your iPhone or iPad to your computer, and an IPSW firmware file corresponding to the device you want to downgrade. You also want to be sure that you have a backup of your data created during the installation of iOS 12, since it is from it that you will recover data. You cannot restore iOS 13 beta on an iOS 12 device.

How to downgrade iOS 13 beta to iOS 12.3.1

You need to be sure that you have backup copies of your iPhone or iPad on hand in case something goes wrong. You can make a backup in iCloud or iTunes, or both. If you make a backup in iTunes, archive the backup of iOS 12 so that it is not overwritten by a new backup. Lack of adequate backup can lead to permanent data loss. Remember that you cannot restore iOS 13 beta on iOS 12.

  1. Download an iOS 12.3.1 IPSW firmware file corresponding to an iPhone or iPad model, make sure that an .ipsw file is easily accessible somewhere
  2. Launch iTunes on your Mac or Windows
  3. Connect your iPhone, iPad or iPod touch with iOS 13 beta to your iTunes computer using a USB cable.
  4. Select the connected device in iTunes by clicking the device icon in the iTunes menu bar, then find the summary section in iTunes for the connected device and follow these steps:
  • Mac: Hold down the OPTION button and click the Refresh button
  • Windows: Hold down the SHIFT button and click the Refresh button
  • In the file browser, select the IPSW for iOS 12.3.1 file that was downloaded in the first step, and select it to restore
  • The downgrade process will start, the iPhone or iPad screen will turn black, and the device will reboot several times, let the entire process complete and do not disconnect it from the computer before it is completed.
  • Downgrading iOS may take some time, do not interrupt the downgrading process. If you interrupt the upgrade process, the iPhone or iPad will not be available for use until they are restored again, which will probably require the use of recovery mode or DFU mode.

    How to downgrade iOS 13 Beta using recovery mode

    Another downgrade option is to use the DFU restore or restore mode, in which the device will be erased, and then you will have to either restore the device from a compatible backup, or configure it as new. Without a backup, you will lose all data on the device.

    Remember that you cannot restore a backup of iOS 13 on an iOS 12 device.

    1. Launch iTunes on your Mac or Windows
    2. Connect your iPhone or iPad with iOS 13 beta to your computer using a USB cable
    3. Put your iPhone or iPad into recovery mode, a process that is different for each iOS device:
    • iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max, iPhone XR, iPhone X, iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus: press and release the volume up button, then press and release the volume down button, then press and hold the power / side button until you see the mode screen recovery
    • iPhone 7, iPhone 7 Plus: simultaneously press and hold the power / side button and volume down button, hold the buttons until the recovery mode screen appears
    • iPad, iPad mini and all iPad Pro models with Home button, iPhone 6s: simultaneously press and hold the Power / Side and Home buttons, hold both buttons until the recovery mode screen appears
    • iPad Pro (2018) and newer with Face ID: press and release the volume up button, then press and release the volume down button, then press and hold the power / side button until the recovery mode screen appears
  • Click "Restore" when iTunes finds your device in recovery mode, remember it will erase everything on the device and installs the current stable version of iOS
  • Wait until the recovery process is completed. IOS, iPhone or iPad will reboot several times.
  • After the recovery process is completed in recovery mode, the iPhone or iPad will be loaded back into the normal setup process, as if it were a completely new device or device that was reset to its default settings. You can restore a restored iPhone or iPad from a backup from iCloud or iTunes or set it up as a new device.

    In case of failure of any of the above methods of lowering, which is unlikely, you will have to resort to using the DFU mode on your iPhone, iPad or iPod touch. Usually, DFU mode is only necessary if the device is mostly brick-made, that is, it is completely unsuitable and is stuck on a black screen or something like that.

    Have you abandoned iOS 13 beta and returned to iOS 12? Share your experience in downgrading and removing iOS 13 beta in the comments below!

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