Roll back iPhone firmware from iOS12 to iOS 11

The latest OS version from Apple - iOS 12 has a number of significant changes from the previous one - 11. However, many users encountered a number of problems with the operating system, as a result of which the gadget could not be used properly. Fortunately, you can return to the past, stable firmware by rolling back from iOS 12 to iOS 11.

Roll back iPhone firmware from iOS 12 to iOS 11.

What you need to know before rolling back

You should know that there are some advantages of downgrading iOS. First of all, the procedure is safe for your device, and after its completion, you will have a gadget that works normally without any problems. On the other hand, a buggy iOS can get stuck in recovery mode, in DFU mode or on the Apple logo, and you will have to overcome a lot of difficulties to fix it. And, above all, during the process you will definitely lose all your data. Therefore, it is recommended to immediately make a backup of your iPhone. The most common problems of iOS 12 are related to updating. Although the publicly available update is compatible with all leading iOS devices, users still face OS issues. Here are some of the most common problems with iOS 12 and how to fix them.

OS slows down

Although iOS 12 should make your phone faster, there is a possibility that the update may backfire. Some users report that their iOS 12 devices hang for a few minutes, after a while they start working again, but then they stop responding again. The causes of this problem can be many. If your iPhone or iPad freezes after upgrading to iOS 12, try one of the following solutions:

  • Delete unnecessary data - if iOS 12 runs on a small amount of memory, most likely, it will automatically become slow. You can get rid of any application that is no longer in use. In addition, you can remove photos, videos and other data files from your device that you no longer need.
  • Shutting down applications — Another reason for the stagnation of iOS 12 may be the processing of too many applications. For devices other than iPhone X / XS (Max) / XR, you can visit the application manager by double-clicking the Home button. Here you can scroll through the applications you want to close. If you have an iPhone X / XS (Max) / XR, go to the main screen, slide your finger up and wait. Now swipe over the application you want to close.
  • Disable background application update - some applications can also update automatically in the background. To keep iOS 12 working, you need to disable this option. Go to the settings of your device and disable the update application in the background.
  • Turning off services — in addition, you can also turn off other services on your device, such as location, Bluetooth, AirDrop, Wi-Fi, etc.

Reboot iOS and check if the speed has changed or not.

Screen recording does not work

With the release of iOS 11, Apple turned on the screen recording feature, which was greatly appreciated by users. This feature has also been enabled in iOS 12, but some users cannot get the most out of it. They suffer greatly when the recording of the iOS 12 screen does not work at all, the recorded videos cannot be saved or have no sounds, or the recording files are damaged. Here are some tricks to fix the screen recording problem:

  • Turn on screen recording again - make sure that you enable the screen recording function on iOS 12. You can find it in the Control Center of your iPhone. If you want, you can go to the "Settings of the Control Center" and also add a shortcut to the function on the desktop. As soon as the screen recording starts, you will receive a notification.
  • Turn on the microphone - sometimes the screen recording simply turns on the visual effects without sound. This happens when the user has turned off the microphone. During recording, click on the microphone icon and make sure that it is not set to “silent” mode.
  • Resetting the device settings - perhaps the cause of this problem may be an incorrect setting of iOS 12. To fix this, go to Settings / General / Reset and Reset all settings.

If you still cannot solve this problem, simply use a third-party screen recording program.

Activation error

Recently, many have been complaining about the “iPhone or iPad activation error” problem after upgrading to iOS 12. The error messages that appear can be “iPhone failed to activate”, “Activation error” or “Unable to continue activation now”. This mainly happens when your device cannot connect to the Apple server. Also, the cause may be a software problem that interferes with the activation of the device. Here are some troubleshooting tips:

  • Avoid the maximum load time on the Apple server - just wait a few minutes. If the Apple servers are busy, you can wait and retry to activate the phone. If you are lucky, after a while you will not get this error.
  • Restart the iPhone - rebooting the phone is another option that can help. This will cause your phone to contact the Apple servers again and resolve the activation error.
  • Restart the network Wi-Fi - if there is a problem with the network, you must restart the Wi-Fi network. Make sure your SIM card is installed correctly. Take the SIM card ejector pin and remove the SIM card tray. Clean it and reinsert it.

Check the operation of the device.

iOS 12 freezes while preparing an update

Today, many face the same problems when upgrading their iPhone to iOS 12, when it hangs on the Preparing Updatie ... The reasons may be different, so try the following solutions:

  • Delete the OTA file and download it again.
  • Check your network connection.
  • Restart the iPhone forcibly.
  • Forcibly exit the settings app.

Check the gadget for performance.

iMessage not sent

In most cases, when you upgrade your iOS to a new version, messages sent via iMessage are not delivered. If iMessage says it is not delivered, try these tips to fix iMessage that does not work in iOS 12.1 / 12:

  • Check if the message type is supported by the operator. In order for your message to be sent via iMessage, you need to check whether your message type is supported by your service provider or not. Messages are sent as iMessage or SMS / MMS. You need to confirm whether your operator supports these messages or not. This can be done, for example, by calling the hotline.
  • Connect to the network. iMessage works over the Internet. Therefore, if you want the program to work, make sure you have a working Internet connection. If not, you can turn on / off flight mode.
  • Send iMessage as a text message. If you have problems with sending iMessage, you can send them as a normal SMS or text message. It is very easy to do. All you need is to go to Settings / Messages. Enable the "Send as SMS" slider. This will send your iMessage as a plain text message.

How to roll back from iOS 12 to iOS 11 without losing data

The latest version of iOS contains several new applications and various new features. But you should keep in mind that iOS 12 is not suitable for everyone. Many complain of sudden failures and stability problems. This is a certain type of problem that many people may encounter when using iOS 12. So, you will be very happy to know that you can revert to the previous version or downgrade the iOS version. You should also remember that the downgrade is very limited when iOS 12 becomes official, Apple will stop releasing firmware for the previous version, which means that you will not be able to go back to the previous version of iOS 11. You must take advantage of this opportunity in time.

Downgrade iOS 12 without iTunes and the IPSW file

The procedure is standard and not particularly difficult. First you need to download and install the IPSW file or firmware. Instead of doing all this, you can simply use the iPhone ReiBoot system recovery program. Here is how to use the program:

  1. Download and install Tenorshare ReiBoot on your PC or Mac.
  2. After that, connect your iPhone to your PC or Mac using a USB cable.
  3. When the device is detected, the panel opens, click "Restore Operating System".
  4. Click "Restore Now."
  5. After that, ReiBoot will automatically provide you with the latest official iOS firmware. You just need to click "Download".
  6. It will take some time to download or, if you already have the firmware, you can do it manually.
  7. After the download process is completed, click “Start recovery”, and everything will be done automatically.

Rollback with iOS 12 using iTunes

iOS 12, the updated version of Apple OS, contains many promises, but it is impossible to create a product that meets all standards. Try to roll back iOS 12 to 11.4:

  1. The first thing you need to do is turn off Find My Phone. Go to the settings of the smartphone and click on your profile. Then select iCloud and disable “Find my phone”.

  2. The next step is to download the IPSW file for the specific model you are using from the official site, for example, iOS 11.4. This file is the IPSW firmware that will be installed for you later downgrade your OS.
  3. Now you need to connect your device to your PC using a USB cable. After the connection is established, iTunes will start automatically. If this does not happen, you will have to do it manually. In the iTunes panel in the upper left corner you will see the phone icon, this means that iTunes recognized your device.
  4. Click on the device icon and you will enter the Dashboard.
  5. Press the "Check for updates" button, hold down the "Option" button, if you are using a Mac, in the case of a PC, press the "Shift" button. A window will open for importing ipsw files. Find and select your firmware package.

  6. A message appears stating that iTunes is installing iOS on the device. Click Refresh. After about 30 minutes, you will be prompted to enter the PIN code of the device.
  7. After iTunes completes the firmware installation, your device will restart, and then you can disconnect from the computer.

Your iPhone will return to firmware 11. Now you know how to uninstall iOS 12.

How to roll back from iOS 12 to iOS 11 recovery

This procedure will take much longer. In this case, the rollback will not be carried out on a new firmware, but on a restored one.

  1. To roll back from iOS 12, first you need to download the firmware from the official site.
  2. Connect your smartphone to your PC and launch iTunes.
  3. Put your smartphone into recovery mode (DFU). For models X, 8+, 8 - klatsnut quickly turn the volume up / down, then hold the power key. for 7 and 7+ - hold the volume key down with the power button. for 6S, iPad and iPad Pro - hold the "Home" key.
  4. When the prompt window appears, click OK.
  5. Hold Shift on the keyboard and select “Recover iPhone”.
  6. In the dialog box, find the downloaded firmware and select it.
  7. Next / Accept.
  8. After rebooting the smartphone, the system will be restored from the selected firmware.

Done! Now you know everything about how to get iOS 11 back from version 12. If you already had to downgrade your gadget, tell us in the comments which of the described methods you used and which problems you encountered on the new firmware.