Is it possible to roll back an iPhone 5. How to roll back iOS to a previous version? Is it possible to bypass this system?

Have you already tried iOS 12, but didn’t like it or just decided to wait a little for a more stable version? You can still downgrade to iOS 11.4.

What you need to know before rolling back

First, you must make a backup of your operating system. You never know, iOS 12 will be crooked or your gadget will turn into a brick.

Via iCloud

Step 1. Open Settings, go to the Apple ID menu (at the very top with your avatar).

Step 2. Open iCloud -> Backup. Above this menu is a list of everything that is saved to the cloud.

Step 3. Turn on the iCloud backup toggle switch and wait until a copy is created.

Via iTunes

Step 1. We connect the iPhone or iPad to the computer via wire.

Step 2. Click on the device icon in the iTunes application.

Step 3. Choose This computer.

Step 4. Click Create a copy now.

How to downgrade to iOS 11. Clean installation

To get started, you will need the iOS 11.4 firmware file. Here's the full list:

Before starting the procedure, disable the function Find iPhone. Otherwise, iTunes will refuse to perform the rollback procedure.

Step 1. Connect your gadget to your computer or Mac.

Step 2. Select your device in iTunes.

Step 3. On the Review tab, hold down the OPTION key (Shift for Windows) and tap on the item Restore iPhone.

Step 4. Select the newly downloaded firmware file.

Step 5. Click Restore.

Step 6. Now, when you re-set up your smartphone, you can choose to restore from a backup.

Important: The device cannot be restored from a backup created on iOS 12.

During installation in no case Do not disconnect your iOS device from your computer. The average recovery time is 15-20 minutes.

As you know, Apple does not allow you to install old firmware versions. All this was done for security reasons, and thanks to this approach, most users do not have to worry about the safety of their personal data. How exactly does the firmware signing system work?

The update process occurs as follows: iTunes or the device itself (when updating over the air) contacts a special Apple server and requests verification of the digital signature. The process sends the device identifier (ECID) and therefore the server response is unique for each request. If everything is fine, then the firmware is digitally signed (SHSH) and the installation process begins.

Is it possible to bypass this system?

Yes, SHSH with the Apple server can be requested not only by iTunes, but also by any other program. The developer 1Conan has created a tool that allows you to save SHSH2 certificates: https://tsssaver.1conan.com/. To use this method, you need to know the ECID of your iOS device.

How to find out the ECID of your iPhone, iPad or iPod Touch?

1. Connect your iOS device to your computer.
2. Launch iTunes and select the Browse tab in the left pane.
3. Click in the Serial Number field on the Review tab until the ECID number appears.

1. Go to the website - https://tsssaver.1conan.com/.
2. Enter your ECID in the iTunes (Hex) field.
3. Now all you have to do is select the model of your device.
4. Immediately after this, the certificates can be downloaded.

It is important to understand that this tool allows you to save only SHSH2 of current versions, however, after the firmware is no longer signed, the certificates will not lose their relevance and you can rollback.

In addition to saving the certificates, we will need to perform one more operation - configure the nonce. How it's done? Each firmware has its own tool for this.

Actually, the utilities themselves:

https://github.com/arx8x/v0rtexNonce (iOS 10.3-10.3.3)
https://github.com/Siguza/PhoenixNonce (iOS 9.3.4-9.3.5)
https://github.com/julioverne/NonceSet112/ (iOS 11.1.1- 11.1.2)
https://github.com/Siguza/cl0ver (iOS 9.0-9.3.4)

So what is a nonce? Every time your device boots into Recovery mode, it generates a nonce value (a unique number each time). Our saved SHSH2 has a Generator and ID line. Our task is to make the nonce number and the ID number the same. If you are using a jailbreak device, you can do this using the programs listed above.

Alexander Grishin

The release of a new version of the iOS operating system means not only new functions, improved optimization, smooth graphics, but also bugs that are often encountered in the first versions of updated firmware.

Moreover, installing a new OS on relatively outdated devices (in particular, the iPhone 5S) can cause slowdowns and high battery consumption. For these reasons, owners of Apple gadgets resort to the so-called downgrade procedure - rolling back to previous firmware versions.

The policy of Apple software developers is very strange, since in October 2017 they prohibited downgrading the operating system from version 11 to version 10.

However, Apple often again provides an opportunity for this, which, unfortunately, lasts no more than a day. To catch such a moment, you need to follow the news of thematic portals, VK, Facebook groups and Twitter users. In order not to miss the opportunity, you need to remember in advance how to roll back an iPhone 5S from iOS 11 to 10:

1. Download iOS 10.3.3 firmware from Apple servers to your computer;
2. Disable the “Find iPhone” option on your smartphone ( Open your phone's Settings app, click on your username at the top of the menu, go to the "iCloud" section);
3. Connect your smartphone to your computer via a lightning cable;
4. Press and hold the Volume Down and Home keys at the same time until rebooting for about 5 seconds;
5. Simultaneously press the Shift button (for Windows) and Alt button (for MacOS) on the keyboard and click on the “Restore iPhone...” item;
6. Select the previously downloaded iOS 10.3.3 and select “ Restore and update»;
7. Accept any additional instructions that arise during the rollback process.

It is not always possible to catch the moment when Apple allows you to downgrade. However, there is a chance, so you should always be ready to switch to the old firmware and ease the fate of the old iPhone 5S.

• Slow operation of the old device on new versions of the system
• bugs, freezes, freezes, problems with autonomy and the desire to return a stable version of the firmware (hello iOS 11)
• dissatisfaction with the new design and poor implementation of the stated functions

Unfortunately, the rollback any iPhone before any iOS version is not possible. The fact is that in 2009, Apple introduced restrictions on the ability to roll back certain devices to a specific firmware version. Therefore, before starting the procedure, check whether your smartphone can return to the desired version of iOS.

Disabling the Find My iPhone option

This option is designed to help you locate your device if it is lost or stolen. It blocks any manipulations with the firmware, so you need to disable it before resetting the device. Otherwise, all rollback attempts will result in an error message.

Turn off Touch ID and passcode

1. Open Settings
2. Go to "Touch ID and Passcode"
3. If necessary, enter a passcode
4. Select "Turn off passcode"
5. Then confirm the action in the pop-up message

Ways to downgrade iPhone firmware

Method 1: Downgrade iOS using iTunes

1. Disable iPhone
2. When the smartphone screen goes dark, connect the device to the computer
3. Press and hold the Home button until the display shows schematic icons of iTunes and Lightning wires (iPhone 7/7 Plus owners must press the Volume Down key)

1. Afterwards you can launch iTunes; the program automatically recognizes the smartphone in the desired mode
2. A warning pop-up window will appear on your computer screen - click “Cancel” on it
3. Then, while holding Shift(Windows) or Alt(Mac), initiate recovery. To do this, click the appropriate button
4. In the dialog box that opens, select the pre-downloaded firmware file with the extension .ipsw
5. Wait until the firmware is installed on the device. Never disconnect your smartphone from your computer.
6. After turning on your iPhone, perform the initial setup and, if necessary, restore it from a backup

Attention! If you want to return not to the previous, but to one of the earlier versions of the firmware, we recommend doing a sequential rollback. That is, roll back to the previous version, then to the previous one, etc. Otherwise, the device may display an error and will not boot. Instead, the Lightning lanyard and the iTunes icon will appear on the screen again.

Method 2. Rollback in DFU Mode

DFU Mode- alternative installation mode for stable versions of the system. Used in cases where the previous method does not work for some reason. Be prepared for the fact that during the flashing process the device will not show any signs of life and will not respond to button presses.

1. Connect iPhone to Windows PC/Mac
2. Turn off the device
3. Launch iTunes on PC/Mac
4. Press and hold the Home and Power/Power buttons for 10 seconds
5. Remove your finger from the Power/On button without releasing the Home button
6. Wait until the device is recognized by iTunes in the desired mode (DFU Mode)

1. Select your device
2. Click “Restore iPhone” while holding alt for macOS and shift for Windows
3. In the window that appears, specify the path to the firmware file previously downloaded to your hard drive and click the “Open” button
4. Wait until the operation is completed, after which you can turn on the device

Method 3. Rollback iPhone while saving user data

This option is considered less reliable than the two described above, since the required firmware version is not installed from scratch. However, it allows you to save music, photos, contacts and other important information on your device (can be useful if you don't have time to restore this data from a backup).

To do this, in iTunes → Device recovery menu, instead of the “Restore iPhone...” button, click “Update”.

Wait for the process to complete. The device will update to the specified firmware version automatically and then turn on.

On September 19, Apple released the final version of iOS 11. Millions of iPhone, iPod and iPad users immediately began updating over the air, and today everyone decided whether it was worth staying on the new version of the system or whether it was better to wait for the time being on the more stable iOS 10.

At the time of publication of this instruction, Apple continues to sign the iOS version 10.3.3, so the rollback procedure is still possible. If you decide to return to the top ten, try not to hesitate - then it may be too late.

What needs to be done before downgrading from iOS 11 to iOS 10?

The process of preparing an iOS device is quite simple and allows you to restore all data immediately after installing iOS 10, but with one condition - you must have a backup copy in iTunes or iCloud created under iOS 10.

If you downgrade the firmware, you cannot restore data from a backup copy from a newer version of iOS.

Head to the menu Settings -> Touch ID & Password and turn off the corresponding slider. Rollback is possible only when protection is disabled.

How to downgrade from iOS 11 to iOS 10. Step-by-step instructions

1. Hold down the Power key and turn off your iOS device. For iPhone 7: Hold the Volume Down button while holding down the Home button.

2. Hold down the Home key and connect your smartphone using a USB cable to a computer or Mac with iTunes installed. Hold down the Home key until you see the iTunes icon.

3. The iTunes app should recognize your device and offer three options: Cancel, Update, or Restore. Select “Cancel”.

4. Download the firmware image specific to your device.