If you've installed iOS 14 or iPadOS 14 through Apple's developer program or the public beta after it's been released, you may decide you want to downgrade because of issues. Keep reading to learn how it's done.

ios14handsonthumb feature2
Compared to betas of previous years, iOS 14 and iPadOS 14 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 14 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 7 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 13. Downgrading an Apple Watch to a previous version of watchOS can't be done manually either – if you want to remove watchOS 7, you'll have to send your watch in to Apple.

How to Downgrade from iOS 14 or iPadOS 14

  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 13 or iPadOS 13 using your Mac or iCloud.

Related Forum: iOS 14

Top Rated Comments

ke-iron Avatar
42 months ago

are there any deal-breaking bugs in the beta? never done this before, but am seriously considering installing this beta.
Nope, all my apps work fine and only a couple UI bugs, nothing to cry about.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
AngerDanger Avatar
42 months ago

Thinking of upgrading is anyone going back down?
I've had it for a few days, and it's very stable, but I'd watch out if you have low storage.

For me, it added another 24gb between System and Other.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
borninla Avatar
42 months ago
Press F for all the people who updated to watchOS 7 hoping to downgrade back to 6.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
pdaholic Avatar
42 months ago
Not tried iPadOS 14 yet, but iOS 14 has been amazingly stable. I’ll stick with it for now.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
AppleFan1179 Avatar
42 months ago
I'm struggling to reproduce bugs to submit.... I have them happen once, and then never again. It's maddening. Like others have said, beta this year is very stable so far.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
lyngo Avatar
42 months ago
iPadOS 14 is stable, too.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

iPhone 15 Pro Lineup Feature

iPhone 15 Models Feature New Setting to Strictly Prevent Charging Beyond 80%

Tuesday September 19, 2023 2:04 pm PDT by
All of the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Pro models feature a new battery health setting that prevents the devices from charging beyond 80% at all times when enabled, as confirmed by The Verge's Allison Johnson during a Q&A session today. The new setting is separate from the pre-existing Optimized Battery Charging feature on iPhones, which intelligently delays charging past 80% until a more...
iOS 17 and iPhones Feature

iOS 17: 10 New Features That Just Launched

Sunday September 17, 2023 12:35 pm PDT by
In June, Apple announced iOS 17 with a wide range of new features and changes for the iPhone. Following over three months of beta testing, the free software update will be released this Monday, September 18 for the iPhone XS and newer. Below, we have recapped 10 key features coming to the iPhone with iOS 17, with additional features coming later this year. The update should be released to...
iOS 17

Apple Releases iOS 17.0.1 and iPadOS 17.0.1 With Bug Fixes, Plus iOS 17.0.2 for iPhone 15 Models

Thursday September 21, 2023 10:28 am PDT by
Apple today released iOS 17.0.1 and iPadOS 17.0.1 updates for the iPhone and the iPad, adding bug fixes to the new software. The iOS 17.0.1 and iPadOS 17.0.1 updates come just a few days after Apple launched iOS 17 and iPadOS 17. The software, which is build 21A340, can be downloaded on eligible iPhones and iPads over-the-air by going to Settings > General > Software Update. There is a...
emojipedia 15 1 emoji

Emoji Coming to Future iOS 17 Update Include Shaking Head, Brown Mushroom, Lime, Phoenix and More

Tuesday September 19, 2023 12:43 pm PDT by
As Apple was announcing new iPhone models last week, the Unicode Consortium was officially approving new emoji characters that are set to be added to smartphones starting in 2024. Mockup of new emoji from Emojipedia Approved Unicode 15.1 emoji include phoenix, lime, an edible mushroom, shaking head vertically (as in a "yes" nod), shaking head horizontally (a "no" head shake), and broken...