How to Downgrade from iOS 17.4.1 to iOS 17.3.1

This is how you bring your iPhone back to iOS 17.3.1 from iOS 17.4.1.

If you run into iOS 17 problems on your iPhone and you think moving your device back to an older version of iOS 17 could help and this guide will help you downgrade.

Update: Apple recently stopped signing on older iOS 17 software which means you can no longer downgrade from iOS 17.4.1. Do not use these instructions. We’ll let you know when it’s safe to downgrade again.

iOS 17.4.1 users can only go back to iOS 17.3.1. You can’t go back to iOS 17.4 (oddly enough) and you can’t go back any further than iOS 17.3.1. The path back to other versions of iOS, including iOS 16, is closed and it won’t re-open.

Once you downgrade, you can only restore a backup that you made on iOS 17.3.1 so keep that in mind in case you need to restore a backup.

Most users will have a recent backup, but you may lose some items if you aren’t regularly backing up your photos and messages to iCloud.

While this isn’t officially supported, it is easy to do and you won’t lose any customer support or mess with your iPhone’s warranty.

How to Downgrade from iOS 17.4.1 to iOS 17.3.1

Here’s what you need to do to go back to iOS 17.3.1 on your iPhone. While you are downgrading you cannot use your phone so you will need to open this on your computer or another device.

If you make an archived backup, you can use that after you restore it. If you are doing this right after downloading iOS 17.4.1, you might have a iOS 17.3.1 backup available on iCloud or your computer.

Follow these steps to go back to iOS 17.3.1 from iOS 17.4.1:

• Download the iOS 17.3.1 update for your iPhone from this website.
• Make sure there is still a green checkmark in the Apple Signing Status column. If there isn’t one, do not proceed.
• Turn off Find My iPhone on your iPhone. Go to Settings -> tap on your Name at the top of this menu -> Tap on your name at the top -> Tap on Find My iPhone -> Toggle off and Enter your password.
• With your phone backed up and all the steps above completed, plug your iPhone into your computer.
• Open iTunes and Click on the iPhone icon.
  This is how this process works if you are still on macOS Mojave. If you’ve already upgraded to macOS Catalina, macOS Big Sur, macOS Monterey, macOS Ventura, or macOS Sonoma, you will need to start this process in Finder. Instead of opening iTunes, open Finder and click on your iPhone in the left side.
• Click on the Restore iPhone button using a special click. On a Mac, hold alt/option when you click. On PC, hold Shift when you click.
• In the window that opens, find the iOS 17.3.1 file you just downloaded, click on it, and then click open.
• Choose to erase and restore your iPhone. Click Restore to begin this process
• While you wait the iPhone will restart multiple times. When it is finished you will be back on iOS 17.3.2.

This process takes a little while to complete. When it does, you can start fresh or restore a backup made on iOS 17.3.1. Most people will want to install a backup.

Install iOS 17.4.1 for Better Security

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If security is important to you, think about installing Apple's iOS 17.4.1 update right away. The iOS 17.4.1 update includes two security patches. These patches will help keep your device and its data protected from harm. And that makes iOS 17.4.1 an important upgrade. If you missed iOS 17.4 and older software, you'll get the security patches from updates you missed when you upgrade to iOS 17.4.1. iOS 17.4 had four security patches on board.  The update also delivered quantum security protection for iMessage. The company says the upgrade gives iMessage "the strongest security properties of any at-scale messaging protocol in the world."  The iOS 17.3 update brought 15 new security patches to iPhone. The software also added Stolen Device Protection to iPhone. It increases the security of your iPhone and Apple ID by requiring Face ID or Touch ID to gain access to passwords, make purchases in Safari, and more. This is useful if someone gets access to your iPhone and its passcode.  iOS 17.2 delivered 10 new security patches to iPhone. If you wish to find out more, you can head on over to Apple's security site for the details. iOS 17.2 also included iMessage Contact Key Verification which improves the security of iMessage. The company also fixed an exploit that let the Flipper Zero multi-tool lock up iPhones. iOS 17.1.2 had two security patches on board. Both were related to WebKit. If you want to learn more, you can do so right here. iOS 17.1 brought 18 security fixes to iPhone. It addressed issues within Weather, Status Bar, WebKit, and more.  iOS 17.0.3 brought two patches for two security issues Apple identified within the software. If you want to read about the patches, head here. iOS 17.0.1 delivered three important patches to iPhone. If you're interested in the exact nature of these improvements, you can read about them over on Apple's security website. As for iOS 17 itself, it brought 40+ new security patches with it. A staggering number to say the least. If you want to learn more about them, head over to Apple.  In addition to those patches, iOS 17 brings some additional enhancements to privacy and security including improvements to Communication Safety beyond Messages. It now includes content sent by AirDrop, Contact Posters in the Phone app, FaceTime, and the systemwide photo picker. You now have an option to blur out sensitive photos and videos before you choose to view them. There's also an expanded Lockdown Mode which will help protect you against cyber attacks. Apple's also improved sharing permissions and you now have more control over what you share with the apps on your device.  The company also notes that starting in iOS 17, Voice Memos encrypts the titles of recordings stored in iCloud, in addition to the recordings themselves. If you skipped older versions of iOS, you'll get the security patches from those updates with your iOS 17.4.1 update as well.

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