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How to Downgrade to iOS 8.4 from iOS 8.4.1

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iOS 8.4.1 was released today and it arrives with fixes for Apple Music, as well as some other general bug fixes and performance improvements. However, if you’re having problems with the latest update or plan on jailbreaking, here’s how to downgrade to iOS 8.4 from iOS 8.4.1.

iOS 8.4.1 is the first minor update to iOS 8.4 and it’s likely the last update for iOS 8, period. It comes over a month since the original iOS 8.4 update was released in late June, and a big part of the update includes fixes for Apple Music. However, the new update also patches the iOS 8.4 jailbreak that was released shortly after iOS 8.4 released as well.

If you’re wanting to jailbreak your iOS device, you’ll want to stick with iOS 8.4.0 and avoid updating to iOS 8.4.1 at all costs. However, if you accidentally pull the trigger, not all hope is lost, as you can downgrade back down to iOS 8.4 for a limited time.

Normally, Apple doesn’t allow you to downgrade to an older version of iOS, but after they release a new version, they’ll keep the old version open for a couple of weeks, which allows users to downgrade using a special method in iTunes.

UPDATE: Apple is no longer signing iOS 8.4, which means you can no longer downgrade to iOS 8.4 from iOS 8.4.1.

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Here’s how to downgrade your iPhone or iPad to iOS 8.4 from iOS 8.4.1.

Back Up Your iOS Device

First, before you do anything, you’ll want to make sure to back up your iPhone or iPad. Even if it’s on iOS 8.4.1, you’ll want to make sure to back up your device so that all your apps and settings are saved.

itunes-backup

This is because when you downgrade to an older version of iOS, it has to completely wipe your device in order to do so, and then you’ll need to restore that backup after you downgrade to get your apps and settings back.

We have a great guide that takes you through the process of backing up your iPhone or iPad, but if you’re a long-time iOS user, you most likely know how it goes. Even if you don’t need to keep any apps or settings and don’t care about restoring them back, it’s still a good idea to back up in case anything goes wrong, that way you don’t end up with a bricked iPhone. That’s rare to happen, but you always want to be prepared for the worst.

Downgrade to iOS 8.4

Finally, we’re ready to downgrade to iOS 8.4 from iOS 8.4.1. To start, simply head to this website and download the iOS 8.4 IPSW file for your specific device.

These files are around a couple of gigabytes, so it may take a few minutes to download, even on a fast internet connection, so be patient. After it’s downloaded, though, you can start restoring your iOS device and begin the downgrade process.

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Next, open up iTunes and plug in your iPhone or iPad. Go to your device’s summary page and then click Restore iPhone while holding down the Option/Alt key on your keyboard (Shift key on Windows).

This will bring up a file explorer window and you’ll want to navigate to the iOS 8.4 IPSW file that you just downloaded, and then open it.

At this point, iTunes will begin restoring your iPhone or iPad and downgrade it to iOS 8.4 from iOS 8.4.1. The process should take around 10 minutes — maybe longer. After it’s done, your iPhone or iPad will be running iOS 8.4. However, it’ll be a clean version with no apps or settings, which is where that backup comes in handy.

Go back into iTunes and click Restore Backup in order to get your apps and settings back to how they were before. After the backup completes, you’ll be set to go and you’ll now be back to running iOS 8.4 just like before.

From there, if you want to jailbreak your device, we have a guide on how to do just that.

8 Comments

8 Comments

  1. Charles Jernigan

    08/17/2015 at 12:52 pm

    Tried to downgrade to 8.4 per instructions and was told not compatible. Guess I am stuck with 8.4.1. Charlie

  2. Mike

    08/18/2015 at 1:36 am

    same here

  3. Loes

    08/20/2015 at 4:40 am

    I got the same message the first time, tried another ipsw-file and was able to downgrade.

    • eduardo tavares

      09/04/2015 at 9:10 pm

      where did you download your ipsw file because I’ve done it for 5 times and none worked for me.Can you help me?

  4. Joackim

    08/20/2015 at 9:43 am

    Worked well for me, really useful and trustworthy guide and files.

  5. Joshua Bombard

    08/24/2015 at 5:39 am

    What is going on with this Apple Signing Status and why in the Hell did Siri stop working on iPhones yesterday? Apple is going to loss me a a loyal customer if they don’t get some people in there with some brains behind their products, I’m really sick of the hassle.

  6. EduardoTAvares

    09/04/2015 at 9:09 pm

    Nothing is working.I’ve tried this method and others but nothing works.

  7. The8.4.1Hater

    09/10/2015 at 4:08 pm

    I hate this! Stupid 8.4.1! I lost my music plan with Apple music!

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