We’ve been getting a lot of questions from our readers asking whether it is possible to downgrade iOS 7.1 or iOS 7.1.1 to iOS 7.0.6 or earlier, and rather than try and respond to everybody, we thought it is better instead to consolidate everything we know about the state of downgrading into one, clarifying article. So if you’re interested in reverting to an earlier firmware, please check the information below.
The short answer, if you have a newer device (running on iOS 7.1 or 7.1.1 out of the box), is no. But to elaborate, we’ll outline precisely what you may be able to do depending on what device you own, and what information you may have stored at an earlier point in time.
A5 devices and up
Devices running the Apple A5 or newer (iPhone 4s, iPhone 5, iPhone 5c, iPhone 5s; iPad 2, 3, 4, Air, iPad mini, Retina iPad mini, iPod touch 5th-gen), cannot be downgraded once the signing window for the version of iOS you wish to downgrade to has been closed even if you somehow has managed to save the SHSH blobs.
Moreover, since there’s no low-level exploit available for any of the aforementioned devices anyway, none of the famed and trusted downgrade tools like iFaith or Redsn0w are of any help to those running on a device powered by the Apple A5 SoC or newer.
A4 devices
For those on A4 (meaning iPhone 4 since the iPod touch 4th-gen stopped at iOS 6), there is a glimmer of hope, but at the time of writing, it is also not possible. If you have saved your SHSH blobs for the particular version of iOS 7.x you want to downgrade to, then theoretically, you can downgrade, since these devices are pwned for life.
However, iFaith, the tool that works the magic, has yet to be updated beyond supporting iOS 6.1.3, so for the time being, those on iPhone 4 or iPad 2 looking to downgrade iOS 7.1.1 / 7.1 to 7.0.6 will need to sit tight and hope that an iFaith update does come along.
Looking ahead
If you’ve been following the jailbreak community for a while, you will know that what used to be relatively commonplace – jailbreaks, carrier unlocks, downgrades – are now few and far between, and as obvious as it may sound, your best downgrade option is to not upgrade from a jailbreak-friendly version of iOS at all.
Once you upgrade firmware, your chances of reversion are minimal, and lessening with each security improvement Apple makes to iOS, so to avoid getting stuck on a new release, carry out extensive research before you go ahead and update.
You may also like to check out:
- How To Downgrade iOS 7 To iOS 6 (6.1.3 / 6.1.2) [Tutorial]
- Download iOS 7.1.1 IPSW For iPhone And iPad [Download Links]
You can follow us on Twitter, add us to your circle on Google+ or like our Facebook page to keep yourself updated on all the latest from Microsoft, Google, Apple and the Web.
