How To Downgrade iOS 14.5.1 And iPadOS 14.5.1 [Tutorial]

Here’s how to downgrade iOS 14.5.1 and iPadOS 14.5.1 to a previous version on your compatible iPhone or iPad device.

If you’ve updated to iOS 14.5.1 or iPadOS 14.5.1 and find that you need to downgrade again for whatever reason, carrying that out isn’t all that difficult even if it can be a little daunting. Don’t worry, we’re going to hold your hand every step of the way.

With that said, let’s get started.

Step 1: Make sure that you are running the latest version of iTunes on your PC or Mac. Those running macOS Catalina or Big Sur, don’t need to worry about iTunes as the functionality is built directly into the Finder app.

Step 2: You will need to be in possession of the correct IPSW iOS/iPadOS 14.5 file that has been compiled by Apple and that is intended for your specific device. This is the IPSW file that you will be using to perform the downgrade. You can grab it from here.

Step 3: Make sure that Apple’s Find My feature is disabled on your iPhone or iPad. To do that, launch Settings > iCloud > Find My and toggle the switch into the Off position. Enter the Apple ID and password that’s signed into the device to confirm the decision.

Step 4: Connect your device to your PC or Mac. If iTunes doesn’t load automatically you’ll need to do the donkey work. Again, if you are running Big Sur or Catalina, then don’t worry about iTunes, just make sure that you invoke a Finder window. Put your device into DFU mode using the quick guides below (if you don’t already know how to do it):

Step 5: Once the device has been recognized as being in DFU mode, head into iTunes or Finder and press and hold the Option key on a Mac or the Shift key on a PC and click the Restore iPhone/iPad option.

Step 6: Choose the IPSW file (iOS/iPadOS 14.4) that you downloaded earlier. Allow iTunes/Finder to go through the standard process and leave you with an iPhone or iPad that has been downgraded from iOS/iPadOS 14.5 to the version included within the IPSW file that you’ve chosen.

And that’s it, you’re done!

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