Here’s how you can downgrade from iOS 12 to iOS 11.4 or iOS 11.3.1 on your compatible iPhone, iPad or iPod touch device.
You may have taken the opportunity to upgrade to Apple’s recently released iOS 12 beta. You may have also immediately regretted that decision and realized that it’s a limited pre-release seed for a reason. If so, and you are having a tough time with iOS 12, then you can follow the steps below to downgrade to iOS 11.4 or iOS 11.3.1. This is possible for a limited time as Apple will soon be closing the signing window, so hurry up while you can.
Do note that if you have taken any iTunes or iCloud backup on iOS 12, you won’t be able to restore that data to iOS 11.4 or below due to incompatibility. With that out of the day, here’s how to go about downgrading your device back to iOS 11 from iOS 12.
Step 1: Before you can go through the downgrade process, you are going to need to be on the latest version of iTunes. For the record, that’s going to be Apple’s latest version with support for the released iOS 12 beta. If you haven’t already got that download, then go and grab it right now!
Step 2: You are also going to need to have the relevant iOS 11.4 or iOS 11.3.1 IPSW file in your possession. You can download the right iOS IPSW file for your specific device right now from here:
Step 3: On your iPhone or iPad, you will need to switch off Find My iPhone. To do this, launch Settings, navigate to iCloud > Find My iPhone and make sure the feature is toggled into the Off position. If/when you are asked to enter your iCloud password, make sure you enter it correctly to turn the feature off.
Step 4: Take the USB cable and connect your device to the PC or Mac and make sure that iTunes is launched. It’s now time to put the device into DFU Mode or Recovery Mode.
Step 5: Once the device is in the required mode, you now need to head into iTunes and hold down the Option key on Mac or the SHIFT key on Windows, and then click on the Restore iPhone… button in the iTunes interface. This will launch a new window which will allow you to select the relevant IPSW file that you downloaded earlier.
Step 6: Once iTunes has the IPSW file it will then go about its business and go through the process of restoring the selected iOS 11.4 or iOS 11.3.1 IPSW file to your connected device.
Step 7: Wait for it to finish and enjoy the stability of the iOS 11.4 firmware. And remember, when iOS 12 is stable, you can go right back to it and get it on your device.
Apple continues to sign iOS 11.3.1 as of this writing, so it’s possible to downgrade from iOS 12 to iOS 11.3.1; you can also upgrade to iOS 11.3.1 if you’re using an earlier version of iOS. You can use the helpful online IPSW.me utility to see if the iOS 11.3.1 is still being signed at any time.
Coolstar, who is the developer behind Electra jailbreak has even confirmed that it is possible to also jailbreak devices with A10 chip or later running iOS 11.3.1 using Beer’s exploit. In fact he has updated the official Electra jailbreak website noting Electra is coming soon for iOS 11.3.1.