How to Restore iPhone without Updating

If your device runs into problems like your iPhone gets frozen or locked, the best way to fix it is to restore it. When you try to restore your iPhone, you will find that iTunes will often update your device as well. However, in certain cases, such as when some apps on your device are not compatible with the latest version of iOS, you may not want to update your iPhone yet. Then you may wonder: is it possible to restore your iPhone without updating it?

Also Read: How to Restore iPhone or iPad without Computer >

The answer is yes! There are several ways to do so, including using the recovery mode and using a previous backup via iTunes or iCloud. In this article, you can learn all the details about how to restore your iPhone without updating it.

Restore iPhone without Updating in Recovery Mode

If your computer already has the latest version of iTunes, you should be able to get your iPhone into recovery mode and easily restore your iPhone without updating it. First, let’s see how to turn off your iPhone and get it into recovery mode.

If you have an iPhone X or later, iPhone SE (2nd generation), or iPhone 8 and 8 Plus:

1. Press and hold the side button and the volume down button. When you see the power off slider, drag it to the right to turn your phone off.
2. Press and hold the side button while connecting your phone to the computer. Do not release it until you see the recovery mode screen on your iPhone.

If you have an iPhone 7 and 7 Plus:

1. Press and hold the side button. When you see the power off slider, drag it to the right to turn your phone off.
2. Press and hold the volume down button while connecting your phone to the computer. Do not release it until you see the recovery mode screen on your iPhone.

If you have an iPhone SE (1st generation) or iPhone 6s and earlier:

1. Press and hold the side or top button. When you see the power off slider, drag it to the right to turn your phone off.
2. Press and hold the home button while connecting your phone to the computer. Do not release it until you see the recovery mode screen on your iPhone.
3. In the upper-left corner of your iTunes, you will see a phone icon. Click it to view a list of your connected iPhones.
4. Click the one you wish to restore. You should see the There is a problem with the iPhone that requires it to be updated or restored window.
5. Click on Restore.

This process may take a while. Once finished, you can disconnect your iPhone from your computer, set it up, and start to enjoy your phone again.

Restore iPhone without Update via iTunes

If you happen to have a previous backup stored with iTunes, you don’t even need to get your phone into recovery mode to restore it without an update. In fact, you can just choose to restore your iPhone with this backup via iTunes. Here are the steps to do so:

1. Connect your iPhone to your computer via USB cable.
2. Launch iTunes and locate your phone in iTunes by clicking the phone icon in the upper-left corner.
3. Click on Restore Backup.
4. When a new window pops up, select the backup with which you wish to restore your iPhone. Enter your password and then click on Restore.

With the above steps, your phone should be restored with your chosen backup without updating to a new iOS version. However, if the backup in your iTunes is not a recent one, the data and settings restored may not be up to date to your iPhone. Therefore, you should be careful to check the backup version before proceeding with the above steps.

Restore iPhone without Update via iCloud

Another place where you may restore your backup in iCloud. Also, this method requires you to have a previous backup stored. It’s good news that you can also restore your iPhone without an update via iCloud. See the following steps about how to do so:

1. On your iPhone, go to Settings > General.
2. Tap Reset and then tap Erase All Content and Settings to start the reset process.
3. When you reach the steps to reset your iPhone, proceed until you see the Apps & Data page. Tap Restore from iCloud Backup on this page.
4. Sign in to your iCloud account with your Apple ID and password.
5. Select the backup with which you wish to restore your iPhone.

With the above steps, your iPhone should be restored with a backup via iCloud without updating to a new iOS. However, please note that this method involves erasing all content and settings from your iPhone. Therefore, please make sure to check the version of the iCloud backup you have so that you won’t lose any data or settings.

Here’s how to check the version of your iCloud backup:

1. Go to Settings.
2. Tap your name > iCloud > Manage Storage > Backups.
3. Select the backup associated with your iPhone.

Now you can see all the details about your backup and proceed to restore your iPhone.

The Bottom Line

Is the above article helpful for you to restore your iPhone without updating? Please feel free to let us know if you still have any questions by commenting below. Our help is on the way!