After updating to iOS 26 my iPhone has been lagging and draining battery. I’m thinking of rolling back to iOS 18.5, but I don’t know how to do it without losing data. Has anyone here successfully downgraded their iPhone?
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Verified Solution Summary
Community-analyzed fixes that actually worked for Users
💬 In Progress
📝 Current progress and working solutions so far from this thread
Here’s what the community has shared so far on downgrading from iOS 26 to iOS 18.5:
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Signing status matters: Apple usually stops “signing” older iOS builds quickly. If 18.5 is no longer signed, you can’t install it — you’ll only be able to downgrade to the latest signed version (likely 18.6.x).
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Backups are key: An archived backup from 18.5 is needed if you want your data fully restored. Backups made on iOS 26 won’t restore to 18.5.
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Downgrade process (shared by users):
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Backup iPhone (if possible).
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Download iOS 18.5 IPSW file from a trusted site like ipsw.me.
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Turn off Find My iPhone.
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Put phone into DFU mode.
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Use iTunes (Windows) or Finder (Mac) → Option+Restore (Mac) or Shift+Restore (Windows).
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Computer required: This can’t be done from the phone alone. You’ll need a Mac or PC.
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Data loss risk: If you didn’t archive a backup from 18.5, only iCloud-synced items (photos, contacts, notes) will come back. Messages, app data, etc. won’t.
Bottom line: It is possible if Apple is still signing 18.5 and you have an older backup. If not, you may be limited to restoring 18.6.x. Several members here managed it, but all confirm you’ll lose some data unless you planned ahead.
— Moderator Team
Steps I followed:
After that I set it up as new and pulled what I could from iCloud. Took me about an hour. Did you already archive a backup from 18.5 before updating? If not, you’ll lose more than you think.
How do I downgrade from iOS 26 to iOS 18.5? please help…
I updated my iPhone to iOS 26 and honestly it’s been nothing but trouble. The battery is draining super fast, apps are lagging, and the whole phone just feels slower than it did before. On iOS 18.5 everything was running smooth, so now I’m really wishing I never updated.
Is there any way to go back to iOS 18.5? If yes, what’s the actual process step by step? Do I need a Mac to do this or can I also use a Windows PC with iTunes? And what about backups will an iCloud backup made on iOS 26 even work if I roll back to 18.5, or will I lose everything?
Check out Apple’s support article on removing the beta. Just a heads up though, you’ll need a backup from iOS 18 (before you updated to 26). Without that, restoring might not work properly and you could lose your data.
How to uninstall iOS or iPadOS beta software – Apple Support
Tip for you: Apple sometimes stops signing old versions pretty quick. If 18.5 is already closed, you’ll only be able to downgrade to 18.6. Did you check signing status yet? I wasted a whole evening once not realizing it was blocked.
If you don’t own a computer, you can’t do it. Simple as that. I had to borrow my friend’s laptop just to roll mine back. Do you maybe have access to one? Without Finder or iTunes you’re stuck on 26.
Steps are pretty standard: download 18.5 IPSW, turn off Find My iPhone, put the phone in DFU, restore through iTunes or Finder. But can I ask, are you looking for 18.5 because you liked how stable it was, or just because you regret updating to 26 too fast?
Honestly, if you didn’t archive before installing 26, you’re kinda stuck. I made that mistake too. Had to wipe and start fresh. Painful but at least the phone works fine on 18.5 again. Why don’t Apple warn more clearly during updates?
bruh i lost all my msgs. icloud only brought back photos 😭 never downgrading again.
I downgraded last week.
– Backed up what I could.
– Grabbed 18.5 IPSW from ipsw.me.
– DFU restore through iTunes.
Took me about an hour. Had to set up as new and only got my iCloud data back. Painful but it worked.
man i regret updating 😭 battery is dead in half a day. i want to go back to 18.5 so bad. anyone know if i can do this on windows? i don’t own a mac.
same problem here on my 13 mini. super annoying
So you want to roll back from 26 to 18.5? The big question is, did you make an archived backup before jumping on 26? If not, you can’t restore that data on 18.5. I tried and lost all my messages. Only the iCloud stuff came back. Photos, contacts, notes were safe, but app data was gone.