How to Downgrade from the iOS 27 Beta to iOS 26

Read this first. A downgrade always erases the iPhone. A backup made on iOS 27 cannot be restored onto iOS 26, so you keep your local data only if you have a backup made before you installed the beta. If you don't, you can still downgrade, but you will set up as new and rely on iCloud to bring back synced data. If you only want to stop getting betas, you don't need to downgrade at all: see how to unenroll without losing data.

Can you still downgrade to iOS 26?

Yes. As of 19 October 2026, Apple is signing iOS 26.6.1 RC (build 23G82) for iPhones. Signing is what makes a restore possible: your computer asks Apple's servers to approve the file, and if Apple has stopped signing a version, the restore fails. Apple can stop signing at any time, so check the status on our IPSW page before you start.

iPads follow the same rules. Apple is signing iPadOS 26.6.1 RC (23G82) for iPads that run iPadOS 27. Older iPads that stop at iPadOS 26 get iPadOS 26.7.1, but those models were never able to run the iPadOS 27 beta.

Why a plain restore now gives you iOS 27

This is the change that catches people out. Before September, clicking Restore in Recovery Mode took a beta iPhone back to iOS 26, because iOS 26 was the newest public release. iOS 27.0 shipped on 14 September 2026 and iOS 27.0.1 on 28 September, so a restore without a file now installs iOS 27.0.1.

That is fine if you just want off the iOS 27.2 beta and onto a stable iOS 27 release. If you want iOS 26, you have to supply the iOS 26.6.1 RC IPSW yourself, as described in Step 4 below.

What you need before you start

• A computer. A Mac with Finder or a Windows PC with the Apple Devices app.
• A good cable. Cheap or worn cables drop out mid-restore and cause errors.
• The right IPSW. The iOS 26.6.1 RC file for your exact iPhone model. Files are large (roughly 10 GB), so download it first.
• Your Apple Account password. You need it to turn off Find My and to sign back in.
• Time. Allow 30 to 60 minutes, plus however long your backup takes to restore.
• Power. Keep a laptop plugged in so it doesn't sleep during the restore.

Backups: the rule that decides whether you keep your data

A backup can only be restored onto the same iOS version or a newer one. That is why an iOS 27 backup will not go onto iOS 26. If you backed up on iOS 26 before installing the beta, you are in one of two situations:

• Archived computer backup (best case). A Finder or Apple Devices backup you archived is protected from being overwritten. Restore from it after the downgrade and almost everything comes back.
• Normal backup (risky). If you didn't archive it, the computer may have replaced it with a newer iOS 27 backup. Check before you erase anything. In Finder, open Manage Backups and look at the dates.

Make a fresh backup on the beta anyway. It cannot go onto iOS 26, but it lets you return to iOS 27 with everything intact if you change your mind. Even when you set up as new, iCloud restores Photos, Contacts, Calendars, Notes, Messages in iCloud and Keychain passwords if they were syncing. Data that only lived inside apps on the iPhone is what you lose. Our backup and restore guide explains archiving step by step.

Step 1: turn off Find My

Activation Lock can block or complicate a restore if Find My is still on.

1. Open Settings › [your name] › Find My.
2. Tap Find My iPhone.
3. Turn it Off and enter your Apple Account password.

Step 2: download the iOS 26.6.1 RC IPSW

1. Check your exact model in Settings › General › About.
2. Open your model's page on our IPSW download page, for example the iPhone 15 Pro IPSW page.
3. Download the iOS 26.6.1 RC (23G82) file and confirm it is marked as signed.
4. Leave the file somewhere easy to find, such as your Downloads folder. Don't unzip it; Finder uses the .ipsw file as it is.

Step 3: put your iPhone in Recovery Mode

Recovery Mode lets your computer reinstall iOS. It is not the same as DFU mode, which is a deeper restore you rarely need. The button sequence is the same on every iPhone that runs iOS 27, from the iPhone 11 and iPhone SE (2nd generation) onwards.

1. Connect the iPhone to the computer with the cable.
2. Open Finder (Mac) or the Apple Devices app (Windows).
3. Press and quickly release Volume Up.
4. Press and quickly release Volume Down.
5. Press and hold the Side button. Keep holding through the Apple logo.
6. Release when the Recovery Mode screen appears, showing a cable pointing at a computer.

Step 4: restore iOS 26.6.1 RC

1. The computer shows a message that there is a problem with the iPhone and offers Update or Restore. Do not click Update; that keeps you on iOS 27.
2. Hold Option on a Mac or Shift on Windows.
3. While holding the key, click Restore iPhone.
4. Select the iOS 26.6.1 RC IPSW you downloaded.
5. Confirm. The computer verifies the file with Apple, erases the iPhone and installs iOS 26.6.1.
6. Keep the cable connected until the iPhone restarts to the Hello screen.

If you click Restore without holding the key, you get iOS 27.0.1, the current public release. That works if all you wanted was a stable iOS 27, but it is not iOS 26.

Step 5: set up and bring your data back

• You have a backup made on iOS 26: choose Restore from Mac or PC and pick the archived backup from before the beta. An iCloud backup also works if it was made on iOS 26.
• You don't: choose to set up as new, sign in with your Apple Account and let iCloud resync. Then reinstall your apps from the App Store.

Once you are back on iOS 26, check Settings › General › Software Update › Beta Updates and make sure it is set to Off so you are not offered the iOS 27.2 beta again. Software Update will still offer the public iOS 27.0.1 update; ignore it, or turn off automatic updates in Settings › General › Software Update › Automatic Updates if you want to stay on iOS 26 for now.

Troubleshooting common restore problems

The iPhone leaves Recovery Mode before the restore starts

Recovery Mode times out after a while, so a slow file check can outlast it. Let the computer finish whatever it is doing, then repeat Step 3 and start the restore again. Downloading the IPSW in advance, as in Step 2, avoids most of this.

Finder or Apple Devices doesn't see the iPhone

Try a different cable and USB port, avoid hubs, and restart both devices. On a Mac, check that macOS is up to date; on Windows, update the Apple Devices app. Detection problems are almost always the cable, the port or the computer software.

"This iPhone could not be restored" or a numbered error

These usually come from a dropped connection, a corrupted download or security software interfering. Turn off any VPN, try another network, re-download the IPSW and confirm it matches your exact model.

A signing error

The file is not being signed for your device, either because it is the wrong file for your model or because Apple has stopped signing that version. Check the status on your model's IPSW page.

The backup won't restore

This is the version rule, not a fault. A backup made on iOS 27 cannot be restored onto iOS 26. Find an older archived backup, or set up as new and rely on iCloud.

Your Apple Watch stops working with the iPhone

A watch on watchOS 27 will not pair with an iPhone on iOS 26, and only Apple can downgrade a watch. Contact Apple Support before you downgrade the phone. Our watchOS 27 beta guide has more on watch betas.

What to do next

The safest plan in one line: archived iOS 26 backup, Recovery Mode restore of iOS 26.6.1 RC with Option or Shift, restore that backup, then confirm Beta Updates is off. If you would rather try the beta again later on a spare device, our iOS 27 beta download guide covers a clean install.

Frequently asked questions