Uninstall iOS 16 Beta: How to Downgrade Your iPhone to iOS 15

This story is part of Focus iPhone 2022CNET’s collection of news, tips and advice on Apple’s most popular product.

Upgrading an iPhone to the Beta version of iOS 16 gives an early look at all the new features of Apple’s latest update for its iPhone operating systembut this also brings with it bugs and performance issues that come with any beta software.

While the iOS 16 beta version has all the cool features like that customized lock screen and Automatically remove objects from photosit is also less stable and more error-prone than the final version of the software.

For some people trying out this beta software, the instability might not be worth it. If you want to go back to how your iPhone worked before, I’ll show you how to downgrade your phone from iOS 16 beta back to iOS 15, regardless of whether that’s what you’re using iOS 16 public beta or the developer beta,

For more information on iOS 16 and iPhone 14, see Discover everything Apple revealed at this week’s big event. And if you decide not to downgrade your iPhone, learn how How to disable the annoying features in iOS 16.

Before you start downgrading from iOS 16 beta to iOS 15

Basically, to downgrade your iPhone from iOS 16 to iOS 15, you need to erase your current phone and then restore it with the new operating system. In order not to lose data on your iPhone, you must have created a backup before installing iOS 16 beta.

In the unfortunate event that you didn’t backup before installing iOS 16 Beta and still want to downgrade, I recommend syncing all your important files to iCloud or some other online storage. in the settingstap your name, then tap iCloud. Turn on everything you don’t want to lose like photos, messages, notes and contacts.

Creating a backup while iOS 16 beta is still installed doesn’t help as it can’t be used with iOS 15.

Put your iPhone in recovery mode

Once you have synced all the necessary files to the cloud, you can erase and restore your iPhone. To finish uninstalling iOS 16 beta, you need to connect your iPhone to a computer – a Mac with the latest version of macOS or iTunes, or a Windows computer with the latest version of iTunes.

To ensure your Mac is using the latest operating system, click the Apple logo in the top left corner and select system settings > software update.

iOS 16 beta is only compatible with iPhone 8 and newer devices, so the process to enter recovery mode is the same for everyone with iOS 16 installed:

• Press the volume up quickly press and release
• Press the volume down quickly press and release
• Hold down the side button

Press and hold that side button when you see the Apple logo and keep holding it until you see the recovery mode screen — a black background with a cable showing a connection to the computer.

Restore your iPhone to downgrade from iOS 16 beta to iOS 15

Once you are in recovery mode, your computer will ask if you want to update or restore your device. Choose Restore.

If you aren’t prompted to restore, you may need to open Finder on a Mac or iTunes on Windows to select your device and then click Restore.

Your computer will then download and install the latest version of iOS 15 (currently iOS 15.6.1) on your iPhone. After your iPhone restarts, you need to set it up like a new device. Your phone doesn’t have any of your old data, but the iPhone setup process gives you the option to restore it using an iCloud or local backup.

Upgrade from iOS 16 beta to iOS 16 official release

iOS 16 release is scheduled for Monday 12th September. So if you can last a few more days with iOS 16 beta, it will be easy to upgrade to the full iOS 16 version.

Here’s how to remove the beta and get the official version of iOS 16 when it’s available:

1. Open settings on your iPhone.

2. Choose General.

3. Beat Profiles & Device Management (or VPN and device management).

4. Choose iOS 16 & iPadOS 16 Beta Software Profileand press remove profile.

Once iOS 16 is officially released, your iPhone will be updated to the new version of iOS 16 automatically.

For more information see our hands-on preview of the iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plusand learning how they compare to the iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max.