How can I downgrade from iOS 26 to iOS 18.5?

Follow the Support Article below. Hopefully you had a backup done on the stable commercial release of iOS 18 which you will need to restore, otherwise you may not be able to restore or even lose some data.

How to uninstall iOS or iPadOS beta software - Apple Support

Koithahn01 wrote:

I don’t like the iOS 26. I wanted to put it back the way it was when I bought the phone to the 18.5 but I can’t figure out how to do it. I don’t have a computer. I just have the iPhone.

If you are currently enrolled in a beta programme and wish to return to using the current production version, this support page provides the necessary information to remove the beta from your iPhone:

How to uninstall iOS beta software - Apple Support

Be aware that restoring an earlier version of iOS will completely reset and erase your iPhone. Assuming that you have a pre-existing iCloud or iTunes backup of your iPhone that has not been updated since installing the iOS 26 beta, your locally stored data and files can be restored after returning your iPhone to iOS 18.5; if you don't have a pre-existing backup, all locally stored data will be irretrievably lost:

Restore your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch from a backup - Apple Support

An iCloud or iTunes backup can only be restored to a device running the same or later version of iOS than created (or last updated) the backup. As such a backup created or updated by iOS 26 cannot be restored to a device running iOS 18.5.

Koithahn01 wrote:

I do not have a computer. I just have the iPhone 16 Pro Max, how to downgrade from iOS.26.2 Two iOS 18.5

You have made a mess for yourself and you cannot restore your phone back to 18.5 without a computer. Since you don't have a computer, you clearly aren't a developer, nor did you read or do the things you were told to do when you updated to iOS 26. You most assuredly didn't create an ARCHIVE backup on your computer, so when you do get access to a computer to restore your phone, you're going to LOSE the data on your phone.

Read this and there are links about how to downgrade --> To Beta or Not to Beta - That is the Ques… - Apple Community

Koithahn01 wrote:

no computer to downgrade is there another way to do the change on the iPhone 16 Pro Max to Change to iOS 18.5 without having to have a computer. All I have is my iPhone.

No. You really should have paid attention to the information that was provided to you when you enrolled in the developers beta.

cee262 wrote:

I can’t find my iOS 18.5 but I ** in iOS 26.0 how do I go back to iOS 18.5

This has been repeatedly answered, by multiple contributors, throughout the six pages of this discussion thread...

If you are currently enrolled in a beta programme and wish to return to using the current production version, this support page provides the necessary information to remove the beta from your iPhone:

How to uninstall iOS beta software - Apple Support

Be aware that restoring an earlier version of iOS will completely reset and erase your iPhone. Assuming that you have a pre-existing iCloud or iTunes backup of your iPhone that has not been updated since installing the iOS 26 beta, your locally stored data and files can be restored after returning your iPhone to iOS 18.5; if you don't have a pre-existing backup, all locally stored data will be irretrievably lost:

Restore your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch from a backup - Apple Support

An iCloud or iTunes backup can only be restored to a device running the same or later version of iOS than created (or last updated) the backup. As such a backup created or updated by iOS 26 cannot be restored to a device running iOS 18.5.

Koithahn01 wrote:

I want to downgrade from the iOS 26 down to the 18.5

If you are currently enrolled in a beta programme and wish to return to using the current production version, this support page provides the necessary information to remove the beta from your iPhone:

How to uninstall iOS beta software - Apple Support

Be aware that restoring an earlier version of iOS will completely reset and erase your iPhone. Assuming that you have a pre-existing iCloud or iTunes backup of your iPhone that has not been updated since installing the iOS 26 beta, your locally stored data and files can be restored after returning your iPhone to iOS 18.5; if you don't have a pre-existing backup, all locally stored data will be irretrievably lost:

Restore your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch from a backup - Apple Support

An iCloud or iTunes backup can only be restored to a device running the same or later version of iOS than created (or last updated) the backup. As such a backup created or updated by iOS 26 cannot be restored to a device running iOS 18.5.

Antwontyrell wrote:

How can i i downgrade from ios26 to ios 18.5

This has been repeatedly answered, by multiple contributors, throughout this thread...

If you are currently enrolled in a beta programme and wish to return to using the current production version, this support page provides the necessary information to remove the beta from your iPhone:

How to uninstall iOS beta software - Apple Support

Be aware that restoring an earlier version of iOS will completely reset and erase your iPhone. Assuming that you have a pre-existing iCloud or iTunes backup of your iPhone that has not been updated since installing the iOS 26 beta, your locally stored data and files can be restored after returning your iPhone to iOS 18.5; if you don't have a pre-existing backup, all locally stored data will be irretrievably lost:

Restore your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch from a backup - Apple Support

An iCloud or iTunes backup can only be restored to a device running the same or later version of iOS than created (or last updated) the backup. As such a backup created or updated by iOS 26 cannot be restored to a device running iOS 18.5.

Please read this thread: How can I downgrade from iOS 26 to iOS 18… - Apple Community

The answer has been posted there multiple times.

indrakamal80 wrote:

18 iOS update tetanus back

Tetanus? If English is not your preferred language, please re-post your question in a language you are more comfortable using.

Here is a how to reset and revert:

• How to uninstall iOS or iPadOS beta software - Apple Support
• Apple Beta — Unenroll Your Devices

There is no downgrade. Reset to iOS 18.5, and then restore a backup created prior to the beta if one is available.

porwal wrote:

How downgrade iOS beta 26 to 18.5

This has been repeatedly answered, by multiple contributors, throughout the seven pages of this discussion thread...

If you are currently enrolled in a beta programme and wish to return to using the current production version, this support page provides the necessary information to remove the beta from your iPhone:

How to uninstall iOS beta software - Apple Support

Be aware that restoring an earlier version of iOS will completely reset and erase your iPhone. Assuming that you have a pre-existing iCloud or iTunes backup of your iPhone that has not been updated since installing the iOS 26 beta, your locally stored data and files can be restored after returning your iPhone to iOS 18.5; if you don't have a pre-existing backup, all locally stored data will be irretrievably lost:

Restore your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch from a backup - Apple Support

An iCloud or iTunes backup can only be restored to a device running the same or later version of iOS than created (or last updated) the backup. As such a backup created or updated by iOS 26 cannot be restored to a device running iOS 18.5.

Denisgocea wrote:

I downloaded iOS 26 and I want iOS 18.5 but I don't have a laptop

Then you should NOT have installed Beta software on your iPhone. Not only do you need a computer, but without one, it means you didn't create an Archive Backup before you unfortunately installed the Beta. You MUST use a computer and without a backup made before hand, you will lose all your data in the restore process.

You may as well live with your mistake until a stable version of iOS 26 is released in the fall.

Read this --> To Beta or Not to Beta - That is the Ques… - Apple Community

Saba-won wrote:

Unfortunately, Apple doesn’t allow downgrading to older iOS versions once they’ve stopped signing them. That means you can’t directly downgrade from iOS 26 to iOS 18.5 unless Apple is still signing iOS 18.5 (which is highly unlikely).

There is no downgrade in general, independent of which iOS versions are getting signed.

Reverting from the iOS 26 beta to (currently) iOS 18.6.2 is an option and is available, and a backup created prior to installing the beta can then be restored.

Resetting to get to iOS 18.6.2 means no local data is preserved.

Resetting and restoring means some local data — that which has changed since the beta was installed — is lost.

iCloud data is probably still available, independent of the reset.

Here is: How to uninstall iOS or iPadOS beta software - Apple Support

Lolaa88 wrote:

i did this recently and had to go to the Apple Store and have my device restored that’s pretty much the only way or you can wait for the next update 18.6.2 and it’ll be gone and also make sure you turn off the beta updates

Hello and welcome to the thread!

You are replying to a posting from June.

This particular beta thread has fourteen pages of the same question and a few variations getting repeated, too.

Few questions.

I plan on reverting back to iOS 18.5 from 26, but I just wanted to clarify some things and make sure that I would do it correctly without losing any data.

From what I've read, I would go onto my mac or iTunes on my PC and pull up the Recovery Mode screen, where I would then press 'Restore,' deleting all data on my phone and installing the latest released nonbeta iOS (I'm assuming is 18.5).

My questions are:

• Would it be better to use my mac, iTunes on my PC, or does it not matter?

• Will my device automatically download 18.5 after clicking 'Restore,' or will it download something different, or will I get to choose?

• After installing the older nonbeta iOS, will my phone basically be like it was just turned on for the first time?

• After turning it on for the 'first time,' (after the nonbeta is installed, and if the phone had all data erased) will I be able to download my iCloud back-up from iOS 26 beta onto 18.5?

• Lastly, will I still have access to iOS developer beta updates in the future?

It doesn't matter whether you use a Mac or PC. The biggest question is whether you made an Archive backup on your computer before you downloaded the developer beta release? While your phone will be restored back to the public release of iOS 18.5, if you DIDN'T make an Archive backup before you installed iOS 26, your data, with the exception of anything you sync directly with iCloud, will be gone.

If you are a registered developer, you will always have access to developer beta options.