Apple has just released iOS 10.3 for iPhone, iPad, and iPod Touch and it comes with many new features including an all new Find My AirPods feature that allows you to find the location of your missing AirPods. The new software also includes expanded SiriKit support, which makes it easier to pay bills, schedule a ride-hailing service, and even check on the status of a pending payment.
Update: This guide also works with iOS 10.3.1.
You can update to iOS 10.3 over-the-air by going to Settings -> General -> Software Update. If you’ve already updated to iOS 10.3 and have been facing issues with the latest firmware, then it is still possible to downgrade back to iOS 10.2.1.
Users who wish to jailbreak should remain on iOS 10.2.1 as it may contain exploits that may be used in a future jailbreak tool for this firmware. Therefore, if you have upgrade to iOS 10.3 and wish to jailbreak, we recommend that you downgrade back to iOS 10.2.1 to increase your chances of jailbreaking.
In today’s tutorial, we will show you how to downgrade iOS 10.3 to iOS 10.2.1 using iTunes. Keep in mind that the downgrade is only possible if Apple is still signing iOS 10.2.1. As of this writing, iOS 10.2.1 is still being signed. You can check the signing status from here.
Here are some important points to consider before downgrading:
- Ensure that you have updated iTunes to the latest version.
- You’ll be able to downgrade to iOS 10.2.1 only, which is the only iOS firmware being signed currently for supported devices. You cannot downgrade to the previous versions as Apple has stopped signing the older iOS firmware files.
- Please take a backup of your iOS device using iCloud or iTunes so that if anything happens, you can recover your data from the backup. If you need help, follow our guide:
- Please note that the process involves wiping your device, and then restoring it from a compatible backup, so it can take some time depending on how much data needs to be recovered and your internet connection (if you’re restoring from an iCloud backup).
How to Downgrade iOS 10.3 to iOS 10.2.1
Note: you can downgrade to iOS 10.2.1 if Apple is still signing the firmware. You can check the signing status from here.
Step 1: The first step is to download the iOS 10.2.1 IPSW file for your device. Make sure that you download the correct firmware that corresponds to your device model from our download page.
Note: If you’re downloading the firmware file using Safari then ensure that auto unzip feature is disabled, or use Chrome or Firefox. Alternatively, renaming the .zip file as .ipsw file should also work.
Step 2: You now need to put your device into DFU mode. If you own an iPhone 7 or iPhone 7 Plus, then read this guide for entering DFU mode. Otherwise, if you own an older iPhone model or an iPad or iPod, read the steps below:
- Plug your device into your computer.
- Turn off your device by holding the Power button and then sliding to power off.
- Next, press and hold the Power button for 3 seconds.
- Then begin holding the Home button without releasing the Power button for 10 seconds.
- Release the power button and continue holding the home button until you get a popup from iTunes that it has detected your device is in Recovery mode. If you don’t see the popup, try the process of holding the buttons again.
- Click on the Ok button.
Step 3: Hold the Alt/Option key on Mac or Shift key in Windows and then click on the Restore iPhone… (iPad/iPod touch…) button.
Step 4: Browse and select the iOS 10.2.1 IPSW file that you downloaded in Step 1.
Step 6: In the next screen, it will give you information about the iOS 10.2.1 update. Click on the Next button, followed by the Agree button to continue.
Step 7: iTunes will now verify the software and install it on your device. It will take some time for the process to complete so stay patient.
Step 8: After your device is successfully downgraded from iOS 10.3 to iOS 10.2.1, you should see the white ‘Hello’ screen on your device. Follow the on-screen instructions to set up your device, and restore from the iOS 10.2.1 backup or start afresh.
That’s all you need to do to downgrade your iPhone, iPad or iPod Touch from iOS 10.3 to iOS 10.2.1. If you get the error message “This device isn’t eligible for the requested build” then it is probably because you’ve downloaded the wrong firmware file for your device.
Please don’t forget to let us know how it goes in the comments and drop us a line if you have any questions.
