Don't like iOS 26 Liquid Glass? Here's a guide on how to deal with your regret.

Before we start: This article is for reference only. Users should handle any system operations with caution. If you encounter difficulties, please consult Apple's official support.

As a new and improved generation of systems, many of you might have already eagerly updated to the beta versions of iOS 26, iPadOS 26, or even macOS 26 to have a taste.

However, since these are still beta versions, the system stability might be lacking. Or perhaps you find that you're not quite used to the new "Liquid Glass" style after the experience.

What if you want to "take the regret pill" and go back to the previous stable version?

Upgrading is simple. You just need to apply, register, and download the firmware to upgrade. But if you want to go back, it will take quite some effort, and it might also lead to the complete loss of data on your device.

ifanr has compiled a tutorial for downgrading iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Apple Watch from the beta versions. We hope it can help those in need.

If you haven't updated to iOS 26 yet but are already tempted, you can also refer to this article to have a better understanding of the potential troubles you might encounter during the subsequent downgrade process.

Summary:

• iPhone and iPad: Connect the device to a PC or Mac. After the device enters "Recovery Mode", the computer will automatically download and install the firmware.
• Mac: Enter the recovery mode on the device. After formatting the hard drive, you can download and install macOS Sequoia.
• Apple Watch: It's difficult to operate on your own. You can only send it to the official channels for downgrading.

Have you backed up your data?

Don't be in a hurry. Before downgrading, you first need to confirm an important question:

Have you backed up your data in advance?

Different from upgrading, if you want to downgrade, the device will not retain any data. That means after the downgrade is completed, you will get a restored and completely blank device.

This is also why Apple reminds developers/early adopters to back up their data in advance before upgrading to the beta version of the system.

It should be noted that backing up on iOS 26, downgrading to 18, and then restoring the backup from 26 is not allowed (the same applies to iPadOS, watchOS, and macOS).

That is to say, if you didn't back up your data before the upgrade, you can't make up for it now. You have to set up the device from the factory settings again.

There are two main ways to back up iPhone and iPad: full backup by connecting to a computer and cloud backup on iCloud. The latter is usually enabled automatically and backs up data automatically when the device is charging. Before downgrading, you can check in the iCloud on your phone. If there was a cloud backup before, it's okay.

To back up a Mac, you need to use the hard drive backup of "Time Machine". If you backed up all the data on your Mac to the hard drive before updating to macOS 26, you can restore the relevant data after the downgrade.

Apple Watch will automatically back up to the paired iPhone, and the backup file on the iPhone will also include the backup data of the Apple Watch.

— If you haven't backed up your data, you can only manually transfer the chat records and photos on your phone and the files on your Mac. Save as much as you can.

For example, the most important WeChat chat records now support backup and export to the hard drive. And you can use the iCloud Photo Library or third - party cloud services to back up your photos.

Actually, there is a folk method. By modifying the system version number in the backup file, you can "modify" the iOS 26 backup to an iOS 18 backup, so that a lower - version system can restore a backup from a higher - version system.

However, after testing by ifanr, this method might cause compatibility issues, easily leading to bugs and device freezes. For example, the iCloud data of system applications will not be able to synchronize. We strongly do not recommend it, so we won't write a tutorial for this operation. Those who need it can search for it on their own.

In short, it's best to back up your data before the update, so that taking the "regret pill" won't be so painful.

iPhone and iPad: A computer is essential

The downgrade steps for iPhone and iPad are basically the same. You definitely need a Mac or a Windows PC with iTunes or the "Apple Devices" software installed.

The new Apple device management application "Apple Devices" on Windows can be obtained from the Microsoft Store.

Before downgrading, first turn off the "Find My" function on your device: Settings - Apple ID - Find - Find My iPhone/iPad - Turn off.

After connecting the device to the computer, open "Finder" on the Mac and open iTunes/Apple Devices on the PC to enter the relevant page of the device.

Then, we need to make the device enter the recovery mode:

• iPhone: Press the "Volume Up" and "Volume Down" buttons on the device successively, and then hold down the power button until the screen shows that the device has entered the recovery mode.
• iPad with a Home button: Press and hold the Home button and the top power button at the same time.
• iPad without a Home button: Press the volume button closest to the top button and release it quickly. Then press the other volume button and release it quickly. Finally, hold down the top button until the screen shows the recovery mode screen.

At this time, a window should pop up on your computer. Select "Restore iPhone", and the software will start downloading the latest stable - version firmware.

If you have downloaded the system firmware in advance through third - party tools, you can hold down the Option key on the Mac or the Shift key on Windows, click "Restore iPhone", and select the corresponding file.

After the download is completed, the computer will automatically flash the system. Wait for the progress bar to finish. After the downgrade is completed, you can restore the previous backup data through the computer.

It should be noted that iPad and iPhone can only be downgraded when Apple is still signing the old - version firmware.

After Apple pushed the official version of the iOS 26 system in September, the signing verification for the old versions usually closes after a month. At that time, you won't be able to go back to iOS 18 at all.

As shown in the figure below: Apple is still signing the official versions of iOS 18.5 and 18.6, but the signing for 18.4 has stopped. Even if you download the firmware, you won't be able to downgrade.

That means: If you've used iOS 26 and don't like the Liquid Glass style and want to keep using iOS 18, theoretically, you should complete the downgrade before September. Don't wait until the official version is released, or you'll miss the chance.

If you want to check whether the firmware is available or download the firmware, you can use this website: ipsw.me.

Mac: A not - very - difficult reinstallation method

Compared with iPhone and iPad, the downgrade of Mac is a bit more difficult, but beginners can follow the steps without any problems.

For Mac computers with Apple M chips, you need to shut down the computer first, then keep holding the power button until the Mac boots up and loads the startup options, and then release the power button.

For Mac devices with Intel chips, shut down the device, press the power button once to turn it on, and then immediately long - press the Command (⌘) and R keys until you see the Apple logo or a spinning globe.

When you see the startup options interface, select the "Options" button to enter the recovery startup interface. You'll see four utility tools.

First, select "Disk Utility", choose the hard drive of your computer, then perform an "Erase" operation, and wait for the computer to restart.

After restarting, enter the "Options" interface again. You need to connect to Wi - Fi in the upper - right corner or connect an Ethernet cable and wait for the Mac to activate.

After the activation is completed, the "Reinstall macOS Beta" option in the utility tools will change to "Reinstall macOS Sequoia". After selecting it, you need to wait for some time for the computer to download and install the system image.

In addition to this simple online recovery method, experienced users can also create a system startup disk and flash the Mac locally.

The advantage of this method is that the installation process will be shorter, and you can restore the Mac to the version you want, not necessarily macOS Sequoia. However, the operation difficulty is relatively high, involving some terminal knowledge. Those interested can get the official tutorial at the following website:

https://support.apple.com/en - us/101578

Apple Watch: Unable to downgrade on your own

The downgrade method for Apple Watch is the most special. Ordinary users can hardly downgrade the Apple Watch at home. You need to send it to an Apple Store through the official channels. So we won't provide a tutorial for non - professionals here.

You can make an appointment at the nearest Genius Bar. The flashing service is provided for free.

Finally, a reminder. Whether you're thinking about downgrading or not, it's best to back up your data before updating to the beta version.

Moreover, no matter which device it is, even though Apple has tried to simplify the operation process, the whole process still takes some time and effort.

So if you think you might not be able to complete the downgrade process, it's recommended to think twice before updating to the beta version, or just wait for the official version.

Finally, reiterate: This article is for reference only. Users should handle any system operations with caution. If you encounter difficulties, please consult Apple's official support.

This article is from the WeChat official account "ifanr" (ID: ifanr)