How to Downgrade from iOS 6 to iOS 5.1.1 and Restore Data
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aussiekid_18 • October 24, 2012 at 1:48pm
I am currently running iOS 6 on an iPhone 4 and would like to downgrade to iOS 5.1.1. I have a lot of important data and need to know if it is possible to restore an iOS 6 backup file to the older firmware.
Answers
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iClarified • January 12, 2026 at 3:25am
iTunes does not natively support restoring a backup created on a newer version of iOS to a device running an older version. If you downgrade your iPhone 4 from iOS 6 to iOS 5.1.1, you will not be able to select your iOS 6 backup during the setup process. To keep your data, you should sync your contacts, calendars, and photos to a service like iCloud or a computer before downgrading. After you use your SHSH blobs to restore the iOS 5.1.1 firmware, you can sync that data back to the device. Some advanced users attempt to modify the version string in the Info.plist file of the backup folder to trick iTunes, but this often leads to database corruption and system instability, so it is generally not recommended.