If you have installed the beta iOS 26 version on your iPhone or iPados 26 beta on iPad, and you have found it a little too buggy, unstable or you are simply not interested in iOS 26, you are certainly not alone. While many adventurous Apple users jump into the beta train to explore new operating systems, it is not unusual to discover that experience is not always the most fluid driving, or that you have critical incompatibility that makes the beta version taxable for you. Fortunately, it is quite easy to demarize from the beta iOS 26 version to a stable version of iOS 18, as we will show you here.
Before you start, make sure you understand some requirements and limits:
- Backups: You cannot restore an iOS 26 backup on iOS 18. This means that if the only recent backup you have is with iOS 26, you will not be able to restore this iOS 26 backup to an iPhone or iPad running iOS 18 / iPados 18. You can always retrograde the device, but you will lose all your things by doing so. Instead, you will have to restore an iOS 18 backup on the iOS 18 device, or if it is not an option, simply stay on iOS 26 to preserve your data
- Required computer: You will need a Mac or Windows PC to complete the degradation, and you will also need a USB-C / Lightning cable
- Internet connection required: You cannot downshift iOS / iPados without active internet connection
- Software updates required: You must have the latest macOS version installed on your Mac, or the latest version of the Apple Devices application on Windows
Assuming that you understand the safeguard situation and that you are comfortable with the limits around this, and that you respect other rebalancing, it is quite easy to demarize from the beta version of iOS 26 and return to a stable version.
How to demo 26 beta and return to iOS 18
It is good to save your iPhone or iPad before trying to demote. This preserves your data in case something is wrong, or in case you need to return to iOS 26 for any reason. Be aware that you cannot however restore an iOS 26 backup on an iOS 18 device.
- Connect your iPhone or iPad to Mac / PC, then place the device in recovery mode by performing the following sequence: Press and release the volume, press the volume, press the lateral / power / locking button until the iPhone / iPad goes to recovery mode
- Click “Restore” when the option is presented to you on the computer to erase the iPhone / iPad and install the latest non-Beta iOS 18 version on your iPhone or iPad
- Let the entire restoration process finish, and soon your iPhone or iPad will turn into a stable version iOS 18
Once your iPhone or iPad has returned to iOS 18 or iPados 18, you can select a compatible IOS 18 / iPados 18 backup to restore, otherwise you can configure the device as new.
Remember that if you don’t have an iOS 18 backup, you will have to configure your device as a new. You cannot restore data from beta iOS 26 backups to an iOS 18 device.
The demotion is only taken care of only as long as I Apple signed the firmware iOS 18, which Apple generally does for a certain time with the last versions of iOS 18. Once Apple has ceased to sign the version of the firmware, the demotion of this version is no longer possible.
The demotion of the beta version of iOS 26 to iOS 18 is quite simple, but as it is necessary to erase a device, it is not for everyone, especially if you do not have a ready compatible backup. However, it is a reliable way to return to stable iOS 18 buildings if the beta iOS 26 experience does not work for you. And yes, this same tip will work for the demotion of the final iOS 26 to iOS 18, as long as the firmware iOS 18 is always signed by Apple.
Have you lowered the beta iOS 26 to iOS 18 version on iPhone or iPad? Why have you downgraded and how did it go? Share with us your experiences and thoughts in the comments.
