Don't want iOS 7? Too late to roll back to 6? Here's a solution!

[Dented]

I think it's hilarious that a handful of complainers are talking about IOS 7 as an "epic fail" because they don't like it, when there are literally hundreds of millions of other users out there who seem to be managing just fine. In the history of IOS it's undoubtedly a mammoth change, the fact that Apple's still standing and still selling new phones and signing new IOS 7 installs shows that actually they've done a pretty remarkable job of pulling it off.

Honestly I like just about everything in IOS 7, including the music app, which I actually think is a big improvement. The sudden love for IOS 6 is completely misplaced; I've used every version since 2.0 and 6 was a dog's breakfast from the start, easily the most disappointing IOS since the first and riddled with issues, 99% of which 7 puts right - and that's before you even get into the new look and all the new features.

Cling onto the past all you want, but I reckon it's going to get pretty lonely there soon enough..

 

[RobbyIdol]

I find it amusing I simply shared my somewhat extreme (which I noted as such!) workaround for those who truly hate the new iOS, and my intentions/logic still seem largely misinterpreted. I wouldn't have created this thread if the iOS 7 forum on Macrumors was full of people loving the new iOS. I would have made my own change quietly, and let everyone enjoy what they like. But I see A LOT of upset folks here, many of which stating how they wish they could roll back to iOS 6 or just get a new phone entirely.

A quick refresher on some things I think people are missing from my OP:

* This was a financial wash for me. I don't expect to lose much, if any money, once I sell my previous phone. I kept it in great shape, have all the original box, unused earbuds, etc. Y'know, the stuff that helps sell a used product online. So if people are thinking I just dropped hundreds on a new phone strictly out of pocket because I hate iOS 7 that much, they are missing the whole idea.

* NO, I'm NOT afraid of change. I'm allowed to dislike some changes while appreciating others. (Why does that even have to be clarified? )

* NO, I won't be stuck on iOS 6 "FOREVER." First of all, my phone will die at some point. And for all I know, iOS 7.2 or 7.5 or whatever the heck will finally win me over! And I'll be willing to upgrade once I see something, in my opinion for MY usage and tastes, that is worth upgrading to. Or beyond that, perhaps iOS 8 will rock my socks off. Who knows? Point is, people trying to laugh at me like I'm clinging to a flotation device while careening off a waterfall are sorely mistaken. I'm just sitting this round out. Even if I liked iOS 7, it still clearly has a lot of kinks to be worked out worth waiting on.

* It's not about "managing just fine" when it comes to a device that I originally did spend a chunk of money on, chosen back then because I liked not only the look and feel of the device physically, but also because of the iOS that impressed me enough to make the purchase. Apple drastically changing their iOS is all fine and well (it's their product, after all). But to refuse any option for people to make a CHOICE on which iOS they would prefer when using a device they paid a substantial sum for originally is complete garbage. I didn't pay the money so I could "manage just fine." I paid the money so I would LOVE the experience as much as possible. iOS 7 made me hate my phone's experience. That's all the reason I need right there to find a workaround, as I did.

I'm sure this whole process of switching phones like this is more effort than most folks would put out for something as trivial as a new iOS. Yes, I know it's trivial.

But if you take any one of the upset members of this forum raging about iOS 7, and hand them a shiny new phone with iOS 6 FOR FREE... you mean to tell me most folks wouldn't make the swap? I wasn't handed an option to swap like that, but I put in a little effort and essentially accomplished the very same idea!

 

[C DM]

I think it's hilarious that a handful of complainers are talking about IOS 7 as an "epic fail" because they don't like it, when there are literally hundreds of millions of other users out there who seem to be managing just fine. In the history of IOS it's undoubtedly a mammoth change, the fact that Apple's still standing and still selling new phones and signing new IOS 7 installs shows that actually they've done a pretty remarkable job of pulling it off.

Honestly I like just about everything in IOS 7, including the music app, which I actually think is a big improvement. The sudden love for IOS 6 is completely misplaced; I've used every version since 2.0 and 6 was a dog's breakfast from the start, easily the most disappointing IOS since the first and riddled with issues, 99% of which 7 puts right - and that's before you even get into the new look and all the new features.

Cling onto the past all you want, but I reckon it's going to get pretty lonely there soon enough..

Why does it matter (or is even funny or something else) that some people might have different likes or dislikes, especially when it comes to something like this where what someone might like or dislike has no effect on no one else?

 

[Oui]

Some people need to get out more.

 

[Armen]

I would have suspected the alarm to be the most common as for many it is used every single day, sometimes several times. I liked beta 3 when it took me where I needed to be each time... now it doesn't get much use.

You're right, when I look closely it is a timer icon... I didn't mean it literally as much as I meant the icon that represents opening the clock app. But yes, it is a timer, which just serves to reduce it's usability.

The ability to select which apps are there would be a premium. Instead, we have Johnny boy's precustomized selection

If we could customize the toggles and quick launch apps my list would be:

Replace Airplane mode with Personal Hotspot
Replace Do Not Disturb with a multifunction Power button (restart, respring, shutdown)

Replace the timer icon with task switcher.

 

[nikicampos]

Or you could just download an iOS6 ipsw and restore it through iTunes...

Before giving wrong advice, you should do some research first..

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I don't want ios7, but i want the 5s.

I don't want milk, but I want a milkshake..

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...this is the most ridiculous thing I've seen all day.

Mmmmm not at all, this is a perfect solution for people that really want iOS 6 back and maybe the only solution after all.

On the other hand, really???

Why would someone go to all this trouble just to get iOS 6 back, I've been using iOS 7 for three months since beta 1 and I haven't missed iOS 6 for one second.

 

[Altis]

I think it's hilarious that a handful of complainers are talking about IOS 7 as an "epic fail" because they don't like it, when there are literally hundreds of millions of other users out there who seem to be managing just fine. In the history of IOS it's undoubtedly a mammoth change, the fact that Apple's still standing and still selling new phones and signing new IOS 7 installs shows that actually they've done a pretty remarkable job of pulling it off.

Honestly I like just about everything in IOS 7, including the music app, which I actually think is a big improvement. The sudden love for IOS 6 is completely misplaced; I've used every version since 2.0 and 6 was a dog's breakfast from the start, easily the most disappointing IOS since the first and riddled with issues, 99% of which 7 puts right - and that's before you even get into the new look and all the new features.

Cling onto the past all you want, but I reckon it's going to get pretty lonely there soon enough..

I'm happy that you're enjoying iOS 7, but it isn't for everyone. Some people are genuinely experiencing rather crippling bugs. How does it take away from your enjoyment to let those people revert back?

Don't assume hundreds of people are enjoying iOS 7. In all honesty, I have yet to talk to a single person who is pleased about the update. The new look is highly debatable (I like some of it, appalled by some of it). There really isn't much in terms of new features, but there's some good stuff. They also took away.

Go into your images app and try to set a wallpaper (not via settings). It's actually complicated and unintuitive. The music app, which you like, reduces the artists you can see at once to 3.5 from 8, and forces you to see them by album still. Top it off with a white lit border around your album art, controls that are on the top when locked and bottom when unlocked... Random tiny photos of artists that you won't even recognize and all look similar.. The whole thing is flawed. I'm glad you like it, and I can see how the right type of listener with the right library would enjoy it... But understand that not everyone likes it.

I ask again, what harm does it to you, or Apple, to allow others to revert, making them happy apple customers, not having to deal with problems, bugs, etc?

 

[Cory Bauer]

Worth the hassle just to get back on iOS 6? You bet.

Hey can you tell me how to get Mac OS 9 running on my 2012 Mac Mini? Is there a way to exchange my digital downloads for floppy disks? Is someone willing to take this LTE iPhone 5 off my hands for the original EDGE model? I don't like having nice things.

 

[7thson]

I updated to iOS 7 after I read so many glowing reviews about it. I was really excited about control center, something I had been looking for since iOS 4. I even checked it out on someone's iPod touch before I downloaded it. All seemed good. I didn't look close enough. While I will get used to the new look, I don't "love" it. It's o.k. And after time it will become the new normal. What makes me wish Apple would let me go back to iOS 6 is the music app, like a host of others here have wished. I would happily do as the op has done, if it was a financial wash. It was for the op and I'm happy they're happy. No one was hurt by their action. Apple's stock price wasn't impacted. Early adopters need not even peruse this thread. Move on to something more progressive if this is the most interesting thing you've come across to comment on. Did you hear?The gov'ment shut down! Samsung padded their Note 3 benchmarks! Kim Kardashian did some such irreelevent thing or not. Criminy! The op was just sharing and they weren't even being offensive. Isn't that what this forum is for?

 

[Dented]

Go into your images app and try to set a wallpaper (not via settings). It's actually complicated and unintuitive.

Sorry but that says everything about your way of thinking! I've set wallpaper from the photos app many times and it literally couldn't be simpler; in IOS 6 you found the photo you liked, hit the share button, and pressed "use as wallpaper", whereas in IOS 7 you do... the exact same thing! Nothing's changed except horror of horrors, the share pane has been redesigned (to be a lot more functional and consistent across the device) - big deal. It changed between IOS 5 and IOS 6 too, how did any of us cope with that?!

I ask again, what harm does it to you, or Apple, to allow others to revert, making them happy apple customers, not having to deal with problems, bugs, etc?

It fragments the ecosystem, which is bad for everyone, and wastes Apple's resources on maintaining older software for a entrenched minority, which should be going into improving the current release for everyone. And that's why they stop signing older versions and (rightly) concentrate on getting everyone into 2013.

 

[atrevers]

I don't want ios7, but i want the 5s.

So, what you actually want is a 5, given that the features that the 5s adds (primarily Touch ID, 64bit) wouldn't work with iOS6 even if you were able to downgrade. All you'd get would be a shiny ring around the home button

 

[TheRainKing]

You could probably survive on iOS 6 for a couple more years. Especially now that Apple allow people to download older versions of apps.

 

[x-evil-x]

Quietly sneaks into house and does an upgrade on recent iphone downgrade. best personal prank ever for this guy

 

[Markyyy]

Get used to iOS7 people. Apple will adjust it so that it's better. Apple have a great design team. Just learn to live with it, and enjoy the steady improvements until it is once again a gorgeous highly-functional mobile operating system

 

[nefan65]

There's NO WAY I'm going to iOS 7...

Now excuse me while I crank up Victrola, and decide what moving picture show I want to attend. That Fatty Arbuckle is hilarious!!!

 

[Markyyy]

I only updated to iOS7 thinking that I'd successfully saved my SHSH blobs for iOS6.1.3. I tried restoring to iOS 6.1.3 and it didnt work. I found out that it's because I saved the SHSH blobs from 6.1.3 that I'd installed using 'over-the-air' update. For the SHSH blobs to work, you have to have installed the IPSW on itunes.

Sooo.. I'm stuck with iOS7 now :/. Hoping it is improved.

 

[Dented]

You could probably survive on iOS 6 for a couple more years. Especially now that Apple allow people to download older versions of apps.

You'll still be stuck in a dwindling pool of compatibility as app developers naturally roll their latest new features and bug fixes into the latest versions.. I just don't know why you'd want to cripple your phone like that.

And before someone jumps up to say how "crippling" IOS 7 is, just get a hold of yourselves - you may be incapable of getting your head around the changes but under the skin IOS 7 is every bit as functional and stable as past versions as far as I can see. More than that, it massively improves performance in some areas. For instance, the wifi on my 5 was very spotty on 6.1.4, dropping connection often, to the point where I was convinced I either had faulty hardware or the 5 had a serious design flaw (and I was far from alone in that - wifi issues with the 5 were a recurring complaint in IOS 6). With IOS 7 my wifi has been absolutely rock solid, so as far as I'm concerned it's objectively the far superior OS before you even look at the eye candy.

 

[Jynto]

Ugh people that don't like change or are afraid of it.

Ugh no. There's good change, and then there is change for change's sake. I have no problem with using the latest software, but when an update 1) significantly alters the aesthetic design, and 2) is irreversible, no way to downgrade, then I don't like it.

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You'll still be stuck in a dwindling pool of compatibility as app developers naturally roll their latest new features and bug fixes into the latest versions.. I just don't know why you'd want to cripple your phone like that.

And before someone jumps up to say how "crippling" IOS 7 is, just get a hold of yourselves - you may be incapable of getting your head around the changes but under the skin IOS 7 is every bit as functional and stable as past versions as far as I can see. More than that, it massively improves performance in some areas. For instance, the wifi on my 5 was very spotty on 6.1.4, dropping connection often, to the point where I was convinced I either had faulty hardware or the 5 had a serious design flaw (and I was far from alone in that - wifi issues with the 5 were a recurring complaint in IOS 6). With IOS 7 my wifi has been absolutely rock solid, so as far as I'm concerned it's objectively the far superior OS before you even look at the eye candy.

And yet people used iOS 6 for a whole year. It can't be that bad?

 

[TheOtherKind]

Get used to iOS7 people. Apple will adjust it so that it's better. Apple have a great design team. Just learn to live with it, and enjoy the steady improvements until it is once again a gorgeous highly-functional mobile operating system

is this a serious post, or sarcasm?...because if it's serious, your arguments aren't very persuasive...you're telling people who have no desire to upgrade, for whatever reasons, from an OS they are happy with to one that needs work before it is once again "a highly functional mobile operating system"
Yes, I realize one day I will have to go to 7 or 8 or whatever...it's inevitable...I'm not "afraid of change" as so many seem quick to categorize those who don't want to upgrade...what I don't want is change I don't like or doesn't work...so go ahead, make all your jokes about "stuck in the past", or say it's a "handful of complainers who don't like it" if that makes you feel better...but if you think this OS is universally loved, or doesn't have issues, maybe you should be the ones looking around the web, including this very forum, where there's more than a few threads started about dislike and issues...dislike for personal aesthetic reasons is a judgement call, granted...but dislike because of "it just doesn't work" is a different ball of wax

 

[Jynto]

Why would someone go to all this trouble just to get iOS 6 back, I've been using iOS 7 for three months since beta 1 and I haven't missed iOS 6 for one second.

"I like iOS 7. Therefore you should ALL like it."

Get used to iOS7 people. Apple will adjust it so that it's better. Apple have a great design team. Just learn to live with it, and enjoy the steady improvements until it is once again a gorgeous highly-functional mobile operating system

I'm just gonne leave this here again.

 

[Thierry ba]

This might be too extreme for some folks, but I just did it and I couldn't be happier to be back on iOS 6. Like many people, I upgraded to 7, and missed the roll back window to downgrade back to 6 when I decided I really didn't like the new iOS. Apple would say I was stuck with 7 forever. For a moment, I thought I was too. But then I figured out a solution:

1. Buy a phone still running iOS 6.

2. Take to Verizon (or other mobile service provider) and have it activated to your account.

3. Sell your current phone running iOS 7.

4. PROFIT!

I just did this and my new phone is running glorious iOS 6 just the way I remember it!

I bought a brand new 16GB iPhone 4S on eBay for $270. A great price considering it had never been used before, and therefore had no battery life issues or bad ESN history. I like the 4S the most, but you can still buy a 5 if that's your preferred device.

But do it soon! In the future, it may become harder and harder to find phones running iOS 6 that are not worn to the ground from previous use. Personally, I'm a bit of a germ nut and didn't like the idea of using such a personal device as a phone that someone often held to their face, hands, probably used in the bathroom....

So I wanted a new device from Apple, but knew I couldn't shop directly from Apple or a phone provider this time. There are still lots of new devices out there (eBay, Craigslist, etc). But the new ones won't be there forever, and the ones left will all be running iOS 7 in due time.

I plan to sell my current iOS 7 4S for about $200-250, whatever I can get for it, making the whole transaction nearly an even trade.

Worth the hassle just to get back on iOS 6? You bet.

Who wants iOS6? lol

 

[Dented]

Ugh no. There's good change, and then there is change for change's sake. I have no problem with using the latest software, but when an update 1) significantly alters the aesthetic design, and 2) is irreversible, no way to downgrade, then I don't like it.

Visual design is always subjective, but objectively sometimes it has to change, because people get tired of it, the attraction is lost, and the functionality behind it needs to change - all of that came to a head with IOS 7 and it needed to happen, take it from someone that's been using IOS solidly since 2008.

Apple have never supported downgrading IOS, to do so weakens the platform for everyone.

And yet people used iOS 6 for a whole year. It can't be that bad?

It wasn't that great either, basically just a warmed over IOS 5 with a bunch of new bugs and a broken maps app. The wifi issues were quite real and bugged a lot of people, just not everyone annoyingly. I think if so much development effort hadn't had to go into de-googlifying IOS with maps etc, 6 probably would have seen more interesting changes - I'm not saying it would have been IOS 7 a year earlier as obviously that was Jony Ive's baby, but it would have been more "different" and therefore bothered many of the same people the same way. It certainly bothered many people that it wasn't..

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dislike for personal aesthetic reasons is a judgement call, granted...but dislike because of "it just doesn't work" is a different ball of wax

Sorry but this is just FUD as far as I'm concerned. It's a major rewrite of the OS, yes there are a couple of bugs but there have been with EVERY new release of IOS - I haven't seen anything related to IOS 7 that's any more concerning than the early issues with 6, or 5, or 4 etc.. Considering the scale of the changes this time round, that's remarkable.

 

[Skika]

If you dont like the look of iOS7 and own many Apple devices including Macs, its time to sell them all because this is the new Apple design and will eventually be everywhere.

You can cling to the past all you want but eventually you will have to adapt or switch.

 

[Jynto]

Hey can you tell me how to get Mac OS 9 running on my 2012 Mac Mini? Is there a way to exchange my digital downloads for floppy disks? Is someone willing to take this LTE iPhone 5 off my hands for the original EDGE model? I don't like having nice things.

No. The difference between EDGE (slow) and LTE (fast) is nothing like the difference between flat design (visually appealing but not for everyone) and non-flat design (visually appealing but not for everyone). One of them is not merely a progression of the other, despite your brain needing to simplify things.

 

[Markyyy]

is this a serious post, or sarcasm?...because if it's serious, your arguments aren't very persuasive...you're telling people who have no desire to upgrade, for whatever reasons, from an OS they are happy with to one that needs work before it is once again "a highly functional mobile operating system"
Yes, I realize one day I will have to go to 7 or 8 or whatever...it's inevitable...I'm not "afraid of change" as so many seem quick to categorize those who don't want to upgrade...what I don't want is change I don't like or doesn't work...so go ahead, make all your jokes about "stuck in the past", or say it's a "handful of complainers who don't like it" if that makes you feel better...but if you think this OS is universally loved, or doesn't have issues, maybe you should be the ones looking around the web, including this very forum, where there's more than a few threads started about dislike and issues...dislike for personal aesthetic reasons is a judgement call, granted...but dislike because of "it just doesn't work" is a different ball of wax

I didn't aim to make a persuasive argument. Just saying my bit. If you don't want to upgrade to iOS7, then don't. But Apple is their own company. If you don't like their products, don't buy their products.

All initial releases of software contain bugs. If your opinion is that Apple release more buggy software than other software engineering companies, then don't buy Apple products.

It all comes down to this: if you don't like Apple's products, don't buy their products. Too many whiners. I have my criticisms of iOS7. And it is nice to be able to downgrade back to a previous version of iOS if one so wishes. But that's not what Apple is offering. Don't like it? Don't buy Apple's products.

EDIT: Also, I'm not saying people should upgrade if they're happy with iOS6. I'm telling those who already have upgraded to get used to it (obviously because they can't downgrade). Just trying to give them some hope because there's a lot of people moaning about iOS7.