Can't downgrade my iPhone 5

Hans Nicholas · Jan 28, 2015

I want to downgrade my iPhone 5 from iOS 8.1.3 to iOS 7.1.2. I downloaded the IPSW file and tried to restore it. But iTunes shows me an error saying "The iPhone could not be updated. An unknown error occured (3194)". Then I search the error message on the internet. I've tried to add "74.208.105.171 gs.apple.com" to the hosts file and it kept telling me the error message. Then I tried to restore through Recovery Mode as well the DFU mode too. And I still can't downgrade my iPhone.

What should I do to downgrade my iPhone ?

scifan57 · Jan 28, 2015

Hans Nicholas said:
I want to downgrade my iPhone 5 from iOS 8.1.3 to iOS 7.1.2. I downloaded the IPSW file and tried to restore it. But iTunes shows me an error saying "The iPhone could not be updated. An unknown error occured (3194)". Then I search the error message on the internet. I've tried to add "74.208.105.171 gs.apple.com" to the hosts file and it kept telling me the error message. Then I tried to restore through Recovery Mode as well the DFU mode too. And I still can't downgrade my iPhone.

What should I do to downgrade my iPhone ?

I'm afraid that your iPhone can't be downgraded. The only iOS version you can download to your iPhone is the latest; iOS 8.1.3. Apple doesn't allow downgrading the iOS version on iOS devices. That's why you keep getting the 3194 error message.

J. A. · Jan 28, 2015

At the moment it's still possible to revert to iOS 8.1.2. You can not downgrade to 7.1.2, though.

scifan57 · Jan 28, 2015

The signing window for iOS 8.1.2 could close any time now. Previous signing windows have closed in as little as 24 hours or less. If you want to hold on to the possibility of a future jailbreak, don't wait as iOS 8.1.3 patches the TaiG jailbreak.

Hans Nicholas · Jan 28, 2015

scifan57 said:
I'm afraid that your iPhone can't be downgraded. The only iOS version you can download to your iPhone is the latest; iOS 8.1.3. Apple doesn't allow downgrading the iOS version on iOS devices. That's why you keep getting the 3194 error message.

Oh okay. Thanks!

Hans Nicholas · Jan 28, 2015

J. A. said:
At the moment it's still possible to revert to iOS 8.1.2. You can not downgrade to 7.1.2, though.

Well, Okay thanks man!

Hans Nicholas · Jan 28, 2015

scifan57 said:
The signing window for iOS 8.1.2 could close any time now. Previous signing windows have closed in as little as 24 hours or less. If you want to hold on to the possibility of a future jailbreak, don't wait as iOS 8.1.3 patches the TaiG jailbreak.

Oh, thanks for the answer! I'll just keep using iOS 8.1.3 then.

Jaames · Feb 11, 2015

I guess you can only downgrade in old end devices from 3Gs to iPhone 4, in onward devices there is no downgrade option.

scifan57 · Feb 11, 2015

Jaames said:
I guess you can only downgrade in old end devices from 3Gs to iPhone 4, in onward devices there is no downgrade option.

There is a brief window, when a new iOS version is introduced, when both the old and new iOS versions can be downloaded and it's possible to downgrade. Once Apple stops signing the old iOS version, it's no longer possible to downgrade.