The summary so far – The new iOS 4 launched, people upgraded their iPhone 3G software to iOS 4. But there is a twist. Many individuals have complained that their iPhone has become pretty slow after the upgrade. To help you we have come up with the solution. Simply downgrade to iOS 3.1.3.
Steps are as follows:
Step 1:
First check if you have got the back up of iOS 3.1.3. To do so:
On OS X, check in “~/Library/iTunes/iPhone Software Updates”. On Windows, your iPhone OS updates should be stored in “C:\Documents and Settings\[username]\Application Data\Apple Computer\iTunes\iPhone Software Updates” (or to get there more quickly, “type Win+R and paste %appdata%\Apple Computer\iTunes\iPhone Software Updates”). If you see a file inside this folder corresponding to iPhone, 1_3.1.3_7E18_Restore.ipsw or iPhone1,2_3.1.3_7E18_Restore.ipsw, those are likely the restore images you need.
If you do not find these then do not panic simply download this from the following
3.1.3 (3G): iPhone1,2_3.1.3_7E18_Restore.ipsw
After this download RecBoot from http://www.sebby.net/443-recboot-final-release/
Step 2:
- Plug in your iPhone.
- Power it down by holding the sleep/lock button and sliding to power off.
- Once it’s powered down, press and hold both the sleep/lock button and the home button for ten seconds.
- After ten seconds, release the power button but continue holding down the home button.
- If you did it right, iTunes will pop up a window telling you that it’s detected an iPhone in recovery mode and your iPhone’s screen will be black. If it didn’t work, start from the beginning and try again.
Step 3:
Discard the alert that you’re in recovery mode. Click on the iPhone under Devices sidebar in iTunes -> hold Shift -> click the Restore button (if you’re on OS X, Alt/Opt+Click). A pop up a window prompting you to choose a file appears. You want to navigate to the 3.1.3 OS you located or downloaded above. Select that file, and iTunes will start the OS restore process. Expect this to take around 10 minutes or so.
After its done, you may get an error message (error 1015) and your iPhone will boot up with a “Connect to iTunes” screen. Open RecBoot, and click Exit Recovery Mode. In a few seconds, RecBoot would help you out of plug-me-into-iTunes recovery mode and you’ll boot right into your freshly downgraded 3.1.3.
Step 4:
Your installation process ends here. If you have kept your back up then you may restore them and your old softwares and apps will come to life.
P.S
Be sure of what you are doing before doing so.
54 Responses
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Nathan says:
June 27, 2010 at 2:55 am
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Attempting to downgrade to 3.1.3. I followed your instructions to the letter, opened recboot, selected exit recovery mode and the recboot informs me that it is kicking the device out of that mode. Question how long should this take. Presently, I still have the usb plug with the arrow pointed at itunes with no other activity.please help.
thanks.
Will this only work on a jailbroken IPhone?
Because my phone refuses to recognize and restore with the firmware that I’ve downloaded from this page.
At restore point it says” Firmware is not compatible”.
Does not restore to 3.1.3
Any other solutions?
Doesn’t work get error message when trying to restore
Worked fantastically, well done on this program guys, have been stressing i didnt save a shsh blob on sauriks server…
Worked first time for me good stuff
Dont forget to install the driver….
my 3G iphone is running very slow….jobs screwed it up one more time…..he might say i am not touching the iphone screen at the right angle!!!!
@ Al and Ma its is very important to note that this procedure was only for iPhone 3G and not for iPhone 3Gs
If you’re on 3GS and having trouble with this method, then please read this carefully, “Apple started signing their restore files requiring iTunes to “Phone home” and get permission to restore. Usually within 24 hours of a new firmware release, Apple stops signing the old versions preventing you from restoring back to an older version. The advice in your article about how to downgrade to 3.1.3 no longer works [for 3GS] because a few days ago Apple stopped signing that firmware.”
If you’re a 3GS user experiencing this problem you can find solutions at http://modmyi.com/forums/3g-s-downgrading/
Also please note that 3.1.3 firmware for iPhone 3GS can be downloaded from this link http://appldnld.apple.com.edgesuite.net/content.info.apple.com/iPhone/061-7472.20100202.8tugj/iPhone2,1_3.1.3_7E18_Restore.ipsw
One more important thing to take care of is to note that we used RecBoot on OS X, for windows you may have to download .NET 4.0. Second, you may need to run the application in Compatibility mode if you’re not running Windows XP (Right-click the EXE -> Properties -> Compatibility -> Run this program in compatibility mode for Windows XP). You may also need to download libusb (link http://sourceforge.net/projects/libusb/ ) and for further problems with RecBoot refer to http://joshuabailey1997.wordpress.com/2010/05/16/recboot-easily-boot-your-device-intoout-of-recovery-mode-with-one-click/
Lastly thanks for going through the blog the above mentioned info will hopefully enable you to downgrade easily. Apologies for not incorporating this info in the blog.
For those of you still having trouble downgrading I found a little trick that works great! Cook-up a custom 3.1.3 ipsw using an older version of Sn0wbreeze (I used v1.5.2) then you dont even need DFU mode… just drop it into recovery mode (holding the power and home button untill you see the recovery mode graphic) Then Shift-click on restore, choose the snowbreeze ipsw you just made, and install. After that install your jailbreak apps and your backup. works for me!
oh ya and, you will need recboot for the aforementioned method as well.
Yes! Just needed the older version of Recboot and it worked like a charm!
everything works up until recboot! please help. it will open the exit recovery mode but then an error pops up
Seriously? MAN is there another way my Sleep Button does not work! Grrrr…. Any Ideas?
Thanx! I was close to throw my iphone 3g out and buy HTC. This helps me a lot, yhnx once again.
The downgrade for my 3GS worked perfectly but at a huge cost. I lost everything I had on my iphone that was not on my mac inlcuding the contacts and the photos.
I wish that was stated explicitely. At least it is quicker now.
Any ideas on how I can restore the mobile sync backup files that are saved when itunes backs up the iphone files? I have a 3G iphone and I am running itunes on OSX.
Are photos, text messages and contacts saved in these files?
Thanks.
When trying to restore in iTunes I keep getting a “firmware is not compatible” error message. I have an iPhone 3G, not a 3GS, so what should I do to get around this? Is there a different back up file I can try?
@ alexis can you tell me what error pops out may be then i may be able to help you
@Jimbo why don’t you try to get the sleep button fixed…mean while I shall try to find an alternative
@amaliel welcome our purpose of working is to help you all!
@hey jason couple of things i wish to convey to you
Firstly I did mention be sure of what you are doing, I’m sorry for not mentioning it well. None the less always remember before making such changes it is an imperative step to make a back up.
secondly to restore you should try this “right click on your device in the sidebar and select restore back up.
always remember to create back up before making important changes…apologies for not mentioning it directly.
Thank you for your help! My 3G was running like crap after the upgrade to iOS4. I used your method and restored as new. Good grief, it is so much faster now. Ahhh.
You, sir, are the man.
@ Andy thank you so much and i’m glad my blog helped you..
Worked beautifully. My 3G was slower than a turtle with iOS4. Followed steps listed on this page, and voila, my 3G with iOS 3.1.3 is faster than a speeding bullet.. if you know what I mean.. :) Thanks a ton for listing out all the steps.
@Dorian – i also have 3G and am getting the same message as you. “Firmware is not compatible”. I have tried restarting my computer (MacBook Pro) and it still does not go through. Not sure what the problem is.
@ hey dorian tell me do you get this error pop-up http://cache.gawkerassets.com/assets/images/17/2010/06/500x_error.jpg ?
if yes then just click on okay and continue…also i suggest you read my replies to the comments and try again and if you still face the same problem then come back to me and p.s do mention details…thanks…sorry for the inconvenience.
@ stroker hey listen just read all my replies to the comments properly re-do each step and if you still face any problem tell me…make sure you incorporate info as well…since we did not face the same problem we might need a little specific information to understand your exact problem and consequently find a solution to it…
Hey, following all instructions but when I click restore after holding shift I don’t get to choose the 3.1.3 file. It tries to connect to Apples server and restore the shit 4.0 OS.
I’m using Windows 7, 3GS 4.0 trying to downgrade to 3.1.3.
Thanks.
hey Doug i guess you have tried using the info for 3G for 3GS read this comment and then try again… http://findtut.com/easy-steps-to-downgrade-from-ios-4-to-ios-3-1-3-536547/comment-page-1#comment-1806
does anyone know a fix for the error: “The game could not be started. (80020148)” I would greatly appreciate itif someone could help me, i get it on every single PSP ISO i try to play.
Worked perfectly !! thank you so much! i wanted to smash my iPhone into a million pieces while it was running the 4.0! The steps are really easy and simple to follow! I can’t be happier :) thanks!
After completing the downgrade back to 3.1.3, I’m trying to restore my software and getting a message that says, “Cannot be restore because the software on the iPhone is too old.”
Can anyone help me?
btw – I have a 3G
Fantastic, my 3G is up to speed again.
Many thanks
Thank you so much for the great tutorial worked first try. Quick and easy, many others didnt work
the zipfile from appldnld.com.edgesuite.net for iPhone1,2_3.1.3_7E18_Restore.ipsw does not contain any ipsw files. Any ideas about what I should be using instead?
Thanks
Ken
Just downgraded my 3G — worked perfectly. Didn’t have a 3.1.3 back up so used the fresh image provided. Be sure to import your camera roll pictures to your computer, and your contacts to your Google account before restoring your phone. Happy to have my iphone back to a more useable mode.
I’m getting the same message as @Don. Going back to 3.1.3 worked fine, but I can’t restore from the backup I made unless I go back to 4.0.1
I have the same as Don and Cait. Cannot restore my contacts, Apps or anything. Phone is not very useful now. Using Macbook Pro, OS10.5. iPhone is downgraded but stuck at restore.
I keep getting the “Firmware not compatible” error, So I can’t get the any of the next steps on this guide. Is there a fix for this? and btw, I tried several ipsw files from different sites, none worked.
Email me please! Jeepcomanche1987@gmail.com
the link i downloaded 1_3.1.3_7E18_Restore.ipsw and save on to cpu will not work for itunes for restoring my itouch
Worked beautifully for me – I now have my 3G back (rather than a molasses-filled piece of plastic and glass). I made sure I rebooted the phone and decided to “set up as a new phone” after the downgrade, rather than chance a restore from backup. I had everything synced anyway so I lost nothing. Most of my apps re-install fine, the only ones that don’t are those that have become iOS4 dependent in the period between upgrading my iPhone to 4 and downgrading it again. I’ve been able to find the non-”HD” versions of those in the App Store.
I have the same problem as everyone else. iTunes will not restore any version of the iOS below the most recent one. I tried selecting or “choose” the 3.1.3 file, and iTunes immediately came up with the same restore error.
From reading the previous posts, I think the big difference is this: those who got this restore working correctly, their iTunes first tried to restore, then gave the error at the end. For me, and maybe others who cannot get the restore working, I found the error popped up the moment I “choose” the 3.1.3 file. It never tried to go through the restore process. The error was the end of it.
I have the latest iTunes, could that be the problem? How can I get around this? Please email me predhead_1@yahoo.com
Thanks,
There isn’t a .ipsw file in the downloaded iPhone1,2_3.1.3_7E18_Restore.zip file. Can someone please help explain this?
MY 3G SUCKED WHEN I UPGRADED! ONE DAY I GOT SO MAD I THREW MY PRECIOUS IPHONE DOWN ON THE FLOOR. ALTHOUGH I LOST EVERYTHING TO DOWNGRADE IT WAS WORTH IT. SYNC YOUR PICS TO YOUR PC AND CONTACTS TO YOUR ADDRESS BOOK IN WINDOWS. I HAVE MY BABY BACK! THANK YOU!! APPLE TOLD ME THIS COULD NOT BE DONE!
everything worked out perfect even down to the error message i got. but once i opened recboot and hit exit recovery mode. it never worked and now my phone is stuck on the connect to itunes screen. anyone please help
Something must’ve changed internally as this procedure, which I’ve seen at alot of web pages, does not work with 3G anymore. I followed it to the letter, including figuring out you have to rename the .zip file to the .ipsw extension. Itunes said ‘unpacking software’ for a bit, gave the error message I was supposed to ignore, then phone went black. I thought it maybe got bricked but it’s just as it was, all apps and firmware the same, 4.0. I got an iPhone 4 and was just trying to downgrade my 3G before I pass it over to another family member so it’s not too big a deal but I can confirm as others have this doesn’t work for all of the people all of the time (and I’m a PC/Windows user of 20 years so I now how to figure crap out). It would’ve been nice if someone would’ve mentioned you have to rename that .zip file…
In case anyone with problems is still checking this forum, you need to jailbreak your iPhone for this method to work. Every single article I read left that little bit of info out. I guess folks assumed anyone trying this had a iPhone that had jailbreak run against it but not some of us had enough hell with PC virii to go along with the Apple program. Just glad I found the answer before I wasted anymore time. And if you have not done the jailbreak back in version 3.x then you’re stuck with 4.0.
Whooka101, no
Guys the iPhone 3g an 3Gs both use different a OS this is the reason you are getting the error that the firmware is incompatible.
I never saw an anser to Will this only work on Jail broke phones.
My phone os not.Your Comments
Sorry Just saw my answer.
When I bought my new iPhone 4, I gave my 3G to my wife & upgraded it’s OS to IOS4. It immediately turned into a piece of garbage. After that, everything I did resulted in no or little improvement, including 2 trips to the Genius Bar. When I found this site & followed the directions, it restored it like the 3G was when brand new. It is a shame that Apple can’t OR won’t resolve this matter, either within IOS4 or as an available 3.1 download. Thanks for the help
Can you guys PLEASE help me with this?
So, I Upgraded my iPhone 3g from iOS 3.1.3 to 4.0.2 but it wouldn’t work with iOS somehow, because it said iPhone isn’t compatible with my SIM card so I can only have emergency calls.
So, i tried to follow upper suggestment, but I can’t get my Phone into recovery Mode….
So, NOW what comes to it, is that the Touchscreen sudendly wont respond !? So I can’t even turn the iPhone off.
What I can do, is to get the Phone to the screen that tells you to slide the Button to trun off.
If I hold the Off Button, screen goes of, but if you press it again you’re amediatly back in the ” Only amergency call ” Screen.
…Please help me :’(