Older updates of iOS

August 26, 2010 1:00 PM

How do I update my iPhone to iOS 3.1.3--not iOS 4.0?

I don't want 4.0. I hear it will slow my iPhone 3G down.

But I want the Netflix app. And that requires an update from February that I somehow missed.

Is there any way to update to an older version? Specifically, to 3.1.3

posted by jefficator to technology (8 answers total)

Back up your phone, download the firmware, and restore. the last link is for downgrading from iOS 4, but the process is the same.
posted by rtimmel at 1:05 PM on August 26, 2010

Here's a different "downgrade from 4.0" tutorial that I followed recently, along the same lines as rtimmel's links. It shouldn't matter what your starting point is, since you're basically wiping and installing.
posted by cabingirl at 1:09 PM on August 26, 2010

My backup never completes--it always stalls. Any tips?
posted by jefficator at 1:11 PM on August 26, 2010

When Apple released iOS 4 they stopped signing the older 3.x releases, which prevents users from easily downgrading.

Lifehacker has a guide that details how to go about it now, you could take a look there and see if it's worth the trouble to you.

If you don't need it urgently and don't want to deal with the hassle, there are rumors that a fix for iOS4 on the 3G is on the way soon.
posted by crosbyh at 1:17 PM on August 26, 2010

Oh, my mistake, looks like my link was the same as cabingirl's.
posted by crosbyh at 1:20 PM on August 26, 2010

Not entirely useful for your current situation, but I advice anyone with ios devices to use The Firmware Umbrella to backup the key bits needed to allow relatively easy OS downgrades in the future. You should use it before every software update from Apple.
posted by fief at 1:44 PM on August 26, 2010

Just to clarify crosbyh's point, the 4.1 release that will supposedly fix the horribleness 4.0x is on the 3G is apparently scheduled to be out sometime in fall. Guesses on the interwebs range anywhere from September to November. Just something to keep in mind if you decide to wait.
posted by cgg at 1:53 PM on August 26, 2010

You might want to consider doing a 4.0 update, backing up your iPhone completely, then moving "downgrading" using Lifehacker's method.
posted by jabberjaw at 3:07 PM on August 26, 2010