give me a half-written one, please ios 18

Re: “then why is there a signed version of iOS 18 for the iphone 12 mini?”

If you are still on iOS 18, with automatic updates turned off, you can manually update either to the latest version of iOS 26 or the latest version of iOS 18. Apple wants you to at least install the latest iOS 18 bug and security fixes.

if you have already upgraded to iOS 26, you cannot go back and will not be offered iOS 18.

Is this incorrect?

Yes, it is incorrect. A backup will restore all of your third party apps, settings and any personal data. The OS will not change.

If you have been making backups of your phone via the finder sync/manage backups feature on a another Mac, wouldn't a restore from that archived backup via the finder function restore the iOS that was on it?

It's a bit complicated, but technically yes and no.

Yes, if you have installed a beta version of iOS 26 and you have an archived backup that you made when the iPhone was still running iOS 18 and the beta test is still current.

No, once Apple has officially released iOS 26 to the public and you have installed iOS 26 on your phone. If you try to restore the phone once iOS 26 has been installed, all that you will succeed in doing is installing the same or a newer version of iOS 26.

It's not possible to downgrade iOS.

That is there for people who are still on a version of 18 and have not yet updated to 26. You can NOT downgrade.

Jeff Wiseman wrote:

If you have been making backups of your phone via the finder sync/manage backups feature on a another Mac, wouldn't a restore from that archived backup via the finder function restore the iOS that was on it?

Obviously, if you've not been collecting those backups it would be a moot issue. But I've always assumed that you could get back to a previous iOS that way. Is this incorrect?

No.

If you have been making backups of your phone via the finder sync/manage backups feature on a another Mac, wouldn't a restore from that archived backup via the finder function restore the iOS that was on it?

Obviously, if you've not been collecting those backups it would be a moot issue. But I've always assumed that you could get back to a previous iOS that way. Is this incorrect?