Upgrading to a new version is quite simple in almost all the Apple devices. Whether it’s about iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch, Apple Watch or Apple TV, the procedure is almost similar and one can easily upgrade to the newer version whenever an update is available. But intrications arise when you try to downgrade to the previous version in all the Apple devices including the Apple TV. There can be all sorts of reasons for downgrading to an older version. Especially in case you have jailbroken your Apple TV, upgrading to a new version means you will also lose your jailbreak. Also in case a jailbreak for the previous version is released, you might want to consider going back to that version. But, it’s not as simple as it sounds. Since you are going to switch to an older version, you’ll need to connect your Apple TV streaming device to the computer and perform a downgrade via iTunes app.

Also, before performing the downgrade, you might as well be aware about the consequences. Once you downgrade to the older version, you’ll also lose your data and settings. Even if you have an iCloud backup, you won’t be able to restore it after the downgrade. This is because the backups created by tvOS 10 can’t be applied on the previous tvOS versions. However, if you have previously created a backup of an older version and then you downgrade to that particular version, in that case only, you can restore the backup. Finally, if you have made your mind to downgrade to a previous tvOS version, this blog might be of use. In this blog, I’ll tell you how to downgrade from tvOS 10.1.1 to 10.1.

Also read Mirror Your iOS Device To The Apple TV Screen. 

Hardware/Software Requirements

To perform a downgrade on your Apple TV, you are going to need:

• Apple TV Streaming Media Player

• A Micro-USB cable compatible with your Apple TV streaming device.

• A Windows computer or Mac with iTunes app installed on it.

• IPSW firmware file compatible with your Apple TV device model. It is recommended to download the same from here.

Step-by-Step Guide

To initiate the downgrading process, follow these simple steps.

• Download the IPSW firmware file for tvOS 10.1.

• Unplug all the wires from your Apple TV Streaming Box and connect it to the computer via Micro-USB cable.

• Connect the power cord to your Apple TV device and turn it on.

• Launch the iTunes app on your computer and wait for it to detect your Apple TV device.

• If by any chance, your device icon doesn’t appear or it doesn’t recognize your device, you might have to switch to the recovery mode before proceeding.

• Just as the device icon appears on the iTunes app, you’ll see two options below the device name and details. Eject Apple TV and Restore Apple TV.

• While on Windows, hold the Shift key and then click on Restore Apple TV. While on Mac, hold down the Alt key and then click on Restore Apple TV button.

• As soon as you do that, a pop-up window will appear from where you can choose the file location and select the IPSW firmware file that you intend to install on your Apple TV device.

• Select the downloaded IPSW firmware file and then click on Open.

• Now a confirmation message will appear, click on Restore again to proceed.

• After doing that, the restoration process will start. Wait for some time and do not disconnect the device while the restoration is in progress.

• The process will take several minutes to complete. Once it’s done, a new message will appear, telling that your Apple TV has been restored to the factory settings. Please disconnect the device.

That’s it! Once you are done with all these steps, it means your Apple TV has been downgraded to the tvOS 10.1. If you have any further queries, leave your questions in the comments below.