How to Downgrade Android to a Previous Version Safely Without Root

Step 1: Backup or extract all your phone data into your computer

Download and install an application called Android Data & Restore which provides user-friendly methods to backup and restore your phone data, and then launch it. First and foremost, plug your phone device into your computer.

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Step 2: Click “Android Data & Restore”

As your phone connects with your computer, you will see there are two obvious buttons: “One-click Backup” and “One-click Backup Restore”, and then click “One-click Backup” in line with your personal needs.

Note: You can select the important data you shall backup on your phone.

Step 3: Download and install Android SDK tools

Click here to download and install Android SDK tools from Google’s developer website on your PC, and then install it to the file called “C:android-sdk>”.

After completing downloading the file, you need to launch the download from Start Menu on your computer, and don’t click any buttons on the interface except for Android SDK Platform-tools and Google USB driver while SDK Manager opens.

Finally, you will choose “Install 2 packages” and “Accept license > Install”.

Step 4: Download Android factory image of the version of your phone

You can download Android factory image that fits your phone on Google’s Android Developers website. Make sure that you download the right version you need. Otherwise, errors will be made or downgrading process won’t continue. Thence, remember to decompress or Unzip the downloaded Android factory image.

Step 5: Plug your phone into your computer

Open your phone and find Developer options or wipe down the screen, touch firmly on USB icon for a few seconds and then you will see USB debugging. Most importantly, enable the debugging.

Learn more about How to Enable USB Debugging on Android

Step 6: Flash the downloaded Android factory image and uninstall the latest Android version you update

• Firstly, you shall open Command Prompt and type on your computer “cdandroid-sdkplatform-tools” and then click Enter button;
• Secondly, just type: adb reboot bootloader and click Enter button;
• Thirdly, type “fastboot oem unlock” and then Android device(phone) will be unlocked;

(Note: If you do this, then everything on your phone will be gone. But after all, if you follow all the steps that we strongly recommend you to do, you will not encounter issues of data loss. Be careful!)

• Fourthly, you need to type “flash-all” for the sake of installing the bootloader, baseband firmware(s) and operating system–the version you need to downgrade;

Step 7: Waiting work

It won’t take you to long to see that the downgrading process has done. Keep your phone alive. In about several minutes, your phone will reboot which means that you have eventually downgraded your phone to the version you use before. All the features you favor appear. However, you will notice all the data are gone. Please remember this is not the last step.

Step 8: Restore your phone data

Open Android Data & Restore on your computer, choose the data you need to backup and tick the box on the bottom to produce a password if you like. If you need to restore your phone data after you finish downgrading Android, you shall choose a backup in the interface of the Android Data & Restore as you can see from the picture below and then click “Start” button. Once it has completed, all the data on the last version you updated will be transferred to the downgraded version.