Technologies

Revert Back to iOS 18 From iOS 26 Beta: The No-Stress, Step-by-Step Guide

Having second thoughts about the iOS 26 beta? Here’s how to safely go back to iOS 18.

The iOS 26 developer beta is now available, which is your first opportunity to try out new iPhone features such as the Liquid Glass interface, the redesigned Photos app, the AutoMix feature in the Music app and much more. If you have a free Apple Developer account, you can download the developer beta and get started right away. (The public beta is expected in July.)

But that access comes with a risk. Due to the nature of prerelease software, the iOS 26 beta includes bugs and performance snags that can disrupt your everyday use, which is why you shouldn’t install it on your main iPhone.

As another example, if you also want to test the new WatchOS 26 beta, be warned that you will not be able to roll back to WatchOS 11, as my colleague Blake Stimac unexpectedly discovered last year, unless you don’t mind parting with your Apple Watch while it goes back to Apple for repair.

If you find the current iOS 26 beta to be too brittle, you can roll back to iOS 18 by following these steps.

Read more: Everything coming to your iPhone in iOS 26.

Do you have the right kind of backup?

Reverting to the previous system version isn’t a matter of replacing a few key files here and there — you’ll need to erase the phone and install the current release version. This is why it’s important to back up your iPhone before installing the beta (or, honestly, updating any version of iOS).

The best approach is to create an archive on your computer that you can fall back to. Creating an iCloud backup (Settings > [your name] > iCloud > iCloud Backup) would seem to be the easiest option, but there’s a catch: if the most recent iCloud backup is made under the iOS 26 beta, you can only restore the iPhone to iOS 26. That means when you restore the phone to iOS 18, you’ll have to do it from an archive or set it up as a new phone. Data synced via iCloud will eventually arrive, but you will need to reinstall apps manually.

Instead, create a local backup: Connect the iPhone to your Mac, select it in a Finder window sidebar, and click the Back Up Now button. On Windows, open the Apple Devices app, select the iPhone there, and click Back Up Now.

What if you didn’t make a backup before installing iOS 26 beta?

If your excitement got the best of you and you skipped making a backup, you should still attempt to sync your important data, such as contacts, photos and notes to iCloud. Go to Settings > [your name] > iCloud.

Next, in the Saved to iCloud section, tap See All. Tap the categories for items saved to iCloud, such as iCloud Mail, iCloud Drive and Contacts, and make sure they’re set to sync.

Make sure your MacOS or Windows software is up to date

First, if you’re restoring from a Mac, make sure you’re running the latest version of MacOS:

Click the Apple logo in the top-left corner, and choose System Settings.
Select General in the sidebar.
Click Software Update.

If an update is listed — and you have a current backup — go ahead and install it.

Under Windows, open the Apple Devices app, which replaced iTunes as Apple’s conduit for managing its devices.

Turn off Find My

If you’ve enabled Find My for that device, you’ll want to turn it off before you revert back to iOS 18. Find My is key to the Activation Lock security feature that requires the Apple ID and password of the person who set up the phone. When you finish reinstalling iOS 18, you can turn it on again.

To turn off Find My, Go to Settings, tap your name and tap Find My. Then tap Find My iPhone and turn it off. (If the option is grayed out, you may need to disable Stolen Device Protection first.)

Put the iPhone into recovery mode

Next, plug your iPhone into your Mac and do the following button dance on the iPhone to enter recovery mode:

1. Press and quickly release the volume up button.
2. Press and quickly release the volume down button.
3. Press and hold the sleep/wake button, and keep it held, past the point where you see the Apple logo and until you see the recovery mode screen — a black background with a cable indicating a connection with the computer.

Restore the iPhone to go back to iOS 18

The computer will ask if you want to update or restore the iPhone; don’t be alarmed if the dialog makes it sound as if something is wrong with the phone. Click Restore. In the confirmation dialog that appears, click Restore and Update.

Or, if you don’t see that dialog, open a new Finder window (MacOS) or the Apple Devices app (Windows) and select the phone in the sidebar. Click Restore iPhone and follow the directions that follow.

The release version of iOS, currently 18.5, will download and be installed on the iPhone.

During the normal iOS setup process, you’re asked if you’d like to transfer settings and data from another device:

1. On the Transfer Your Apps & Data screen, tap From Mac or PC.
2. On the computer, select the iPhone in the sidebar (of a Finder window on Mac or the Apple Devices app on Windows).
3. Select Restore from this backup and choose the most recent backup from the pop-up menu.
4. Click Continue. If you chose to encrypt the backup, enter the password you made.

The computer then restores the data from the backup.

Your iPhone Wants These 11 Essential Accessories in the New Year

+9 More

See all photos

Technologies

RFK Jr. Announces All Americans Need Health Tracking Devices: Here Are the Pros and Cons

The US Health Secretary plans a huge campaign to encourage health wearables: CNET knows exactly the kind of devices he’s talking about, and why accuracy may be a problem.

Many Americans already track health statistics like heart rate and sleep cycles on app-connected accessories. Now the federal government wants to jump in. On June 24, Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced «one of the largest HHS campaigns in history» to encourage the use of wearables to track health conditions, a trend CNET has recently covered.

Kennedy is referring to the many different bands, watches and even clothes that use technology to track human vital signs. CNET’s reviewers have spent years testing devices like these, seeing how rings monitor health signs, straps track your heart health and the right devices lead to better sleep.

The latest version of the Apple Watch, for example, has sensors designed to detect heart rate, heart rhythm issues, falls, sleep health, sleep apnea, temperature, breathing rate and more. The newest Oura Ring can track sleep patterns, menstrual cycles, temperature, heart rate and other health details.

«We think that wearables are a key to the MAHA agenda, Making America Healthy Again ,» Kennedy told the Subcommittee on Health during its budget meeting. «My vision is that every American is wearing a wearable within four years … they can see what food is doing to their glucose levels, their heart rates and a number of other metrics as they eat it.»

Kennedy also tweeted that «wearables put the power of health back in the hands of the American people.»

«Wearables,» however, is a broad term encompassing everything from fitness devices that count steps to sleep trackers you wear at night. And consumer devices can’t easily replace monitoring solutions offered by medical professionals.

For example, CNET has covered research indicating that even the best-in-class Apple Watch struggles with accuracy from metrics like steps to heart rate. Another study from California State Polytechnic University has shown that fitness-related Fitbit trackers show high inaccuracies as well. In fact, that research was used in a related Fitbit lawsuit.

Speaking of glucose monitors, Kennedy isn’t the only White House official with an interest in such health sensors. The administration’s nominee for surgeon general, Dr. Casey Means, co-founded glucose-monitoring company Levels and sells a monitoring app as well as other wellness products.

Finally, CNET wellness experts remind everyone that wearables aren’t always a good fit. Those suffering from eating disorders or body image issues should always talk to an expert before using wearables, as they can exacerbate certain issues or lead to a unhelpful outlook.

The US Department of Health and Human Services did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Technologies

What’s Included in Xbox Game Pass? Here’s Everything You Need to Know

Check out the pros and cons of each Game Pass tier, and how much each costs.

Editors’ Note: Xbox Game Pass Ultimate offers a slew of benefits, including a massive game library, diverse device support and both PC and console games. Nifty features like the ability to play on smart TVs, phones, tablets and PCs — not just consoles — make this a convenient gaming subscription service for a wide range of people. Xbox Game Pass Ultimate costs less than the price of a new game each month, yet gives access to hundreds of titles, which is why it earned a CNET Editors’ Choice Award. The original article follows.

New AAA video games used to cost $50 apiece, but it’s not unusual to see a similar game cost $70 now. That price might make you pause before you buy the game, but with an Xbox Game Pass subscription, you could play a brand-new game, and others, for a fraction of the price.

Microsoft launched Game Pass in 2017, and since then, the gaming service has grown to be one of the best values for gamers. All Game Pass plans offer member discounts for non-Game Pass titles and other perks, but figuring out which plan is right for you can be difficult.

That choice can be especially tough after Microsoft removed its Game Pass Console plan and replaced it with Game Pass Standard. The company also increased the price of Game Pass Ultimate from $17 to $20 a month.

I’ve covered the service in the past, including future releases and whether Game Pass Ultimate will save you money compared with buying single games. And with all the new titles Microsoft announced would be joining the service as Day 1 releases, like the upcoming Doom: The Dark Ages, you might be wondering what the difference is between different Game Pass plans.

Here’s what you need to know about the Game Pass plans so you can decide which one is right for your needs.

Xbox Game Pass tiers

	Game Pass Core	Game Pass PC	Game Pass Standard	Game Pass Ultimate
Day 1 releases	No	Yes	No	Yes
PC games	No	Yes	No	Yes
Online multiplayer	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
EA Play	No	Yes	No	Yes
Cloud Gaming	No	Yes (select games via GeForce Now Ultimate)	No	Yes (via Xbox Cloud Gaming and select games via GeForce Now Ultimate)
Monthly price	$10	$12	$15	$20