Apple during its WWDC22 event announced the new versions of different OSs for its lineup of products. We got to see the new iOS 16, macOS 13, tvOS and HomePodOS 15, and watchOS 9. Of course, as someone who owns an Apple Watch, you would readily want to switch over to the new beta version of watchOS 9. But, as you would expect with beta software, there will be a few niggles that may or may not impact your daily usage of the watch. So, the idea of rolling back to the previous version is a great idea. So, can you downgrade from watchOS 9 beta to watchOS 8? Read on to know.
Downgrade from watchOS 9 beta to watchOS 8?
Unlike your iPhone, iPad, or for that matter even your MacBook, the Apple Watch is one such device that does not allow you to downgrade to the previous version. You have no method to downgrade the OS of your Apple Watch. In fact, when you connect the watch to your PC,ย the watch will only charge. The cable does not support any data transfer between the two devices.
So, what can you actually do to go back to the previous version of watchOS on your Apple Watch? Well, there are three things that you can actually do. Sure the methods might seem strange, but that is the only way as of now.
Head over to the Apple Service Center
Since you cannot do anything with your Apple Watch apart from updating and using it as intended, the trip to the service center is the only reasonable and sensible option in this case. You can send it over to the service center when your device is under warranty or if you have the Apple Care+ on your watch The rollback will be done by the service center free of cost. If your device is out of warranty, they will charge you a small fee to get your watch back to the previous version of watchOS.
Switch to the Public Beta update
Apple has released the first public beta of watchOS 9, if you’re running on the developer beta, then you can switch to the public beta for a better experience. Or you can upgrade your watch to the new version when it is out. You can stay connected with us for watchOS software update news.
Wait out for the stable watchOS update
The other sensible thing you can do is to wait it out. Considering that you joined the beta program for watchOS, the best you can do is continually update your Apple Watch until the stable version of watchOS is released. Once you are on the stable version, you should be fine. Also, if you ever want to test out the beta version of watchOS, it is advisable to try it out on a secondary device.
Conclusion
Looking at how it is impossible for any user to roll back to the previous version of watchOS, it is simply best to avoid installing the beta version of the latest available watchOS. Waiting around for the stable version is a more sensible option when you have only one Apple Watch with you. It is still mind-boggling that you cannot roll back to the previous watchOS version. However, we do hope that with the future releases of new Apple Watches, users get an option to roll back to the previous version of the beta version is simply not working great for them during the day to day use.
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