How to Downgrade an iPhone Application on a Mac

By now everyone knows the latest version of Skype warns against using a modified iPhone but still works regardless of having a jailbroken iPhone or not. I recently updated to version 1.0.3 and it’s working great on my jailbroken iPhone. However, this got me thinking, what if it didn’t work, is there a way to downgrade an iPhone app.

After a lot of searching online and finding a few ways that sorta worked, I have figured out a way that worked successfully for me to downgrade from Skype 1.0.3 to 1.0.2. Here are the steps on a Mac:

Downgrading Your App

  1. Login to the iTunes Store with your US account you used to download Skype.
  2. The first time you sync your iPhone with iTunes after upgrading one of your apps it will sync the updated version to your computer and delete the old version, moving it to your trash. Go to your Trash folder and locate the old version, in this case Skype.ipa. Copy it to a new location.
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  3. Delete the updated version from your iPhone by tapping and holding the icon until it jiggles, click the x and then delete.
  4. On your Mac, go to /Music/iTunes/Mobile Applications, locate your Skype 1.ipa, which is the latest version and move it to the trash.
  5. Empty your trash.
  6. Copy Skype.ipa from the backup location to /Music/iTunes/Mobile Applications.
  7. Double click Skype.ipa, you should get the message, “A newer version of the application “Skype” is already in your iTunes library. Are you sure you want to replace it with the one you are moving.”
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  8. Click Replace.
  9. With your iPhone connected to your Mac, select your iPhone under Devices then click the applications tab, make sure Skype has a check mark beside it and click Apply.
  10. The older version of Skype should now be installed on your iPhone and you should notice the App Store is telling you 1 update is available.

Please Be Warned, this does not work 100% of the time with every app, certain apps install files on your iPhone in several locations. This unofficial downgrade only downgrades the main app. I have done this several times successfully.

If you downgrade an app and it doesn’t work, you will still be able to go into the App Store and upgrade to the latest version and get back to where you started, so no worries.  Try it out.

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