Downgrading your iPod to iOS 1.1

Say goodbye to the App Store

As owner of an Open Device Lab — the HTML5test Device Lab — I try to try to find as many different phones with as many different browsers as possible. I buy them off eBay, I visit pawnshops and I literally beg my friends and family for their old phones.

Today I was very happy I was able to acquire an original iPod Touch. The battery is in pretty bad shape and I’m quite sure the previous owner dropped it more than once. But for just € 15 I just couldn’t resist it. It ran iOS 3.1.3 — the latest version available for this device, but I knew it originally ran iOS 1.1.

I already have devices running every major iOS version, from version 2.2 to 7.0, but I was still missing the original iOS 1. The problem with downgrading iOS devices is that when you install an update of try to downgrade, iTunes asks Apple’s servers if the install is authorised. And in many cases Apple only authorises the latest version of the OS, or at least he latest version available for each device.

Fortunately, Apple still allows downgrades to iOS 1.1 for the original iPod Touch, but if you try to do this with the current version of iTunes you will get an “1600"unknown error.

Here’s what I did:

1. I downloaded iOS 1.1 from JustAPenguin’s firmware archive
2. I downloaded iTunes 7.5 and installed it in a virtual machine
3. I put the iPod in DFU mode — connect it to your computer and power the iPod off. Then hold the home and power button for exactly 10 seconds and let go of the power button, but keep the home button pressed. Once iTunes recognises the iPod you can let go of the home button.
4. Option-click the “Restore” button and select the firmware you downloaded in step 1.

And that is it.