Downgrade Revert iPhone iPod and iPad From iOS 7.0 Back To iOS 6.1.4 or 6.1.3 or 8 back to 7

(this was originally written for going from iOS 7 back to 6.x, but you can also go from 8 back to 7)
Have You Upgraded To Apple iOS 7.0 and Don't Like It?
you know you can downgrade it back to iOS 6.1.4... using just  iTunes and a pc/laptop

Right most people with iPhone 5 (on their computer they have this Specific file)
iPhone5,2_6.0.2_10A551_Restore.ipsw
or this one
iPhone2,1_6.1.3_10B329_Restore

Its that firmware that iTunes would of told you that you need to use iTunes to download it if your phone doesn't use wifi as well as cellular
Note that 6.02, 6.03 and 6.04 "for most people" came later, if you grabbed 6.01 or 6.0 in the beginning, so many DON'T have the FINAL 6.1.4  iOS to restore to
(as smaller updates that the phone could handle alone easier came later for many users)

SO..
if your sick of iOS 7.0 or or 8 just having problems.. If you wish to downgrade you iPhone 5
(that's FIVE, not 5S or 5C)
then ideally you need to download this specific file from apple manually with a Computer or Mac and download it  "while you can"   iPhone5,2_6.1.4_10B350_Restore.ipsw
for iPhone 4 and 4S see lower down this post ;)

At the moment you CAN download that 6.1.4 COMPLETE FirmWare From HERE
in TEXT form that's this URL (as you can see its a Direct Apple Link)
http://appldnld.apple.com/iOS6.1/091-3423.20130502.Tr3Lz/iPhone5,2_6.1.4_10B350_Restore.ipsw
That saves using the older 6.0+ then having to patch it up to 6.1.4
so download that file to make sure your starting with the FINAL release of iOS 6
next...

Disconnect PC or LapTop From The Internet
Plug your phone into your PC/LapTop
then open iTunes, click on your phone & select RESTORE
then BROWSE to the .ipsw file

Q) my iTunes says its connecting to apple?
A) DISCONNECT THE MACHINE WITH iTUNES ON FROM THE INTERNET
and it will let you Select a ispw file....

Additional Notes:

HOW TO IDENTIFY WHAT MODEL YOU HAVE
(AKA  CSM/GSM/WiFI/CELLULAR)
iPad Serial / Model Information direct from apple here
iPhone Serial / Model Information direct from apple here

Downgrade iPhone 4 and iPhone 4S back to iOS 6?
for the iPhone 4 you need to no if it is a GSM or CDMA phone, for the 4S you don't need to no
consult the info that came with your phone OR see if you have the latest IPSW file on your pc.laptop, search it for    *.ipsw,  what ever one you DO have, look for it on that site, then do a "save as"  and see if the file name Matches, if so then thats the phone you have, so grab the latest 6.1.3 for that model  ;)

LAST v6+ FirmWare for iPhone 4 (CDMA) 6.1.3 iPhone3,2_6.1.3_10B329_Restore.ipsw
 (Ignore the 3,2 on the URL and File Name, I am unsure why they did that, maybe to confuse people browsing their FTP servers, Note how the iPhone 3GS firmware is actually called  iPhone2,1_6.1.3_10B329, so dont be confused by that 3,1 or the 4,1, concern your self with the 6.1.3)
http://appldnld.apple.com/iOS6.1/091-2444.20130319.exFqm/iPhone3,2_6.1.3_10B329_Restore.ipsw

LAST v6+ FirmWare for iPhone 4 (GSM) was 6.1.3 iPhone3,1_6.1.3_10B329_Restore.ipsw
http://appldnld.apple.com/iOS6.1/091-2610.20130319.Bedr4/iPhone3,1_6.1.3_10B329_Restore.ipsw


(Again Ignore the 3,1 on the url file name)
LAST v6+ FirmWare for iPhone 4S was 6.1.3 iPhone4,1_6.1.3_10B329_Restore.ipsw
http://appldnld.apple.com/iOS6.1/091-2611.20130319.Fr54r/iPhone4,1_6.1.3_10B329_Restore.ipsw

iPad 4th Generation iOS 6 went to 6.1.3 and that was iPad3,6_6.1.3_10B329_Restore
(note that does GSM and CDMA phones) :)  and can be downloaded here
http://appldnld.apple.com/iOS6.1/091-2347.20130319.Aqwe3/iPad3,6_6.1.3_10B329_Restore.ipsw


Other Firmwares can be found HERE
for iPad, iPod, iPod Touch, and Apple TV

If your unsure what model you have, look in these folders (on ur pc/mac) for ipsw files
C:\Users\YOUR NAME\AppData\Roaming\Apple Computer\iTunes\iPad Software Updates
or
C:\Users\YOUR NAME\AppData\Roaming\Apple Computer\iTunes\iPhone Software Updates
i found MY iPad firmware 6.1.3 by googling the words
Download iPad3,6_7.0_11A465_Restore
then i looked for iPad3,6_6.1.3_  on the same page & opted for the one that does GSM & CDMA
its a 4th generation iPad, but clearly by the 7.0 Update In my iTunes download folder the firmware needed is for my model (part of the file name) means my model is not really a 4th gen as such but more iPad model    3.6,    the the wifi/celluar ino is essentially   11A465  iOS is 6.1.3  ;)

Only thing to be sure of is IS your device just WiFi, or just Cellular or Both
Between the    numbers.letters.Restore.ipsw  (700+MB)  file (its name) and your serial off the back of the defice compared to the apple links with device info, its dead easy to find the ipsw you need..
Hell the Last  iOS 7  ipsw file may already still be sitting on your pc in that folder lol along side the iOS 8 file...

Other Help?

When upgrading updating to iOS 7.0  iTunes says back up my purchases before Upgrade Update ?

Top LEFT corner of iTunes (if you have NO Visible Menu bar)

 Click the little Box

on that drop down menu Click Show Menu Bar

Now on the menu bar click on "FILE"
on that drop down menu, look for "Devices"
then click the "Transfer Purchases" the one with your name next to it

They could of been downloaded again, but if your phones organised then this saves messing things up
hopefuly you made a back up of your phone before upgrade so you can probably restore it rather than setting up as a new iPhone.

 I was lucky enough to hit my apps folder and back up facebook, eBay and other apps that were specifically for  iOS 6.0+, no you can't have them, and they would ONLY work on my account anyway unless your phones jailbroken, ALL OFFICIAL App Store Apps are STAMPED with the users details, it is NOT recommended to share your apps with jail break users

Can i Downgrade an iPhone 5S 5C to iOS 6.1.4 ?
MAYBE, but for most of you reading this its NO, It would be too messy
the iPhone 5 has an A6 CPU the iOS 6 Firmware has Drivers for that hardware
the iPhone 5S has the A7 CPU, its firmware has drivers for that hardware
im sure over time people will manage it, may even get the iOS 7 front end onto an iPhone 3 and 3GS
but until then.. the iPhone 3GS is pretty much a dead duck once a few apps go iOS 7 only

Random Questions...
Q) Can you permanently Unlock / Jailbreak an iPhone OR  iPad
A) As of "this very moment"  NO you can't
ANY JAIL BREAK IS LOST DURING iOS UPDATE
buying direct from apple (devices are open for ever)
that said i know someone who bought an iPhone 5S from GifGaff (put a tMobile sim in) plugged it into iTunes and iTunes said (congratulations your phone is now unlocked & it connected, i have heard that Most iDevices now will unlock once plugged into iTunes.  Id assume this is so people can't argue they jail broke it for their sim card and clearly means they jail broke it to run apps they never bought.

Q) Close Running Apps on iOS 7?
A) double tap home, then swipe upward on applications you want to close

BUT....
IF YOU BUY AN iPHONE or iPAD DIRECT FROM APPLE, they are Unlocked Permanently...
why has no one tried to do a firmware modification to clone an apple phone over a contract phone, NO IDEA, ive managed to use a carephone warehouse tocco firmware over a locked and branded voda tocco, which unlocked and unbranded.. if it can be written then it can be unwritten, me thinks jailbreakers just wana keep you paying, or their to dumb to permanently unlock one, just the way apple sell them...

Why do iOS 6 apps "optimised for iOS 7" still work on iOS 6. yet many apps wont work on iOS7?
To update their apps for iOS7 support they ADD extra information, this sometimes fails for some apps due to certain app features, but the point is they add to it, not change it, so this extra info is irrelevant to iOS6
IE.. just because an app works on iOS 6 doesn't mean it'll work properly on iOS7
for now i wouldn't upgrade, if you have and have problems, downgrade using my guide
back ya phone up to iCloud, or pc or both, then restore phone firmware Off-Line, then restore back up to phone, job done :)

REMEMBER ONE GOLDEN RULE
If you install iOS 8.4.1 you can no longer downgrade back to iOS 7
apparently 8.4.1 is not signed, which id assume there is a way around that.

can these be used to at least take iOS 9 back to iOS 8.4.1 ?, i have not tested
iPad 4th gen Wifi & Cellular  = iPad3,6_8.4.1_12H321_Restore.ipsw
iPhone 5 = iPhone5,2_8.4.1_12H321_Restore.ipsw

Meta Data (for search engine help)
Downgrade Restore Revert iPhone From iOS 7.0 Back To iOS 6.1.4
Downgrade Restore Revert iPhone From iOS 8 Back To iOS 7
Downgrade Restore Revert iPad From iOS 7.0 Back To iOS 6.1.4
Downgrade Restore Revert iPad From iOS 8 Back To iOS 7
Downgrade Restore Revert iPod From iOS 7.0 Back To iOS 6.1.4
Downgrade Restore Revert iPod From iOS 8 Back To iOS 7