Install and select iOS 5.1.1 as your secondary OS.
You have a spare 4s, love retro tech, and enjoy command-line tinkering. Don’t do it if: You need a reliable phone, want to browse the modern web, or get frustrated by tethered boot. downgrade iphone 4s to ios 5
No tethered issues. Drawback: Slower storage performance. Install and select iOS 5
Apple utilizes a system called "signing" to control which iOS versions can be installed on their devices. Normally, you can only install iOS versions that Apple currently signs. Because Apple stopped signing iOS 5 for the iPhone 4s years ago, standard iTunes restores will fail. No tethered issues
How to Downgrade iPhone 4S to iOS 5 (2026 Updated Guide) The iPhone 4S, released in 2011, was the last device personally overseen by Steve Jobs. While it famously supports up to iOS 9, many users find that the device runs significantly better on its original operating system, iOS 5, due to faster performance, better battery management, and nostalgia for the classic "skeuomorphic" design.