Application updates are meant to fix bugs and make apps run smoother on Android, but some updates cause more problems to users. This requires downgrading programs to avoid problems.
Upgrading is easy thanks to over-the-air Google Play updates, but downgrading is an entirely different story. Users who want to downgrade an Android app may try the following methods to restore a version of the app they are comfortable using.
Uninstalling All Upgrades
Uses may revert the app back to its earliest downloaded state or back to its stock state (for system apps) through the Settings. Android Widget Center enumerates the following steps: first, go to Settings > Applications to open the Application Manager. In the Downloaded or All Apps tab, find the app that will be downgraded to the default / earliest downloaded version, and tap on it. Tap on the Uninstall Updates button. Note that while this will restore the earliest or default state of an app, it will not preserve a user's personal settings.
Downgrading Without Rooting
Appnama offers a solution for users who may want to downgrade updated apps to their previous versions without rooting their phones. However, the solution they offer requires users to hold off on updating their apps until they have backed up the app's current state.
Google Play Store has several apps that allow users to back up apps to a remote storage location and retrieve it later if a user wants to restore the previous version. Appnama suggested App Backup & Restore by Infolife LLC to back up apps to Dropbox before updating, and to restore the app to its previous state if the user finds the update unsuitable or problematic.
Downgrading Rooted Devices
Both Appnama and Android Pit offer a solution to users with rooted devices. AppDowner is an app by XDA Developers that allows users to revert to a previous version of the updated app, but it requires users to have a copy of the earlier APKs.
Users who do not have a copy of the earlier APKs will have to download it from repositories such as F-Droid. Choose a trusted APK repository to ensure that the copy will work on the Android device in which it will be installed. Make sure to download using the browser so the APK is downloaded and saved as a file.
Download AppDowner from XDA Developers and install it on the phone, run the app, and choose the APK to be installed. Tap on the Install APK button and the earlier version of the app will be installed. This is ideal because AppDowner retains the user's personal settings when downgrading an app.
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