In theory, it is always recommended to be on the latest version of an app, be it a system or a third-party one. And the reason for the same is hardly a secret either. Apart from the newest build being the most safest and secure version, you might also expect a couple of additional goodies in the latest version of an app when compared with its older counterpart. However, there could be a few instances wherein you might want to downgrade the app on your Android device.
For instance, a developer might end up rolling a buggy update to its app which in turn would end up resulting in the app not functioning along the expected lines. In rare cases, a system app might even result in the device crashing or ending up in a bootloop [remember the Android System Webview fiasco].
Apart from that, an app could also undergo a massive UI/UX change in its newer version which might not be in sync with some users’ requirements. Or the developer could remove a feature or two from the app which could result in the user’s dissatisfaction. So in all these cases, the best bet is to rollback the app to its earlier version. And this guide will list out the steps for just that. Follow along.
How to Downgrade any User App on Android
Downgrading a user app is a pretty straightforward process because as opposed to a system app, you could easily uninstall them from your device. With that said, here’s how you could get this job done.
- Head over to Settings > Apps > See All Apps > Select the desired app.
- Then tap on Uninstall > OK in the confirmation prompt that appears.
- Now go to a trusted website and download the older version of the app.
- Then launch the APK file to install that app and check out the result.
How to Downgrade any System App on Android
Downgrading a system app is a tad bit difficult and tedious task because as opposed to a user app, you cannot uninstall a system app from your device. So we will be taking the help of ADB Commands to get this job done. Follow along.
- First off, download and extract Android SDK Platform Tools on your PC.
- Next up, enable USB Debugging and connect your device to PC via USB.
- Now launch the Command Prompt window inside platform tools folder.
- After that, search the package name for the app that you wish to uninstall.
- For that, you may take the help of the App Package Viewer from Play Store.
- Now execute the below two commands [replace package name accordingly].
adb shell pm uninstall --user 0 PackageName adb shell pm uninstall PackageName
- For instance, YouTube with the package name com.google.android.youtube:
adb shell pm uninstall --user 0 com.google.android.youtube adb shell pm uninstall com.google.android.youtube
- Now download the older version of the app from any trusted site of your choice.
- Then transfer it to the platform-tools folder and rename it to app.apk.
- Now type in the below command to perform the downgrade [replace packagename]
adb install -d packagename.apk
- For instance, in the case of YouTube, the above command will transform to:
adb install -d pcom.google.android.youtube.apk
That’s it. These were the steps to downgrade a user as well as a system app on Android. Do note that it is recommended to update the app back to its latest version once the intended aim of doing the downgrade is complete. For instance, if you performed a rollback because the latest build had an issue but now that bug has been ironed out, then you should update the app back to the latest release.
