Keeping Apple silicon Macs on a clean, known-good macOS version is critical when you are supporting remote users, distributed offices, and sensitive workflows. When an update goes sideways—or you need to validate a specific release—it is not enough to simply “reinstall macOS” and hope for the best. This guide shows how to use DFU and IPSW-based restores to reliably put Apple silicon devices back on an exact, signed macOS version, so internal IT teams and MSPs can troubleshoot faster, standardize testing, and recover from bad updates with confidence.

Use this workflow as your repeatable playbook for returning Apple silicon Macs to a specific macOS version during incidents and upgrade testing.

Step-by-Step Guide to Restoring Specific OS Versions on MacOS Silicon Devices 

Some might think that once a macOS device is updated, it can’t be used to test that same update again. That’s not always the case. Apple publishes the full OS install file for macOS on their CDN. These OS installers (known as .IPSW files) can be used by macOS Finder.app for device restore as well as by Apple Configurator 2 for mass wired upgrades, restore, and wipe actions. 

These IPSWs are code signed by Apple but unlike iOS and iPadOS macOS versions are code signed for much longer if not forever so they can be used as a back catalog for most any Silicon macOS version as long as the hardware you are using in this workflow for testing shipped with the desired restore OS version or later. Versions prior to the shipping of the device will NOT work for this process.

When testing OS updates this can be hugely helpful as you could test an update from say macOS 15.0 to macOS 15.1 and then wipe and DFU restore/Booted Restore via USB from a macOS device to bring that same macOS device back to macOS 15.0 so you can test the same thing again. This works for minor versions as well (EX: macOS 15.0 to 15.1 and back to 15.0.1) as long as the IPSW files are code signed, and available from Apple’s CDN.

The IPSW files are hosted by Apple, but a few sites online index and organize those Apple CDN links. The one that I use commonly is ipsw.me. The site is supported by ads, and there is a LOT of them so a good ad blocker might be in order to clean up the UI. The site is organized by Apple product then the device within that product line.

Notes before you proceed:

• This will wipe the Apple device clean and all local data will be lost on the device
• Activation Lock should be disabled before doing this
• Find My Device consumer iCloud features will also need to be disabled
• The process takes ~20-30 mins. depending on broadband speeds and device age
• Code signed macOS versions for your device must have been released after the ship date and original shipping OS of the device to be compatible

Apple platform picker

Device model picker in iOS product line

Once you have picked a device, you will see a listing of the OS versions that have published IPSW files on Apple’s CDN along with their release date. ipsw.me and other catalogs also sort them by if the OS is signed and restorable or not. If the version you are looking to restore is green then you are good to go for a restore.

Listing of IPSWs for restore

Once you pick the version you can download that IPSW to use for a pointed/selective restore to that OS version for your Apple device.

Selected macOS version for download

With the iOS (or iPadOS) device in question plugged in via USB to a macOS device you can now do a restore to that OS version. After you boot the macOS device as directed by the Apple KB (different hardware functions differently to be put in DFU mode so follow the KB for your hardware) the macOS Silicon device should appear in Finder.app on your IPSW host macOS device like shown here:

With the device showing in Finder.app and your desired IPSW file downloaded locally to your macOS device you can start the restore. We are not going to pick the default restore option, we are going to instead hold down the option key on the keyboard and then click the Restore Mac… (or iPad etc.) button with the option key still depressed. This will allow us to pick the IPSW file for our specific version of macOS from our restore host device.

NOTE: This will wipe the device clean. This is a full reset and wipe not just a downgrade or restore point.

Finder.app will restore the device and you will be good to go to use the older OS version after it finishes the process and the target device reboots a time or two, eventually landing on macOS Setup Assistant.

The Final Word on DFU/IPSW Restore

For internal IT and MSPs, the ability to move a Mac from macOS 15.0 to 15.1 and back again on demand turns upgrade troubleshooting into a controlled, predictable process instead of a fire drill. By combining Apple-signed IPSW files with DFU or booted restores, you get a repeatable way to recover problem devices, reproduce issues your users hit in the field, and verify fixes before rolling changes out fleetwide.

To get the most value from this workflow:

• Add these steps to your standard operating procedures for macOS incident response and OS testing.
• Turn the commands and screenshots into an internal runbook or training resource for your help desk and escalation teams.
• Pair this approach with your Apple MDM policies so you can quickly bring remote Macs back to a known-good macOS version and then re-enroll and reapply configuration.

Need to support more remote Macs with fewer hands on deck? Talk to our team about streamlining Apple device recovery and OS lifecycle management across your fleet.