A method for operating a vehicle brake system, including: classifying a fault signal, indicating a fault of an electronic actuating device of the brake system, the actuating device outputting a brake pressure for a brake of the vehicle in a normal operating mode and a pneumatic actuating device for outputting the brake pressure in a backup operating mode, as a fault signal of a first fault category if the fault is a fault in which a switchover from the electronic actuating device afflicted with the fault to the pneumatic actuating device leads to an improvement in the outputting of the brake pressure; and switching from the electronic actuating device to the pneumatic actuating device, to output the brake pressure using the pneumatic actuating device, if the fault signal is a fault signal of the first fault category. A related computer readable medium, apparatus and brake system are also described.