Restore Nearby iPhone: Recover a Stuck Update on iPhone 16 or A17 Pro iPad mini
If your iPhone 16 or A17 Pro iPad mini gets stuck during an update, Apple’s new recovery feature lets you use a nearby iPhone or iPad to get back up and running.
We hope you never need this new recovery option that Apple has added to the iPhone 16 and current iPad mini (with an A17 Pro chip). If your device does get stuck during an iOS or iPadOS update, you may see an animation of devices being moved close together, indicating that it’s in recovery mode.
How to use Restore Nearby iPhone/iPad
- Apple’s new solution to a failed update involves attaching the device in recovery mode to power and placing it next to another unlocked device that’s connected to Wi-Fi and running iOS 18 or iPadOS 18.
- The working device will display a Restore Nearby iPhone/iPad message.
- Once you tap Continue and wait for the devices to connect, you’ll be asked to enter a six-digit code from the recovery device on the other device to share its Wi-Fi connection.
- Tap OK when you see the “Restoring iPhone/iPad” message.
Tip: It’s best to have both devices connected to power while this is happening.
If this new way to recover from a failed update doesn’t work, or if a different iPhone or iPad model has had trouble during an update, you can use a computer to restore the device.
(Featured image by iStock.com/stockforliving)
