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Fix Stuck iPhone Software Update

Updating your iPhone's operating system is an important and routine maintenance procedure. This article explains how to fix an iPhone software update that's stuck.

The iPhone is a remarkable device. It's much more than just a phone. It's a computer that fits in your pocket. The iPhone's portability has made it essential to everyday life for many people. As an iPhone user, it's in your best interest to use the latest and greatest version of iOS. Keeping your iOS software up to date is usually an easy task, however, sometimes your iPhone's software update process gets stuck.

Why Does My iPhone's Software Update Get Stuck?

There's a variety of reasons why the iOS update process can halt. Sometimes this is because your iPhone isn't plugged in to a charger. To further confuse users, no message is displayed informing why the update has stalled. The update screen simply displays "Requesting Update", but nothing happens. The update process is stuck.

If you are updating iOS the day a new version is released, Apple's data center could be the culprit. Their servers are usually slammed with requests when a new version of iOS launches.

There could also be a software issue with your iPhone. It's possible that some cached data is preventing the software update process from running.

It's clear that there are numerous problems that can cause an iPhone software update to get stuck. Some of these issues can be easily solved. Others may require a bit more effort. Let's take a look at how to fix a stuck iPhone software update.

Plug Your iPhone into a Charger

Apple often expects users to have their device plugged into the charger while updating software. This is sometimes enforced even if your iPhone is 100% charged. This actually happened to me. There was no error message. My iPhone was simply stuck at "Update Requested". Once I plugged it into the charger, it started downloading the update. In fact, half of the update was already downloaded. This problem may be more cosmetic than systemic. It would seem that the update was downloading, but it showed the "Update Requested" message while disconnected from the charger.

I strongly recommend not charging your iPhone while running the iOS software update process. It will generate a lot of heat and this may damage your iPhone's battery. Shortly after every iOS update, I see an uptick in battery related articles views. People ended up damaging their iPhone battery during the update process, especially if it was a major version. The update process is quite intensive. Your iPhone must download a lot of data, sometimes more than a gigabyte. This uses the WiFi module, solid state drive and battery. If you have your screen on, it generates even more heat. Then it has to process the file (extract it from the compressed archive) and install it. It's much more intensive than installing a huge app.

I recommend charging your iPhone all the way before running the update. If it gets stuck, plug it in to the charger and then remove the cable once the update starts. You will need to set Auto-Lock to Never in order to keep the update running. I recommend turning the brightness on your iPhone down all the way. If possible, place the iPhone on a metal surface, which will help dissipate heat.

I've found that simply plugging your iPhone into the charger will fix a stuck iPhone software update. This may not always be the problem. Let's take a look at other solutions to a stalled iPhone software update.

Soft Reset Your iPhone

An iPhone update can sometimes get stuck and stay that way if some data is cached in iOS. Since iOS is closed source, it's impossible to say for sure how this happens. I do know that people say a soft reset works. Basically, a soft reset restarts your iPhone and clears out any temporarily cached data. It's the go-to solution that Apple Geniuses recommend for a variety of problems. (continue…)

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