Often and on, it is witnessed that if someone tries to update the iOS version on their iPhone manually, it ends up getting stuck at that “Preparing Update” stage.
This could occur for a variety of reasons. It could be due to a fault in the hardware or software of the device that prevents the update from being completely ready in the first place.
Whatever the cause of the problem, you will undoubtedly seek a way to resolve the iPhone getting stuck on the “Preparing Update” stage.
With the help of this article, we will teach you what to do if your iPhone, such as the latest iOS 16, gets stuck on the “Preparing Update” stage and instead updates in a proper effective manner.
What does it mean by the “iPhone Stuck on Preparing Update”?
Whenever you attempt to start downloading and installing an update on the iPhone by:
- Heading over to the “Settings” option from your iPhone device’s home screen.
- Clicking on the “General” option.
- Select the “Software Update” option.
- Then click on the “Download and Install” option.
It is very possible that Apple will need to do a few tasks to prepare your device for the upcoming version of iOS 16. One of the processes it runs into is preparation for the update. This particular step is critical for readying the iPhone for particular conditions before getting the update prepared for download and installation on the device. And this is why and when the “Preparing Update” screen appears.
However, at certain times if you notice that this screen has stopped or is stuck, it is quite possible that the update you are attempting to install does not satisfy the necessary requirements for some issue, and you will have to restart the process.
This update phase preparation should just take a couple of minutes to complete. However, based on a variety of factors, it may take much longer.
Why is your iPhone stuck on preparing an update?
It is difficult to pinpoint a specific reason why your iPhone is stuck preparing updates. The most common reasons are:
- Wi-Fi is turned off.
- Either software or hardware, or both, is at fault.
- The installation procedure has been interrupted.
- The file crashed during the preparing or updating process due to a bug in the existing iOS version.
8 Ways to Fix iPhone Stuck on Preparing Update Issue
So, here comes the answer to the main question of the article. The methods listed below are designed to assist you in resolving this issue and allow you to update your device simply.
Delete and Reinstall the Update File on iPhone
One of the things you can do when the update process appears to be stuck is to restart it by removing the update from the iPhone’s storage and upgrading the device again.
This is extremely crucial if the update file is faulty or broken.
- Go to the Settings and General.
- Then select the “iPhone Storage” option, which is just after the “CarPlay” settings option.
- Go through your storage data which will be full of mostly files and apps.
- Look for the iOS 14 or 15 updates file or the OTA (Over The Air) file.
- Click on the file once you have found it.
- Select the “Delete Update” option to delete the iOS 14 or 15 update file from your iPhone.
- For confirmation, click on the “Delete Update” option once again.
Steps to delete the update file:
- After completing the deleting steps, go to the “Settings” option once again.
- Tap on “General.”
- Then select “Software Update” or “iOS 16” if your device supports it.
- There, find the “Download and Install” option and click on it as well.
- Redownload or reinstall the update again.
Verify your Wifi network connectivity
The download and installation of the iOS updates, especially the big ones, can’t be done when connected to a mobile data network. So, you must connect to a reliable, robust, and steady Wi-Fi network before updating your iPhone.
There could be a variety of reasons why the network your iPhone is connected to is facing problems. Mostly it happens because:
- Your router is malfunctioning, so you need to fix it before connecting the iPhone to the Internet.
- Your iPhone’s network settings are incorrectly configured or may have been altered by you or somebody else, thus creating a problem on your device.
To deal with the second issue, you can reset the network settings of your iPhone with the help of these steps:
- Open the Settings app from your iOS.
- Select the “General” option.
- Click “Transfer or Reset iPhone” and then Tap on “Reset“.
- Select “Reset Network Settings” to clear all your iPhone’s network settings.
Using ReiBoot to tackle iOS software errors
If either of the above methods could not rectify the issues, it is quite possible that you could be experiencing iOS problems. In such a case, you can take the help of the robust system repair tool called Tenorshare ReiBoot-iOS system recovery.
The tool will assist you in addressing any common core system issues or errors that your iPhone is encountering, including any issues with iPhones getting ready for the iOS update.
- Download and install ReiBoot on your Mac or PC first.
- Connect your iPhone to your Mac or PC.
- Then run ReiBoot.
- Select the “Start” option after the device has been identified, select the “Start” option to use the ReiBoot.
- Select “Standard Repair” in the interface below to avoid fixing operation failures, and read the message beneath.
- Once you are done, tap on “Standard Repair” to proceed.
- When you’re complete, select “Download” to get the most recent firmware package.
- Wait, as it will take time because of the 5GB firmware package.
- Select “Start Standard Repair” once you have downloaded the firmware package to your computer to start the system recovery process.
- Now, wait as the entire fix takes some time.
- Once all the repairs are done, your iOS device will reboot automatically. None of your data will be lost in the entire process.
One-click upgrade with iOS system recovery
If you don’t want to go with ReiBoot, you can also go for the AnyFix-iOS system recovery. In order to avoid your iPhone from getting stuck on preparing updates in the future. It will help you to obtain later versions of iOS updates to prevent getting your iPhone stuck while you are preparing updates once more.
All you have to do is install AnyFix and follow these steps:
- Run AnyFix on your PC.
- Go to AnyFix’s homepage.
- Select the downgrade or upgrade iOS interface that best suits your requirements. From the drop-down menu, select “1-click to upgrade iOS/iPadOS.”
- Head over to the button that is labeled as “Start Now.”
- Then choose whatever iOS version you wish to download and install.
- To proceed, press the Upgrade button in the left-hand corner.
- A screen with the “Upgrade Completed” message will appear as soon as the upgrade procedure has been finished.
Force Quit Settings App
Often and on the Settings app does not function properly. In such cases, if you are having trouble updating your iPhone, try to “Force Quit” the Settings app.
For iPhones with a Home button:
- Click on the Home button twice to bring up the apps that are now operating in the background.
- Select “Settings” from the list to force shut the Settings app.
- Swipe it up and off the iPhone screen.
For iPhones with Face ID:
- Swipe up and pause in between to bring up the apps operating in the background from the bottom of the iPhone screen.
- Then, finally, to force quit the Settings app, swipe up on it.
Hard Reset your iPhone
Another way to revive your iPhone is by conducting a hard reset, which causes it to switch off and on instantly. This is a very useful method if the iPhone has halted due to a system breakdown that has prevented it from updating effectively.
Based on what sort of iPhone model you have, there are a number of diverse approach to executing a hard reset on your iPhone:
For iPhone X:
- Click and hold the volume up button.
- Then click and hold the volume down button as well.
- Tap and hold the side button.
- Continue tapping the side button until you notice the Apple logo shows up in the middle of the screen.
- Release the side button.
For iPhone 7 & 8:
- At the same time, press the volume down and power buttons.
- Continue tapping both buttons until you see the Apple logo on the screen.
- As soon as the Apple logo appears on the screen, release both buttons.
For iPhone SE & Earlier:
- Tap and hold power and home buttons at the very same moment.
- Keep both buttons pressed until the Apple logo displays in the middle of the screen.
- Once the Apple logo appears, release each of the two buttons.
Take the help of FixGo
The system error could be considerably more significant if a hard reset does not overcome the issue. In such a case, you can take the help of iToolab FixGow.
The program can help you to fix frequent software or technical problems and can cure many iOS issues on the iPhone like an iPhone stuck on the Apple logo, a dark screen, and also being stuck on “Preparing Update.”
- Download and install FixGo on your PC.
- In the main window, install FixGo.
- To start the repair, choose “Standard Mode.”
- Link the iPhone to the PC via USB connection.
- Select “Fix Now” from the drop-down menu.
- Next, to obtain the necessary firmware to repair the iPhone, click “Download.” FixGo will start installing the appropriate package.
- As soon as the installation is finished, hit the “Repair Now” option.
- FixGo will start fixing the iPhone right away.
- Whenever the whole process is finished, the phone will restart.
Setting your iOS device in DFU mode
If nothing you attempt seems to work, try setting your iPhone to DFU (Device Firmware Update) mode. The DFU restore could wipe or reload various components of the iPhone’s operating system.
All of the codes that govern your iPhone’s hardware and software are deleted and restored whenever you execute a DFU restoration.
Additionally, By restoring the iPhone in DFU mode, the Finder or iTunes would immediately update to the new version of iOS 16. This will certainly help address the issue whenever your iPhone is stuck on the “Preparing Update Screen.”
Here are the steps on how to put your iPhone in DFU mode:
- For Mac operating on macOS Catalina 10.15 or higher, open Finder. If, instead, you have a Mac operating system such as macOS Mojave 10.14 or a PC, connect your iPhone to your desktop and launch iTunes.
- Hold down the Sleep/Wake and the Volume Down (iPhone 7) or Home buttons (iPhone 6s and earlier versions) for a few seconds simultaneously.
- Release the Sleep/Wake button after a few seconds, but keep holding the volume down button (for iPhone 7) or Home button (for iPhone 6s and lower) until the iPhone logo displays in iTunes or Finder.
- Remove your hand from the Home Button or the Volume Down Button.
- If you have accessed DFU mode effectively, your iPhone’s screen will become fully black. In case it hasn’t, start over again.
- Use iTunes or Finder to restore your iPhone.
Final Words
Now that you have everything you possibly need to know and do when your iPhone may become stuck at the ready for an update screen, you never have to be way too concerned or worried about fixing the issue.
However, with that said, don’t panic when things don’t go the way you intended. Remember that as new things may come up, there will also be several ways to resolve those problems. Take the help of iOS experts online or at your nearby repair stores if required.