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iPhone Died While Updating (What Happens? What to Do?)

I recently experienced a dreaded moment – my iPhone died while it was updating. I was worried that I’d lost all my data, but thankfully I was able to get everything back. In this blog post, I’ll share what happened and how I resolved the issue, as well as discuss a few other solutions that I discovered along the way. Whether you’re dealing with this issue now or want to know what to do should it happen in the future, read on for some helpful tips.

iPhones are known for their high-quality batteries. If you’ve been using your phone well, chances are the battery life will still be over 90% after years.

Yet, the iOS update can still drain the battery. More often than not, you can simply charge your phone, and the update will pick up where it left off.

If that doesn’t happen, you might need to check out the other solutions we have in this article. So, keep reading to find the answers to all your questions.

Problem/SolutionSteps
iPhone Died During an Update1. Charge your iPhone for at least an hour.
2. Try turning on the iPhone to see if the update resumes.
3. If it doesn’t turn on, consider force restarting or using recovery mode.
Force Restart1. Quickly press and release the volume up button.
2. Press and release the volume down button.
3. Press the power button until the Apple logo appears on the screen.
Recovery Mode1. Connect your charged iPhone to your Macbook and open iTunes.
2. Close and reopen iTunes if it was already open.
3. Follow the steps for a force restart to enter the recovery mode screen.
4. Locate your iPhone on the computer.
5. Click “Update” to finish the update process.
6. If the download takes too long and your phone exits recovery mode, repeat the steps without unplugging your phone.
Avoid iPhone Dying During Updates1. Charge your iPhone fully before updating.
2. Keep your phone charging during the update but monitor for overheating.

What Happens When iPhone Dies During an Update

Usually, your phone dying during an update isn’t cause for concern. After all, a software update is a heavy process that can take a long time, especially if you haven’t updated your phone in a while.

If your iPhone died during an update, when you turn it back on, it’d just pick up the update process where it left off. However, some things might go wrong.

For instance, the files that are necessary for your phone to turn on might not have been updated properly, causing your phone to not turn on. So, your iPhone might be bricked.

Furthermore, the iPhone update process requires your phone’s battery to be over 50%. That’s why if your iPhone dies during an update, it might be indicative of battery issues.

The thing is, your iPhone might not have died at all. The problem might be that your phone ran out of storage, so the software can’t be installed.

What to Do if iPhone Died While Updating

If your iPhone died during an update, simply leaving it to charge for a while and then turning it back on will do the trick. However, if your phone dies during a critical part of the update, it might need more work. There are multiple solutions to this problem.

Charge Your iPhone

The first solution to a dead phone is to recharge it! The hard part about charging your iPhone when it’s already dead is you won’t know whether or not it’s charging. That’s why you should leave your phone plugged in for over an hour.

After the iPhone charges, it should turn on and resume the update. If that’s not the case, proceed with the following solutions.

Force Restart

Usually, you can restart your iPhone by holding the power button, but forcing a restart is a little different. The reason is that a force restart operates at a hardware level. To force restart your phone, follow these steps:

  1. Quickly press and release the volume up button.
  2. Then press and release the volume down button.
  3. Press the power button until the Apple logo shows on the screen.

Recovery Mode

Recovery mode is a lifesaver for iPhone users. It basically allows you to access your phone from your Macbook. The downside is you have to own a Macbook and have the latest version of iTunes on both devices.

To enter recovery mode, follow these simple steps:

  1. Connect your charged iPhone to your Macbook, then open iTunes.
  2. If iTunes is already open, you might need to close it and then open it again.
  3. The recovery mode screen should appear on your phone; if it doesn’t appear, force restart your phone.
  4. Then, you should locate your iPhone on the computer.
  5. Once you find the iPhone, simply click update to finish the update process.
  6. In some cases, the download might take a long time, so your phone might exit recovery mode, simply follow the steps again without unplugging your phone.

How to Avoid Your iPhone Dying During Updates

If you’re about to update your iPhone, there are some things you should consider to keep your phone from dying during the long update process.

Charge Your iPhone Before Updating

The simplest way to avoid your iPhone dying is to charge it. Though your device can undergo an update when the battery is over 50%, it’s best to fully charge your phone.

Keep Your Phone Charging During the Update

Since the iPhone’s software update can easily drain the battery, you can just keep your phone plugged into the charger while it updates.

However, you should keep an eye on your phone. That’s because your phone can overheat both from charging and updating at the same time. So, check your phone every couple of minutes to ensure it doesn’t get too warm.

Conclusion

Read more: iPhone screen dims when hot

Having your phone die during an update can be scary. Most times, though, it’s no cause for concern. In fact, once you charge your phone and turn it on, it’ll likely continue the update process.

If that doesn’t happen, you can force restart your phone or enter recovery mode and continue the update process through your laptop.

Read more: iPhone screen coming off