In general, iOS updates are effortless and do not bother iPhone users, but sometimes things can go wrong and you may find that your iPhone is not updating to the latest version of iOS.
iPhone is Not Updating
In case you are dealing with a well publicized or major iOS update, there will be millions of iOS devices simultaneously downloading Updates from Apple servers.
Hence, in case of major updates you need to consider the possibility of your iPhone being unable to connect to Apple severs due to high load on Apple severs.
The solution in such cases is to be patient and try to update your device the next day. If the problem persists, you can try the following methods to fix your iPhone.
1. Restart iPhone
It is possible that your iPhone is experiencing minor software glitches and some stuck process is preventing your iPhone from updating. This problem can often be fixed by rebooting your iPhone.
1. Press and Hold the Power button, until you see “Slide to Power Off” option on the screen of your iPhone.
2. Move the Sider to the Right to Power OFF your iPhone.
3. Wait for your iPhone to completely Power OFF
Restart your iPhone and try to update by going to Settings > General > Software Update.
2. Check Storage Space on iPhone
iOS updates can range anywhere from 0.5 to 1 GB or more in size. Hence, make sure that you have enough storage space available on your iPhone.
1. Open Settings > tap on General.
2. On the General screen, scroll down and tap iPhone Storage.
3. On the next screen, you will see how much storage space is available on your iPhone.
If you have more than 1 GB available, lack of storage space is unlikely to be the reason for your iPhone Not Updating.
In case you have less storage space, you can try to clear storage space on your iPhone by following these steps: How to Free Up Storage Space on iPhone.
3. Update iPhone Using iTunes
In case you are unable to update iPhone using the Settings App, try updating it using iTunes.
1. Open iTunes on your computer.
2. Plug your iPhone into the USB port of the Computer using its supplied Lightning cable
3. Click the iPhone icon as your iPhone appears in iTunes.
4. Next, click on Check For Update button
5. On the pop-up that appears, tap on Download and Update.
4. Update iPhone Using Settings App
If iTunes gives any error message, try updating your iPhone using the Settings App. Do this even if you had previously tried to use the settings App and your iPhone refused to update.
1. Open Settings > tap on General.
2. On the General screen, tap on Software Update.
3. Now, plug your iPhone for charging and tap on Download and Install.
5. Restore iPhone
If your iPhone is still not updating, it is likely that broken or corrupted software on your device is preventing it from updating. Hence, it is time to Restore your device using iTunes.
Note: Restoring iPhone will erase all the Files and Data on your device. Consider making a backup of your iPhone, before going ahead with the steps to restore your iPhone.
1. Open iTunes on your computer
2. Plug your iPhone into the USB port of Computer using its Lightning cable.
3. Click the iPhone icon as your iPhone appears in iTunes.
4. Next, click the Restore iPhone button.
Note: You need to Turn OFF Find My iPhone in order to Restore iPhone using iTunes.
5. On the pop-up, confirm that you want to restore your device.
iTunes will download the latest version of iOS and install it on your device after erasing all the files on your device.
6. DFU Mode Restore
If Restoring did not help, you can try a deeper restore process known as DFU Mode Restore.
DFU Restore completely wipes out all the software and hardware settings on your phone and this might help fix the update problem on your iPhone.
If DFU Mode does not help, the problem on your iPhone could be hardware related and you will need to get your iPhone checked by a qualified technician.