There are different explanations as to why you are getting your old or new iPhone stuck on install now. It’s ridiculous and Apple Inc should be answerable for this. Well, when it happens you can quickly return it to the store. But, what would you do if you were no longer at the store and you didn’t want to return it? Well, just stick around you will learn a few troubleshooting tips you should consider in this case.
Meanwhile, what could cause your iPhone to stuck on the install now screen include:
- Bugs
- Software glitches
- Network problems, etc.
But one thing you fail to realize is this and I have made mention of it in some of the articles I have previously written about.
The sole reason why your iPhone is stuck during an update or before an update is that you are transferring files from an old iPhone to a new one and at that same time you are also trying to update your iPhone.
You might not believe it, but there are quite a lot of complaints from iPhone users confirming this simple problem while also stating that they were updating their iPhones while also transferring files from their old iPhones to their new ones.
This could be the same thing you are doing and the progression leading to your iPhone getting stuck on installation now might not differ from what I mentioned above.
However, the reasons for it are not limited to that, there are a handful of reasons for this, and I’ll briefly list them here before proceeding with how you should fix it.
Why is My New iPhone Stuck on Install Now?
Understanding why your iPhone is stuck on install now is a wise move. The reason is that you get to understand the things you should do and leave them out for when you want to perform an update.
While some might be within your control, others could be out of your control. But then, it makes total sense to be aware of this reason which I will be listing below.
- Lack of Storage
- Poor Network
- Updating the iPhone while also transferring files
- Software glitches
If you experience any of this; your iPhone will likely stuck on the install now screen. Meanwhile, this is not dependent on whether you are using iOS 15 or iOS 16. It can still happen on your iPhone when the iOS7 is available to the public.
How to Fix iPhone Stuck on Install Now
You might have to follow different troubleshooting steps if you want to resolve these issues. However, what you need to do is pretty easy; there is really no need to beat around the bush as some troubleshooting steps are simply unnecessary.
However, you can’t rule out the fact that you might have to perform a factory reset, which clears your data. But there are other fixes you could try to get it fixed before dabbling into that.
Let’s start by listing the troubleshooting fixes before delving into each of the
- Force reset your iPhone.
- Check your network settings.
- Tune off Low Power Mode.
- Set up your iPhone as new without syncing my old iPhone content.
- Update your iPhone.
- Restore your iPhone on iTunes.
If you do all these you should have access to your iPhone again and continue the upgrade [if you are doing one].
Force Restart your iPhone
In some scenarios, You Might actually be facing this situation because of a simple bug or cache issue. It could be more than that, but you can’t figure that out unless you try.
A force restart is effortless and does not involve any data loss; however, the steps vary based on the model of your iPhone. That being said, here are the steps you should follow to force reset your device.
For iPhone 8 or later:
- Press and release the Volume Up button.
- Press and release the Volume Down button.
- Press and hold the Side button until the Apple logo appears.
For the iPhone 7 or iPhone 7 Plus:
- Press and hold the Sleep/Wake and Home buttons simultaneously.
- Release both buttons when the Apple logo appears.
For iPhone 6 or earlier:
- Press and hold the Sleep/Wake and Volume Down buttons simultaneously.
- Release both buttons when the Apple logo appears.
Check Network Settings
If a force restart does not resolve the iPhone stuck on install now, another thing you need to check is the network settings.
Your network might be unstable or slow, or maybe you are out of data. Depending on what might have gone wrong, if there is any, You can turn on and off airplane mode, restart your iPhone, or reset your iPhone settings.
Changing to airplane mode can be easily done from the control centre while restarting your iPhone is a no-brainer procedure if you own an iPhone. However, you might not know how to reset all settings on your iOS device.
If that is the case, here are the steps you should follow to do that:
- Navigate to the settings on your iPhone.
- Click on General.
- Select Reset
- After doing that, reset the network connection all over again and proceed to your iOS update.
Turn Off Low Power Mode
When your battery reaches 20%, you will be prompted to choose the low-power mode. If you want to perform an Update, it is highly recommended to charge your iPhone to at least 50% or plug it into a power source before proceeding with any update procedure.
If your iPhone gets low on power and automatically goes into low-power mode, this is what will happen.
Your iPhone will reduce or disable certain background activities like automatic downloads, automatic mail fetching, and some visual effects. Not to mention, it will also reduce performance-intensive activities like gaming and streaming while also increasing your display brightness.
If your iPhone has been set to low power mode, you should remove it from this mode by going to Settings >> Battery to access it.
Set up iPhone as a new device – Don’t Sync old iPhone Content
It is not always a good idea to install a new update while also syncing data from your old iPhone to a new one. It could lead to software glitches such as the one you are going through.
And if you’ve performed a force restart and your network seemed to be working fine but the endless spinning wheel doesn’t stop. You need to set up your iPhone as new but don’t sync any content.
NB: Doing this means you have to Erase all files and settings from your device. If it is new, you might not need to worry about that, but if it has some files, you might want to back them up before resetting your device as new.
Recommended: How to back up your iPhone
Here is how to do that:
- Go to Settings.
- Choose General
- Select Reset
- Choose “Erase All Content and Settings.”
- Follow the on-screen instructions to set up the iPhone as a new device.
- Once the setup is complete, you can restore your files by going to Settings > iCloud > Storage & Backup.
- Select the backup file you created earlier and restore the backup file.
Update your iPhone
Now that you’ve set up your iPhone as new, delete all the previous content and settings. You should now perform an update.
While doing this, don’t transfer any files or perform any other operations on the server, only do the update.
It is advisable to update using WiFi; however, that does not mean using a cell network is forbidden. Using WiFi is faster and would probably be stable.
Here is how to update your iPhone:
- Connect your iPhone to Wi-Fi.
- Go to Settings > General > Software Update.
- Tap Download and Install.
- Enter your passcode and agree to any terms or conditions.
- Wait for your iPhone to finish installing the update.
NB: If you can do all these things, the issue you are facing has been resolved. If that is not the case, you have to perform a restore.
Restore your iPhone via iTunes
This step will restore your device to working condition, but it will delete all your files and prior settings. However, there is no need to fret, as you can connect your iPhone to iTunes before proceeding with this.
Recommended: How to back up your iPhone to iTunes
Here is how to restore your iPhone via iTunes
- Connect your iPhone to your computer using a USB cable.
- Launch iTunes on your computer.
- Once iTunes has detected your iPhone, please select it from the list of devices in iTunes.
- Click the “Summary” tab and then click the “Restore iPhone” button.
- Follow the on-screen instructions to complete the restore process.
- Once your iPhone has been restored, it will reboot to the home screen.
New iPhone Stuck on installing Now iOS 16
First, this issue is normally synonymous with new iPhone users, not necessarily those who are running on the iOS 16 model. But one thing for sure is that the update button shows a spinning wheel beside it while disabling the button from being clicked, making it appear stuck. If that is right, follow the steps highlighted above to get it fixed
Transferring Data to a new iPhone stuck on Software
I will always recommend that you do NOT transfer data to your New iPhone while also performing an Update. It can cause some software-based issue that causes your iPhone to become stuck while you are using it.
A good scenario is the one you are facing. However, after going through this post, you should have been able to fix the issue you came here for.
To wrap things up, getting your iPhone stuck on install now signals a severe issue. However, if you’ve gone through all the things I’ve listed above, fixing them shouldn’t be an issue. In rare cases reach out to Apple support