iOS 14 Stuck on Preparing Update? What Does it Mean and How to Fix

If you have ever manually updated the iOS version, like the latest iOS 14 on your iPhone, you probably already know how the whole procedure works. You basically head into Settings and tap the option to update your iPhone’s software. Sometimes, though, you may find that your iPhone gets stuck on the preparing update screen. This can happen due to many reasons.

There may be a software or hardware issue on your phone that is preventing the update from being fully prepared. Regardless of why the issue has occurred, you may probably be looking for ways to fix the issue and successfully update iOS 14.

This guide covers some of the working methods for you to fix your iPhone update stuck issue. You should then be able to update your device without any issues.

Part 1. What does Preparing Update Mean

Preparing for an update is one of the phases that your iPhone goes through when you try to download and install an update on your device. The purpose of this phase is to actually prepare the update to be installed on your device. Once an update is downloaded, it needs to be prepared for certain things before it can be installed on your phone.

This preparation for an update process should only take a few minutes to finish. However, due to certain issues, it can take longer than that. If you are finding that this phase is taking much longer than it should, you should know that there is a problem with either hardware or software of your device.

On the software side, the issue is usually due to a partially downloaded update file or an issue with your Internet connection. There could be other software issues as well such as a minor glitch on your current iOS version. That can prevent new updates from being installed on your phone.

On the hardware side, it might be that there is physical damage to your device. This can cause your iPhone to function in some unexpected ways and this can have an effect on how your iPhone downloads, prepares and installs updates. These hardware issues are often difficult to recognize and fix. It is highly likely that you are going to need to bring your phone to a repair shop to get it fixed. Doing that yourself might brick the device and this can damage your phone for good.

Part 2. How to Fix iPhone Stuck on Preparing Update iOS 14

Method 1. Delete Previous Update File

One of the reasons why your iPhone is stuck on preparing an update screen is that the downloaded update is corrupted. Something went wrong while you were downloading the update and that caused the update file not to remain intact. In this case, it is the update file that is causing your iPhone to stay stuck on a screen.

Dealing with the iOS update files is no less than a headache. That is because, unlike Android, iOS does not let you view your update files. You cannot play around with them like the regular files on your device. Due to the lack of this feature, it is a bit difficult to find and fix the downloaded updates on your iPhone.

However, that does not mean you have no way to fix a faulty update on your phone. In fact, your iPhone has a menu where it allows you to view the downloaded updates. On this screen, you can actually find your recently downloaded update and even delete it. Deleting the update is one way to fix the issue on your phone and you are highly recommended to do it.

Once you have deleted the update, you will need to re-download it on your phone. This is the main disadvantage of this method, and if you are fine with it, the following is how you perform this method.

Step 1. Open the Settings app > Click General. It will open the general settings menu for your iPhone.

Step 3. Tap on the option that says iPhone Storage to view your iPhone’s storage details.

Step 4. Find your iOS 14 update file, tap on it, and select Delete Update on the following screen.

The update file will be removed from your device. You then need to head into Settings > General > Software Update to redownload the update to your iPhone.

Method 2. Check Network Conditions

A possible reason why your iPhone will not move past preparing an update is that there are issues with your network settings. This often causes issues like the one you are currently experiencing on your phone.

There are various reasons why your iPhone has network issues. It may be that there is an issue with your router. In that case, you will need to fix your router to get the Internet working on your iPhone. It may also be that the network settings are not properly configured on your iPhone. Also, you or someone else may have changed these settings and they are now causing the issue on your phone.

One of the easiest ways to get around any network issues on your iPhone is to reset your network settings. When you do this, your iPhone resets all the network settings to the factory defaults. All the changes that you have made to your settings will be gone. This way, you can clear up any problematic configuration and fix issues on your iPhone.

Keep in mind that this will reset your good settings as well. If you are fine with this drawback, the following is how to reset the settings.

Step 1. Access the Settings app > Open General. Then, tap on Reset to view the reset settings for your device.

Step 2. Finally, tap on the Reset Network Settings option to reset all your network settings.

Your iPhone should now connect to the Internet and download updates without any issues.

Method 3. Use iOS System Repair Tool

As long as the issue on your iPhone is caused by a minor element, the above methods should be able to fix it for you. However, if there are issues with the core system of your iPhone, there is a powerful system repair tool that can help you. It is AnyFix – iOS system recovery, which is designed to fix the very core system issues of your iOS device. This way, you can fix 130+ iOS/iPadOS/tvOS problems, including preparing an update issue.

Using AnyFix is as easy as using any other basic tool. To fix the system issues with your iPhone, you have an easy to follow wizard in this guide that walks you through the repair process one step at a time. You then get your iPhone fixed quickly and download and install new updates on it. The following shows how to use it.

Step 1. Download AnyFix – iOS system recovery and install it on your computer.

Step 2. Plug your iPhone into your computer and select System Repair in the tool.

Step 3. Click on Start Now to start fixing the update issues and other issues on your iPhone.

Step 4. The tool will let you select a mode to repair your device. Read the brief information about each mode and select the one that works for you.

Step 5. Finish the step by step wizard and your iPhone will be free from any update issues.

Part 3. Update your iPhone via AnyFix to Avoid Update Stuck Again

Except for fixing iOS/iPadOS/tvOS software issues, this tool also allows you to update the latest iOS or beta version with ease. Once you fixed iPhone stuck on preparing the update and want to avoid this issue happening again, then you can definitely try AnyFix – iOS system recovery to get the iOS 14 as you wish. All you need to do is just a few clicks of the mouse, no complicated manual operations.

Step 1. Now, just go to the homepage of this tool just like Method 3. And choose Upgrade/Downgrade iOS panel for your need.

Step 2. Select 1 click to upgrade iOS/iPadOS and head to Start Now button.

Step 3. Then choose one iOS version you want to get and download it. Click Upgrade button to continue. Once the upgrading process is completed, you will see the completed page.

The Bottom Line

Your iPhone can get stuck on the preparing for an update screen for several reasons. You do not have to panic, though, as there are various ways to fix this issue. Once you have followed one of the above methods and resolved the issue, your iPhone should be able to download and install updates without any problems. Also, you can get AnyFix – iOS system recovery to update your iPhone/iPad with few clicks, to avoid stuck issues happen again.