How to Fix Software Update Failed iOS 16 on iPhone

The update for iOS 16 Beta keeps giving me an error: software upgrade failed. An error occurred while downloading 16 Beta. Not sure why and how do I fix failed to update software.

It’s been a while since iOS 15 was released, iOS 15 hits almost 90% adoption till June 2022. And iOS 16 will be released soon, which will bring many new features and improvements to iPhone users. However, while updating to the newest iOS 16 or the earliest iOS 15/14, people are very likely to get the “Software Update Failed” error just like the above user reported. Besides, you may also meet iPhone stuck on the update requested, or iPhone stuck on preparing the update.

Actually, it is one of the most common issues when people download iOS software updates to cause updates to take so long. When iPhone won’t update, the error message says – Software Update Failed An error occurred downloading iOS 16. Or, if you update iOS with iTunes, you may get messages that say the iPhone could not be updated. an unknown error occurred, which is iPhone could not be updated error 4000.

Then, why is there an error when updating iOS, and how to fix software update failed issue? Here in this article, we’ll show you the reasons and some quick methods to fix the problem.

Also Read: How to Fix iPhone Flashing Apple Logo >

Why Does iOS 16 Update Keep Failing?

Firstly, let’s start with the reasons why you’re unable to update your iPhone or iPad. Maybe one of the reasons caused the error:

• Not enough available storage space on your device.
• Downloading the update takes a long time.
• Unable to reach the update server.
• The update doesn’t complete.
  

  Software Update Failed Error on iPhone

How to Successfully Update iPhone Software on Mac/PC

AnyFix – iOS System Recovery is the ultimate iOS system repair tool that supports you to upgrade or downgrade iOS. You can upgrade or downgrade to any version of iOS as long as Apple is still signing it. Therefore, you can take an early peek at the latest iOS beta version, and successfully update to iOS 16 or iPadOS 16 if you’re suffering from software update failed error. All it takes is just a few clicks of the mouse, no complicated manual operations.

Besides, AnyFix allows you to check for iOS problems and fix the corrupted system. You can fix all the update issues, like iPhone or iPad won’t update, update requested, stuck on verifying update, etc.

With AnyFix, you can choose to update to the latest iOS version directly. Or, you can repair the iOS system and then update it on your iPhone. Here we will first show you the steps to update to iOS 16.

Step 1: Get the latest version of AnyFix on your Mac or PC > Launch the software and connect your iPhone via USB cable.

Step 2. Click on Upgrade/Downgrade iOS from the main interface.

Step 3. Select 1 click to upgrade iOS/iPadOS and click Start Now.

Step 4. Download the firmware version from the list > Head to Upgrade after downloading.

Step 5. Once the Upgrade is completed, you can check it on your device now – iOS 16 is successfully updated on your iPhone.

Close Software Update Failed Window and Try Again

On the “Software Update Failed” pop-up, you will see two options: “Close” and “Settings”. Tap on the “Close” button to exit this error message, and wait for a few minutes, and then tap on “Download and Install” again. This time if it still stuck on that error screen, close it and try again.

Wait for Few Hours

Although the new iOS is shiny and very attractive, you won’t need to rush to the great mass fervor of downloading new iOS. Just wait for a few hours and even several days, it will be much smoother to download iOS over the air. In the meanwhile, there are many things to do: back up your iDevice, reclaim enough storage space, or read iOS reviews online.

Check the Internet Connection

iOS update needs a stable wifi connection and enough battery. So if your update takes a long time to download even update failed, you need to check your wifi connection. Firstly, restart your Wi-Fi and make sure you have a strong and stable Internet connection. If it’s still not working, here are the steps to reset network settings: Open Settings > General > Reset > Reset Network Settings.

Manage Your iPhone Storage

Sometimes, an iOS software update failure can appear if your device doesn’t have enough space to download and install an update. So you need to manage the storage to free up some space by deleting unwanted apps, photos, videos, cache, and junk files, etc.

Open Settings > General > Tap “iPhone Storage” to view and manage storage.

How to delete downloaded software updates on iPhone?

Go to Settings > General > iPhone Storage > Locate the iOS version you just downloaded (for example, iOS 14.7.1) and click > Tap Delete Update and then confirm the process.

Further Reading: How to Transfer Data to Computer to Free up Space >

Try to Update via iTunes

Because the “Software Update Failed” error seems to only happen to users who upgrade on iDevice directly, you can try upgrading to new iOS 13 or iOS 12.4/12 by using iTunes on the computer. We’ve heard many users successfully download new iOS on the computer instead of OTA.

Upgrade with IPSW File (For Advanced Users)

This method is for advanced users who are familiar with firmware files and is capable of manually updating to iOS software update with the IPSW file. This option can be the best way to bypass the “Software Update Failed” error message. Before you do this, remember to fully backup your iPhone.

1. Download the correct IPSW file.
2. Open iTunes, and connect your iPhone to the computer.
3. In the Summary, you should see the “Restore iPhone…” button.
4. Hold down the Shift key and click on Restore iPhone….
5. Select the downloaded IPSW file.
6. The iTunes restore will install the iOS version you choose on your iDevice.
7. Then, restore from the backup you just created to get all data back.

Further Reading: How to Downgrade to Unsigned iOS >

The Bottom Line

All the tips above are trying to help you out of Software Update Failed Error for the newest iOS 16. And AnyFix is an iOS solution that allows you to update to iOS 16 directly. Besides, you can fix other update failures with AnyFix. Feel free to download and try it now! If your devices did make it, please share this post with your friends or on Twitter. If not, please tell us in the comments below.