"'Preparing iPhone for software update...' iPhone 8 gets stuck on this message while trying to update in Recovery mode. What can I do from here? I don't want to have to reset it if it's possible to avoid that. I can't close iTunes without it telling me I will have to restore my phone if I do so. The screen is back to just showing the Apple."
- Reddit.com
iTunes is a handy tool to back up and restore your iPhone, update the software version, or manage Apple devices. Generally, when iTunes is preparing to restore the software on this iPhone, the process will last a few minutes. What if iTunes/iPhone gets stuck on preparing an iPhone for restore? Is there any way to get rid of the issue? Well, you can fix the issue using a few easy ways.
Part 1. How Long Should Preparing iPhone for Restore Take?
Part 2. Why Is Preparing iPhone for Restore Taking So Long?
Part 3. How to Fix iTunes Stuck at Preparing iPhone for Restore?
Usually, iPhone recovery mode preparing iPhone for software update takes about 15 minutes. But recently, some users have reported that "preparing iPhone for restore taking forever" or "preparing iPhone for restore stuck on iPhone 11". So, what affects the restoring process?
1. Download Firmware
In general, downloading firmware from Apple servers for your iPhone to a computer won't take long if your internet is in a good connection.
2. Extract Firmware
After downloading the firmware, iTunes will extract the firmware content, which won't take long either.
3. Verify Firmware
iTunes will verify the files in this stage, which often takes a few seconds.
4. Restore Firmware
Eventually, iTunes restores the firmware on your iPhone, and it normally takes a few minutes up to an hour, longer than other stages.
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The following factors may be the main culprits for the iTunes stuck on preparing iPhone for software update issue.
A few tips below will help you eliminate the iTunes stuck on preparing iPhone/iPad for restore issue.
Whenever there is something wrong with your iPhone or computer, the first thing you can try is to restart your devices, which fixes many system glitches.
To restart your iPhone
To restart your computer:
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An older version of iTunes can cause issues with your iPhone. So, updating iTunes to the latest version may solve the problem "iTunes stuck on preparing iPhone for restore".
To update iTunes on Windows PC:
To update iTunes on Mac:
Many users suggest using a USB 2.0 or another port on your computer to restore or update your iPhone since they will offer the required speed for the device firmware.
If the USB cable and port are broken or stained, it will also make the device work abnormally. Since most computers have several USB ports, you can use the Apple-authorized USB cable to connect your iPhone to a different port.
Read also: What's wrong with my iPad? It keeps restarting all the time. How can I fix it?
If you have more USB devices to connect to the same computer, but the USB ports are limited, you may use a USB hub as a middle-man to establish the connection. However, some USB hubs may be too overheated to guarantee the transfer speed.
Thus, try not to use the USB hub to connect your iPhone to the computer. Most of the time, iTunes will normally work to restore your iPhone.
In other cases, your computer is blamed for the iTunes stuck on preparing iPhone for restore error. There may be certain issues with its components, or the system is defective. To fast fix the problem without any delay, you can connect your iPhone to another computer with iTunes installed and open iTunes to restore your iPhone with the standard procedure.
As mentioned above, the unstable Wi-Fi network connectivity will make it harder for iTunes to connect to the Apple servers and is one of the reasons why the preparing iPhone for restoration is taking forever. You can switch to a stable Wi-Fi network when restoring your iPhone with iTunes to save you time.
Consider disabling the third-party anti-virus software before restoring or updating your iPhone because it may mistakenly regard the connection between iTunes and Apple servers as suspicious and block iTunes amid the process. You can also remove the anti-virus app from your computer completely.
Above all, ensure that the iTunes or Finder runs the latest version on your computer. Then, boot your device into Recovery mode with these steps:
iPhone 8 and above:
iPhone 7/7 Plus:
iPhone 6 and earlier:
Next, connect your iPhone to the computer as you normally do. When it displays the Restore or Update options in front of you, choose the Restore option and complete the whole process.
The best way to resolve the iTunes restoring problem is using iOS System Repair. It is designed to fix various Apple system issues, like loop restart, battery drain, iTunes restore error, etc.
The highlights of iOS System Repair:
How to fix iTunes stuck on preparing the iPhone for restore?
1. Install and run the software on your computer. Then, connect your iPhone to the computer via a USB cable and tap More tools > iOS System Recovery to continue.
2. The app will automatically detect your device problem. After it displays the issue on the interface, tap Start to proceed.
3. Confirm the device information on the interface. If needed, choose the correct information from the drop-down lists. Later, click the Repair button to fix the iTunes stuck on preparing iPhone for restore issue.
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Suppose nothing works to resolve your problem, or your iPhone gets physical damage. In that case, you can make an appointment from the Apple Support page ahead of time and bring your iPhone and the purchase receipt to the nearest Apple Store for help.
We help the above tips will be effective in fixing the iTunes stuck on preparing iPhone for restore issue. We strongly recommend you try iOS System Repair since it is professional for repairing almost all Apple system problems without data loss and is worthwhile. Meanwhile, please don't hesitate to leave a comment below whenever you need our technical support.
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