Unlock Your Apple Device and Fix the Dreaded “Cannot Install iOS 16” Error with These 16 Simple Hacks!
Apple users worldwide may have recently encountered the “Cannot Install iOS 16” error, which can be frustrating. This issue may arise due to multiple factors, and resolving it may seem like a daunting task. However, there are several simple hacks that you can try to fix this error.
Here are 16 simple hacks to help you unlock your Apple device and fix the “Cannot Install iOS 16” error:
1. Restart Your Device
Most of the time, restarting your device can solve minor issues like this. Press and hold the power button until you see the “slide to power off” option. Slide the button to the right, wait for your device to shut down completely, and then turn it back on.
2. Check Your Internet Connection
A faulty or weak internet connection can interrupt the iOS update process, resulting in this error message. Ensure that you have a stable internet connection before you attempt to update your iOS.
3. Check Your Device Storage
Make sure that you have enough space on your device to download and install the iOS update. Go to “Settings,” tap “General,” and then tap “iPhone Storage.” Here, you can check your device’s storage status and delete any unnecessary files that may be taking up valuable space.
4. Update Your Device Using a Computer
Connect your device to your computer and use iTunes or Finder to update your device. If you don’t have a backup of your device, create one before you start the update process.
5. Disable Your Firewall or Antivirus Software
Your firewall or antivirus software may be blocking the iOS update, resulting in this error message. Disable these programs temporarily and try updating your device again.
6. Turn on Airplane Mode
Enabling airplane mode will disable your device’s connectivity features, allowing for a smoother iOS update process. Go to “Settings,” swipe down to “Airplane Mode,” and toggle the switch.
7. Update at Night
Updating your device at night when there’s less network traffic may help reduce the likelihood of encountering errors like this.
8. Reset Your Network Settings
Resetting your network settings can fix any issues with your device’s network connectivity. Go to “Settings,” tap “General,” and then tap “Reset.” Select “Reset Network Settings” and enter your passcode when prompted.
9. Remove Your SIM Card
Removing your SIM card and then reinserting it before updating can fix the “Cannot Install iOS 16” error.
10. Check Your Apple ID
Ensure that your Apple ID is up to date before you try to update your iOS. Go to “Settings,” tap “Your Name,” and then select “iTunes & App Store.” Here, you can update your Apple ID information.
11. Check Your Date and Time Settings
Make sure that the date and time on your device are correct. Incorrect date and time settings may cause the iOS update process to fail.
12. Update with Another Wi-Fi Network
Trying to update your iOS over a different Wi-Fi network may solve the issue if the problem is with your home network.
13. Try a Different Apple USB Cable
Occasionally, a faulty or damaged Apple USB cable may interrupt the update process, resulting in this error message.
14. Update through Recovery Mode
Put your device into recovery mode and connect it to your computer. iTunes or Finder will detect your device in recovery mode and walk you through the iOS update process.
15. Reset Your Device’s Settings
Resetting all settings on your device will restore all settings to their default values, which may solve the issue.
16. Contact Apple Support
If none of the above steps works, contact Apple support for further assistance.
In conclusion, encountering the “Cannot Install iOS 16” error message can be a frustrating experience. However, trying out these 16 simple fixes may help you unlock your device and fix the error. Remember to keep your data backed up before you attempt any updates or reset your device, and stay patient throughout the process.
1. Check Compatibility
Every year Apple drops support for older iPhones. Devices older than iPhone 8 are the victims of iOS 16. So if you have an older iPhone, you will not get iOS 16. Here’s the list of iPhones on which you can install iOS 16:
iPhone 14 / 14 Plus / 14 Pro / 14 Pro MaxiPhone 13 / 13 mini / 13 Pro / 13 Pro MaxiPhone SE (2nd generation, 3rd generation)iPhone 12 / 12 mini / 12 Pro / 12 Pro MaxiPhone 11 / 11 Pro / 11 Pro MaxiPhone XS / XS MaxiPhone XRiPhone XiPhone 8 / 8 Plus
2. Look at the Right Place
Apple is allowing users to stay on the iOS 15 update. Therefore, you might see the latest version of iOS 15 instead of iOS 16 on your screen while downloading the new update. You may wonder, “Why am I not getting iOS 16?”. The thing is that you must look just below the iOS 15 section under Settings > General > Software update and you will find the Upgrade to iOS 16 button.
3. Restart Phone
If your iPhone supports iOS 16 and yet you are unable to install it, simply restart the phone once. Often, the error messages will go away when you restart the phone. To restart your iPhone, long press the Power button until you see the Power off slider. Drag the slider to the right to turn off your iPhone. Then, turn on the iPhone again using the Power button.
4. Put Device in Airplane Mode
If restarting the iPhone seems like a big task, you can try putting the device in Airplane mode. Doing so will turn off most of the network connections on your phone, thus fixing any temporary network issue that could be causing problems while installing iOS 16. To enable Airplane mode on your iPhone, open Settings and enable the toggle next to Airplane mode. Wait for a mite. Then, turn off the Airplane mode by disabling the same toggle.
5. Charge Your iPhone
Your iPhone should have at least 50% battery in order to install iOS 16. Therefore, if your iPhone is low on battery power (less than 50%), you must charge it first and then try installing the update.
6. Check Wi-Fi
If you get an error like “Unable to verify update” or something similar while installing iOS 16, you should check the Wi-Fi connection. This error mostly occurs due to an issue with the internet connection. To fix it, you can try the following tips:
Restart your Wi-Fi modem.Try installing iOS 16 using a different Wi-Fi connection, if available.Turn off Wi-Fi and install the update using mobile data.
7. Check Date and Time
Sometimes, a mismatch in the date and time on your iPhone and the Apple servers can also cause problems while installing iOS 16. To fix it, go to Settings > General > Date and time. Enable the toggle next to Set automatically.
8. Free up Storage
Your iPhone must have at least 1-2GB of free space in order the download the latest version of iOS without any issue. You must check the storage on your iPhone by going to Settings > General > iPhone storage. If the storage is full, know how to free up storage on iPhone.
9. Turn off Hotspot
If you are using a hotspot to install iOS 16, I would advise you to turn it off and instead use a regular Wi-Fi connection to download iOS 16.
10. Turn off VPN
Furthermore, you should also disable any VPN service that is active on your iPhone while installing iOS 16. It can be a third-party VPN app or native service that can be deactivated by going to Settings > General > VPN.
11. Turn off Low Power Mode
The Low power mode is a feature that helps in saving battery power by turning off some functions of your iPhone. Low power mode can also be responsible for iOS 16 not installing issues. To fix it, you simply have to turn off the Low power mode. For that, go to Settings > Battery. Turn off the toggle for Low power mode. Tip: When Low power mode is enabled, the battery icon in the status bar will turn yellow.
12. Remove SIM Card
Over the years, one odd thing that seems to fix the issue of iOS updates not installing is to re-insert the SIM card. Basically, first, remove the SIM card from your iPhone and then put it back.
13. Turn off Content and Privacy Restrictions
Some users suggest that turning off Content and privacy restrictions helped them in fixing the iOS 16 not installing issue. Go to Settings > Screen Time > Content & privacy restrictions. Turn off the toggle next to Content & privacy restrictions.
14. Redownload Software Update
Often, iOS update doesn’t download properly and that’s why you cannot install it on your iPhone. To fix this issue, simply delete the current download and redownload the software update. Go to Settings > General > iPhone storage. Tap on iOS X, where X is the version number. Press the Delete update button. Restart your iPhone after deleting the update. Then, download and install the update again from Settings > General > Software update. Hopefully, you will now be able to install iOS 16 on your iPhone.
15. Reset Network Settings
Next, you must try resetting network settings on your iPhone. Doing so will reset network settings like Wi-Fi to default values, thus fixing any issue that could be hampering the installation of the iOS update. Go to Settings > General > Transfer and Reset > Reset > Reset network settings.
16. Install Update Using Computer
If you still cannot install iOS 16 on your iPhone, you should try installing it using iTunes on your computer as shown below, or using the Finder app on macOS.
- Connect your iPhone to your computer.
- Open iTunes and click on your device icon at the top.
- Click on Summary > Check for update.
- Then, click on Download and update button if an update is available.
Have Fun With iOS 16
I hope you were able to install iOS 16 after following the above fixes. One of the interesting features that iOS brings is the ability to view the battery on the lock screen. If you like the features offered by iOS 16, learn how to get those features on an Android phone.
