TechPhonesiPhonesiOS 18 just made it easier to unbrick an iPhone 16It’s now much easier to restore a misbehaving iPhone – and you don’t need a computer to do itWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.

TechPhonesiPhonesiOS 18 just made it easier to unbrick an iPhone 16It’s now much easier to restore a misbehaving iPhone – and you don’t need a computer to do itWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.

It’s now much easier to restore a misbehaving iPhone – and you don’t need a computer to do it

When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.

(Image credit: Apple)

Apple iPhone 16 against swirling coloured background

(Image credit: Apple)

Quick SummaryTo restore an iPhone using Recovery Mode you need to connect it to a computer. But with iOS 18, you can do it wirelessly via an iPhone or iPad – provided your phone is the iPhone 16.

To restore an iPhone using Recovery Mode you need to connect it to a computer. But with iOS 18, you can do it wirelessly via an iPhone or iPad – provided your phone is the iPhone 16.

To restore an iPhone using Recovery Mode you need to connect it to a computer. But with iOS 18, you can do it wirelessly via an iPhone or iPad – provided your phone is the iPhone 16.

To restore an iPhone using Recovery Mode you need to connect it to a computer. But with iOS 18, you can do it wirelessly via an iPhone or iPad – provided your phone is the iPhone 16.

9to5Machave discovered that Apple has brought the same over-the-air Recovery Mode that exists for theApple WatchandApple TVto iOS. If you have iOS 18 on the iPhone 16, you can use Recovery Mode without having to find a computer to connect to. The feature is a welcome surprise: Apple’show-to recovery modepage doesn’t describe it yet.

How Recovery Mode works in iOS 18

According to 9to5Mac, iOS 18 for iPhone 16s has the same RecoveryOS that Apple first released on Apple Watch and Apple TV; the site was able to simulate a real recovery to check that the feature worked.

What that means is that instead of having to connect a computer, you’ll be able to put your iPhone next to another iPhone oriPadand go into Recovery Mode that way. The other device will then download a new copy of the iOS firmware and transfer it to your iPhone.

As far as we can tell you can use any iOS 18 or iPadOS 18 device to do this transfer. But the actual wireless recovery is only currently on the iPhone 16, which ships with a recovery partition pre-installed on its system storage. We don’t yet know whether Apple will add that feature to older iPhones running the same iOS or if it’s going to keep it as an iPhone 16 exclusive. Hopefully it’s the former.

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