Apple has been working on over-the-air firmware restoration for some time and is gradually bringing it to its devices. The system was first introduced for Apple Watch with iOS 15.4 and watchOS 8.5 and then expanded to Apple TV with iOS 17 and tvOS 17. And now iPhone users are part of it too, with the iPhone 16 series getting the ability to restore firmware wirelessly with iOS 18.
Apple’s wireless firmware restoration on iPhone
iPhone 16 can now be restored wirelessly without the need for a Mac or PC, which was previously not possible on iPhones. Once the device enters Recovery Mode, users can bring it closer to another iPhone or iPad running iOS 18 to start the process. The second device downloads the necessary iOS firmware and transfers it to the iPhone that needs to be restored. This is based on Apple’s RecoveryOS, which powers similar recovery functions for Apple Watch and Apple TV.
Interestingly, although any device running iOS 18 can help with the recovery process, only iPhone 16 models come equipped with the ability to wirelessly restore their firmware. This is likely due to a special recovery partition in these new models, which ensures the process runs smoothly, even if the main iOS partition fails to boot.
While the feature is exclusive to the iPhone 16 series for now, Apple has not confirmed whether older iPhones will have the same wireless recovery feature. Hardware limitations may prevent this from happening. Regardless, the introduction of this feature on iPhone 16 is a major advance in Apple’s effort to simplify device maintenance and minimize reliance on external systems for troubleshooting.
This shift in how iPhones can be restored shows Apple’s commitment to making its devices more user-friendly, especially when things go wrong. While no plans for older models have been confirmed, iPhone 16 users can now enjoy a streamlined, wireless way to recover their devices without having to visit a repair center.
Image credits: Apple
