If you see error 53 when you update or restore your iPhone or iPad

Find out about error 53 and what to do if you see it on your computer.

About error 53

If you try to update or restore your iPhone or iPad with macOS Catalina 10.15 or later in Finder, or on macOS Mojave 10.14 or earlier, or a PC with iTunes, you may see error 53 on your computer.

For anyone who experienced error 53 before February 2016, Apple released an update in iOS 9.3 to allow you to successfully restore your device using your Mac or PC. Follow the steps in this article to restore and recover your device.

What you should do

  1. Make sure your Mac has the latest software updates. If you’re using iTunes, make sure your device has the latest version of iTunes.

  2. Connect your device to your computer with a USB cable.

  3. Locate your device on your computer.

  4. When you see the option to Restore or Update, click Update. Your computer will try to reinstall the software and restore your device without erasing your data.1

  5. If you can’t get past the Apple logo screen, force restart2 your device. When you see the option to Restore or Update, click Restore.

  6. When you see your device’s Hello screen, follow the onscreen steps to set up your device.

    • If you’ve previously backed up your device, you can set up from your backup.

    • When you see the screen for Touch ID, tap Set up Touch ID later.

  7. If Touch ID on your device didn't work before you saw error 53, the feature still won't work after you've updated or restored your device. Contact Apple Support to ask about service options for Touch ID.

If you see error 53 when installing iOS 9.3 or later, make sure your computer can communicate with Apple’s servers, or try another computer.

  1. If the restore won’t finish and you see an error code other than error 53, find out what to do.

  2. To force-restart your device, press and hold both the Sleep/Wake and Home or Side buttons until you see the Apple logo again.

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