Restore your iPhone or iPad with a nearby device

During a wireless software update, your iPhone or iPad might display an animation asking you to move it closer to another device.

If your iPhone 16 model or iPad mini (A17 Pro) displays an animation of devices being moved close together, you can use another iPhone or iPad to restore it. The other device needs to have iOS 18 or iPadOS 18.

  1. Connect the device that's in recovery mode to a power source.

  2. Place the device that's in recovery mode near another unlocked device that's connected to Wi-Fi.* You should see the "Restore Nearby [device]" message.

    An iPhone showing the Restore Nearby iPhone message

  3. Tap Continue and wait for the devices to connect. The device in recovery mode displays a six-digit code. Enter this code on the other device to share its Wi-Fi connection.

  4. Tap OK when you see the "Restoring [device]" message.

If you want to view the restore progress, bring the devices next to each other again.

Learn what to do if you see a restore screen on your device or if you want to use a computer to restore your iPhone or iPad.

* Captive networks and networks that require 802.1X authentication aren't supported.

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