Update Requested is a notification you may see on your iPhone 18 Pro or iPhone 18 Pro Max. This notice is a text that may appear when you attempt to update your device. Usually, the iPhone 18 Pro may show this notification for a short time before it actually starts to download the update. However, sometimes your iPhone 18 Pro may seem to be stuck on Update Requested. Another reason that may cause this problem is that your iPhone may not yet be ready to download the update for various reasons.
Usually, this only lasts several minutes. However, we receive reports from users that it seems the iPhone 18 Pro is stuck on this step for a long time. Someone told me that their iPhone 18 Pro was showing this for more than a day. If the update does not move to the next step, you will not be able to update your iPhone. Several factors may cause this problem. This problem may occur regardless of your Automatic Updates setting. In this article, I explain what you can do.
You can wirelessly update your iPhone over the Internet. Apple releases updates to its software periodically. These updates include enhancements, security updates, bug fixes or new features. iPhone iOS updates usually go smoothly.
Your iPhone may also get stuck on Preparing Update, which is a separate step with its own causes.
Ensure that your iPhone is ready to process the update
Your iPhone may postpone the update if your iPhone thinks the update process may fail or be interrupted. Ensure that you complete these steps:
- Connect your iPhone to a power source. This may trigger the update. Apple’s instruction is to plug your device into power and connect to the internet with Wi-Fi.
- Ensure that your iPhone has enough available storage. Go to Settings > General > iPhone Storage to check your storage. Apple notes that if a message asks to temporarily remove apps because the software needs more space for the update, you can tap Continue to allow the system to remove apps; after installation is complete, those apps are automatically reinstalled.
- If your iPhone is in Low Power Mode, the update may not work. Go to Settings > Battery > Power Mode and check this.
- If you have any beta version installed, remove it before continuing. Go to Settings. Tap General. Tap Software Update. Tap Beta Updates. Tap Off.
Check your Wi-Fi connection
Ensure that all of these are true:
- Ensure that your Wi-Fi connection is stable and active. Try these tips:
- Enable Airplane Mode and then disable it after a few seconds. On your iPhone, open Control Center and tap the Airplane Mode button.
- Restart your Wi-Fi router/modem. Restart your router and cable modem by unplugging the devices and then plugging them back in.
- If you are trying to update your device over cellular or hotspot, connect to Wi-Fi instead.
- If possible, try to connect to a different Wi-Fi network.
- VPN or proxy connections may cause issues. If you are using one of them, disable it and try again. Use the app to turn off its features, then see if the issue continues.
Restart your iPhone
Restart your iPhone 18 Pro and then try again. Here is how:
- Press and hold either volume button and the side button until the power-off slider appears.
- Drag the slider, then wait 30 seconds for your iPhone to turn off.
- To turn your iPhone back on, press and hold the side button (on the right side of your iPhone) until you see the Apple logo.
If restarting does not help, force restart your iPhone 18 Pro. Here is how:
- Press and quickly release the volume up button.
- Press and quickly release the volume down button.
- Press and hold the side button until you see the Apple logo (this might take longer than 10 seconds).
Reset all settings
If your issue continues, reset all of your settings and then try again. As the name indicates, doing so will restore your settings to their factory defaults. The good thing is that your data will stay. For example, your photos, music or other content will not be erased. But settings, including network, location, privacy and so on, will be deleted. Follow these steps:
- Tap Settings.
- Tap General.
- Tap Transfer or Reset iPhone.
- Tap Reset.
- Tap Reset All Settings and follow the onscreen instructions.
Update using your computer
If nothing works, and your iPhone still gets stuck on Update Requested, you can update it from a computer instead.
On a Mac: connect your iPhone, open Finder (macOS Catalina or later) or iTunes (macOS Mojave or earlier), select your iPhone, then update.
On a PC: connect your iPhone, open the Apple Devices app, select your iPhone in the sidebar, select General, then select Update. You may need to select Check for Update first; if one is available, the Update button appears. If your PC does not have the Apple Devices app, use iTunes instead.
