Started updating my iPhone to iOS 17 and it’s been going on for an hour now. I’m worried if something went wrong or if this is normal. Need to know the average time for the iOS 17 update to complete. Any help would be appreciated!
If you’re updating your iPhone to iOS 17 and it’s taking an hour, that might seem a bit long but it’s not necessarily out of the ordinary depending on a few factors. Several things can influence update duration, like your internet speed, device model, and the amount of free storage. Here’s a breakdown to help put your mind at ease, or pinpoint if there’s a real issue:
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Internet Speed: If your Wi-Fi isn’t the fastest, the download part can really drag on. iOS updates typically range from a few hundred MB to several GB. Slow internet will extend this phase considerably. Make sure your connection is stable and, if possible, maybe switch to a faster network just to rule this out.
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Device Model: Older iPhones sometimes take longer to update. Newer models generally process updates quicker due to faster processors and better performance capabilities.
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Free Storage: If your phone is close to full, it might take longer to install the update because it has to shuffle things around to make space for the new OS. Check how much free space you have and try deleting some apps or files if you’re low.
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Update Process: After the download, the installation itself can take anywhere from 15 to 30 minutes. Expect a few reboots and possibly some screen time on the Apple logo with a progress bar. If it’s stuck on this for too long, you might need to intervene, but an hour isn’t necessarily indicative of a problem, yet.
Here’s a possible step-by-step scenario to ensure everything’s running smoothly:
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Preparation: Make sure your battery is sufficiently charged or plugged in. Low battery can sometimes slow the process or even interrupt it, causing issues.
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Backup: Before starting any major update, always backup your device via iCloud or iTunes. This way, if something does go wrong, you don’t lose your data.
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Initiation: Start the update and make sure your device remains connected to a stable Wi-Fi network throughout the whole process.
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Observing Progress: Initially, the screen will show a white Apple logo with a progress bar. This part specifically can vary, but it should move consistently. If it’s completely halted for over an hour particularly, then you might have a problem.
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Recovery: If you suspect the update is stuck, try the following:
- Force Restart: On iPhone 8 or later, press and quickly release the volume up button, press and quickly release the volume down button, then press and hold the side button until you see the Apple logo.
- Reinstallation: Possibly connecting your iPhone to a computer and attempting to update via iTunes/Finder might help. Sometimes, a PC-based process can be more reliable if the OTA (over the air) update shows issues.
If it’s been going for over two hours and still no luck, you might need to move to more intensive solutions, like DFU restore, but that’s a bit more advanced and should be a last resort, as it involves wiping your device and reinstalling the OS from scratch. You’ll def need a backup.
Overall though, give it a bit more time. A slow update is typically not a big deal unless it’s stuck for an exceedingly long period or you see error messages. If it does appear frozen for a significant period extending well beyond two hours without any progress, then yeah, you might want to consider intervention steps like the force restart or computer-based reinstallation.
Hope this helps and you don’t have to go down the rabbit hole of complex troubleshooting!
If an hour has passed, it can feel like something’s up, but let’s break it down differently. Byteguru did a thorough job covering many aspects, but I’d also say there’s a psychological factor here—everyone’s itching to use their phone again and that can make an hour seem longer.
First, consider what you were doing just before you started the update. Were you using your iPhone heavily and did you remember to close all apps? Background processes can slow down the update. Always best to clear out recent apps and maybe do a quick restart before starting an update.
Second, the iPhone model indeed matters a lot. But something that wasn’t covered: The software update can go a bit smoother if you’ve updated regularly and didn’t skip multiple iOS versions. If you’re jumping from, say, iOS 15 to iOS 17, expect some extra time.
Here’s something practical that might help: taking your iPhone into Airplane mode before you start the update. It stops new notifications and other background activities that could be consuming processing power.
For an additional step, you could try turning off your iPhone for a few minutes, then turning it back on before starting a new update attempt. It can clear minor glitches that might be affecting the installation speed.
Contrary to byteguru, I wouldn’t recommend jumping straight to force restart if the progress bar hasn’t moved in over an hour. Before doing that, give it more time, especially after considering the preparatory steps like closing apps and ensuring a stable internet.
What’s often overlooked is checking Apple’s system status page online. Sometimes, the issue is on their end, with servers being slow due to high traffic, commonly right after an OS release.
Worst-case scenario, if nothing works after a couple of hours and you must intervene, connecting to Finder or iTunes through a computer should be your last resort. But again, backups first! And hey, patience might pay off—many cases resolve themselves if you just wait a bit longer.
Look, folks, let’s cut through the noise here. If your iPhone hasn’t finished updating to iOS 17 after an hour, something’s off. I know everyone’s throwing around factors like internet speed, free storage, and device model, but c’mon. In most cases, even with mediocre Wi-Fi, an hour should be suffficient for the majority of the update to at least show some meaningful progress.
@codecrafter had some decent points about possible server issues, but let’s be real. Apple’s infrastructure is pretty robust; they manage millions of updates without crashing their servers. It’s far more likely that the update’s stuck because of some glitch on your device itself. If you’re stuck staring at the Apple logo all this time, it’s okay to start freaking out a bit.
Force restart is probably your best bet, even if it feels a tad risky. You’re more likely to get your phone back to a working state with a quick reboot than sitting there hoping it will magically fix itself. Airplane mode before the update? Really? That’s just delaying the inevitable, not a solution. If the update’s sluggish because of notifications or background apps, the OS should handle it.
And let’s not pretend just any troubleshooting will suffice. Sometimes, you’re just better off grabbing a backup and restoring the thing from scratch using Finder or iTunes. Pros? It’ll probably work. Cons? It’s tedious and you’ll lose time reconfiguring your device. Better that than sitting another hour hoping for a miracle.
Also, anyone still debating between iPhones and the competition? Take a gander at how smooth Samsung or Google’s updates are. Apple isn’t as infallible as their marketing would have you believe. Keep those options in mind next time.
In short, I’d force restart and if that doesn’t help, jump straight to a restore via computer. Time’s too precious to waste on looking for networking unicorns.