upgrade to iOS 26 on a new device. I was setting up a new iPhone 16e, transferring information from iPhone 11. the update to 26 iOS window came up (there was no way not to update). I clicked update and now it's the same window with no buttons, just spinning gears. It's been 40 minutes. is this normal?
[Edited by Moderator]
Original Title: setting up a new iPhone
Hi there! 👋
It’s not unusual for a new iPhone to take a while when updating to the latest iOS during setup — especially if it’s downloading and installing a large update like iOS 26. However, 40 minutes of just spinning gears with no progress bar usually means the process might be stuck.
Here’s what you can try:
Force restart your iPhone:
Quickly press and release Volume Up,
Quickly press and release Volume Down,
Then press and hold the Side button until you see the Apple logo.
After it restarts, check if the setup resumes or if you get the option to start over.
If it stays stuck, connect your iPhone to a computer with Finder (Mac) or iTunes (Windows) and choose Update (not Restore). This will reinstall iOS without erasing data.
Make sure your internet connection is stable and the device is charged or plugged in during setup.
If none of that works, you can put your iPhone into Recovery Mode and restore it from there — Apple has a guide here: If you can’t update or restore your iPhone.
Hope this helps!
Hi there! 👋
It’s not unusual for a new iPhone to take a while when updating to the latest iOS during setup — especially if it’s downloading and installing a large update like iOS 26. However, 40 minutes of just spinning gears with no progress bar usually means the process might be stuck.
Here’s what you can try:
Force restart your iPhone:
Quickly press and release Volume Up,
Quickly press and release Volume Down,
Then press and hold the Side button until you see the Apple logo.
After it restarts, check if the setup resumes or if you get the option to start over.
If it stays stuck, connect your iPhone to a computer with Finder (Mac) or iTunes (Windows) and choose Update (not Restore). This will reinstall iOS without erasing data.
Make sure your internet connection is stable and the device is charged or plugged in during setup.
If none of that works, you can put your iPhone into Recovery Mode and restore it from there — Apple has a guide here: If you can’t update or restore your iPhone.
Hope this helps!
Are you connected to a Wi-Fi network? The update file might be quite large to download and the iPhone has to access Apple Servers during that process. A VPN or firewall might not allow that, causing the process to stop.
Also connect your devices to the charger, so that the Wi-Fi connection is not interrupted by one of them entering standby mode.
Connect to an actual WiFi network, not a shared/hotspot connection.
Mac Jim ID wrote:
Connect to an actual WiFi network, not a shared/hotspot connection.
well spotted!
Mac Jim ID wrote:
Connect to an actual WiFi network, not a shared/hotspot connection.
Hello~ That’s a Top Ranking catch for sure!!
~Katana-San~
Re: “… well spotted …”
Indeed … and at the extreme margin of an already-hazy image.
How long should the iOS 26 update take on iPhone?
