Despite the fact that the iPhone is famous for its reliability, even with these devices problems sometimes occur. And if mechanical damage is entirely the fault of the users themselves, then software problems can occur at all for no apparent reason. So, for example, iPhone firmware can fail at any time, turning an expensive phone into a useless piece of plastic.
If such a nuisance also happened to you, then you only have to contact a service center or solve the problem yourself. Fortunately, Apple employees have made the process of flashing their devices as simple as possible, so that anyone, even an untrained user, can handle it. And this article will help you with this.
What is firmware?
Almost any modern electronic device has its own operating system or its simplified version. Speaking specifically about the iPhone, then this is iOS. Depending on the year of their release, different versions of the operating system are installed on various models of smartphones from Apple, which, in turn, are divided into smaller editions. They are called iPhone firmware. In other words, different editions of the same version of iOS can be installed on two identical devices.
In addition, the firmware of an iPhone (or flashing) is often called the process of updating or restoring the operating system. There may be several reasons for this operation, so each of them should be considered separately.
Why reflash an iPhone?
Most iPhone owners do not need to carry out any manipulations with the operating systems of their devices. Nevertheless, the need for this may appear in the following situations:
- Hangs or spontaneous device reboots. With a high degree of probability this happens due to malfunctions in iOS.
- Viruses. Malicious software can cause serious harm to your smartphone. Including lead to problems with the operating system.
- The smartphone has stopped starting. If this was not preceded by any mechanical damage, then, most likely, the iPhone firmware failed.
- Desire to upgrade iOS to a newer version. Usually this operation is performed in automatic mode, but sometimes you have to do it manually.
In addition, the need for a device flashing may arise if you want to access functions that are not available in the basic version of the operating system.
Symptoms of firmware problems
It may happen that malfunctions in your smartphone are caused by reasons that are not related to the operating system. Therefore, before proceeding with any actions, it is important to make sure that the firmware is damaged or completely out of order. Here are the main signs of this:
- Often error messages began to appear. However, they are not associated with any specific applications and arise randomly.
- The smartphone began to slow down and buggy. Sometimes this is accompanied by crashes from applications, spontaneous launch of various programs and the like problems.
- The iPhone does not turn on, the device does not respond at all to the press of the Power button.
- The phone starts up, but hangs on the Apple logo.
- The device turns on, but displays a picture with a USB cable and iTunes icon on the screen.
- The smartphone turns on, starts, but immediately goes into reboot.
In addition, it is important to inspect the device for mechanical damage. Particular attention should be paid to the battery.
Training
So, you finally decided to reinstall the operating system on your smartphone. You need to thoroughly prepare for this operation. Before installing the firmware on an iPhone, do the following:
- Create a copy of all the important information stored on your device. Save photos, videos, documents, contacts, and other valuable files. During the flashing process, all this will be deleted. Of course, this is relevant only if your phone is in working condition.
- Make sure your smartphone’s battery is fully charged. If the phone turns off during firmware, you will at least have to start all over again.
- Inspect the USB cable for mechanical damage. The same applies to USB ports on the computer and the iPhone itself.
- Check the stability of your internet connection. Due to problems with it, certain problems may also occur.
It would be nice to take into account such a factor as a sudden power outage. But this is a circumstance that does not depend on most users, so they will have to be neglected (well, or use an uninterruptible power supply).
Search for firmware
The next stage of preparation for reinstalling the operating system is the search for the appropriate software. Simply put, you will need to find and download the exact firmware that is suitable for your smartphone. Here are some things to keep in mind:
- Version of your iphone. It means that the firmware from "iPhone 5S" will not work, for example, for "iPhone 4".
- Device model. This is the character set that can be found on the back cover, below the Apple logo (for example, Model A1234). At the same time, the firmware of "iPhone 4 Model A1334" in most cases will not be installed on the same phone, but with Model A4444.
- CDMA or GSM version of the device. Again, the iPhone 6 GSM firmware is not suitable for the same iPhone 6 CDMA.
- After you have determined all the above characteristics of your device, you can start downloading the software. To do this, you will need to find a site where various versions of the firmware for iPhones will be presented, and choose from them the one that is suitable for your device.
Note that the iPhone version is usually indicated in the file name itself, and all other data will need to be searched in the software description. For example, the firmware of “iPhone 5” will be called something like “iphone5_1_2_4.ipsw”, but you will have to look separately for which model of smartphone it is.
Flashing options
Oddly enough, but there are several options for flashing the iPhone. More specifically:
- Recovery Mode. Needed to restore the operating system. It is used if the phone has stopped functioning normally.
- DFU Mode. It differs from Recovery Mode in that it bypasses the protective mechanisms of the operating system. Most often needed if the normal recovery mode does not work.
- RedSnow. It is named after the program of the same name for iPhone firmware. Allows you to make the so-called jailbreak. Simply put, to access the functions of the device, deliberately disabled by the developers (for example, the file system).
As you can see, each of the methods has its own characteristics and is designed for different purposes. Here it is up to you to decide which one is suitable specifically for your situation.
Recovery mode
Regardless of which firmware you intend to install on an iPhone, in most cases Recovery Mode is suitable for this. This operation is performed as follows:
- Turn off your smartphone and wait until the display goes blank.
- Connect the device to the computer by holding down the Home key. The PC recognizes the phone and reports that Recovery Mode is running.
- Launch iTunes. A window pops up asking you to restore your phone’s operating system. Click OK. If the program didn’t react to the device in any way, you need to click on the smartphone’s icon and manually select the “Restore iPhone” item, after holding the Shift key.
- A file manager will open, in which you will need to specify the path to the firmware downloaded earlier. Do this and click “OK.”
After that, iTunes will reinstall the firmware automatically. Wait until the operation is completed and turn off the device by long pressing the Power button. Then turn on the smartphone again.
DFU Mode
If for some reason it was not possible to flash your smartphone in Recovery Mode, then you can try to do it in DFU Mode. To do this, you first need to enable the mode of the same name, and this is done like this:
- Connect the phone to the computer and disconnect it. Wait until the screen goes completely blank.
- Hold the combination of the Power and Home buttons. Keep them in this state for at least 10 seconds.
- Now release the Power button, but hold Home. Do not let it go until the computer recognizes your smartphone in DFU mode.
After this happens, you will need to start installing the firmware. This is done in the same way as in the case of using Recovery Mode.
Redsnow
This method is recommended to be used only by experienced users who want to get full access to the file system of their iPhone. Please note that this operation deprives you of the right to warranty service. If this does not scare you, do the following:
- Create a folder on your computer called PwnageTool. Put the downloaded firmware and the latest version of RedSnow into it.
- Connect the smartphone to the PC and launch the iTunes utility. Click on the phone icon (on the left) and backup the current firmware.
- Launch RedSnow and click Extras. After that, click Custom IPSW.
- Next, you need to specify the path to the firmware file downloaded earlier. Do it.
- Wait until the process of updating the firmware is completed, and then click “OK”.
- Click Pwned DFU. Disconnect the smartphone from the PC, and then reconnect it.
- Now turn off the phone and click Next. Hold down the Home key and do not release it for about 3 seconds.
- Hold the Home + Power combination and hold for 10 seconds. Release Power, but keep Home for another 10 seconds.
- Your smartphone screen will go blank. Do not be alarmed by this, and in no case disconnect the device from the PC. You need to wait until the message Done!
After that, the program will create a modified version of the firmware. You need to install it on your smartphone using Recovery Mode.
What to do next?
After the iPhone flashing process is completed, you will need to check the functionality of the new software. To do this, “drive” the smartphone at least during the day. Check for freezes, crashes, glitches, if all regular applications run normally.
After making sure that everything is in order with the phone, you can upload to it files saved immediately before the firmware process. Of course, this is relevant only if you made backup of important information.
Possible problems
Sometimes it happens that the firmware is not installed on the device. Here are the most common causes leading to this problem:
- You downloaded the wrong firmware.
- There is no stable internet connection.
- Your antivirus blocks iTunes.
- USB cable is damaged. In addition, it is advisable to use the original cable.
Also, problems may arise due to the fact that you are not using the latest version of iTunes. It is recommended to always update it before proceeding with the firmware of the smartphone.