Unable to Check for Update on iPhone? How to Fix It

You are trying to update your iPhone to the most recent version of iOS to enjoy better performance and newer features. But whenever you do so, you end up with an error popup saying unable to check for update. In this article, we will discuss what causes the issue and what you can do to solve it. Keep reading!

1. Force Close and Reopen Settings

Let's start with the basics. Sometimes a minor software glitch can prevent the iPhone from checking the software update. In this case, simply closing and reopening the Settings app may help you to solve the issue.

• If you are using an iPhone with a Home button, double tap the button to access the App switcher. Then find the Settings App and swipe it up to close.
• For iPhone X or later, swipe up the screen from the bottom and wait for a second to bring out the App switcher. Next, tap on the Settings app on the app switcher and then swipe up to close it.

2. Restart Your iPhone

Sometimes just closing and reopening the Settings app won't help. Instead, you will need to restart the iPhone to eliminate possible software glitches. Here is how to do this;

• If you are using iPhone 8 or earlier, tap and hold the power button and move the power icon slider from left to right to power off the device.
• If you are using iPhone X or the newer devices, tap and hold the side button together with the volume up or down button to get the slider. Then turn the slider again from left to right to turn off the device.

After that, turn on the device again by long-pressing the power or side button.

3. Hard Reset Your iPhone

If your iPhone is frozen with the Unable to Check for Update popup, maybe it's time to give it a hard reset;

• If you have iPhone 8 or iPhone X, press and release the volume up button quickly and then do the same for the volume down button. After that, tap and hold the side button until you see the Apple logo.
• For iPhone 7, you will need to press and hold the power and volume down buttons simultaneously until you see the flashing screen with the Apple logo.
• For iPhone SE and earlier, tap and hold the home and power buttons until you see the Apple logo.

4. Check Your Network Connection

A stable cellular or Wi-Fi network connection is required for the iOS updates. Especially, a stable and smooth Wi-Fi connection is recommended for downloading the update. If you cannot check for the update, inspect your internet connection to be assured that it's not causing the issue.

5. Forget Wi-Fi Network Then Reconnect

If the Wi-Fi network is working well on the other devices, consider forgetting the Wi-Fi network and reconnecting. To do so, go to Settings > Wi-Fi and then tap the "i" beside the connected network and press "Forget This Network". Then, confirm the operation by pressing "Forget" again.

After doing so, restart your iPhone and reconnect to the Wi-Fi network by entering the credentials.

6. Reset Network Settings

Sometimes a random network-related issue may produce this error. In this case, resetting the Network settings can help. Here is how to do so:

• Open the Settings app and go to General, then tap “Reset”.
• Tap on “Reset Network Settings” and enter passcode if required to proceed.

Once the reset is done, reconnect to your Wi-Fi network by entering the credentials.

7. Check Apple System Servers

On rare occasions, Apple's system server can be down and prevent you from performing the iOS update. It especially occurs when Apple performs scheduled maintenance or releases major iOS updates. You can be assured that the Apple server is working from their system status page.

8. Delete iOS 16 Beta Profile

Are you a member of Apple's beta tester program? Consider deleting the iOS 16 beta profile as sometimes it can cause the error. Here is how to do so;

• Open Settings > General > Profiles.
• Select the iOS Beta Software Profile you want to delete.
• Then press “Remove Profile” to proceed.

Restart your iPhone and retry to update after deleting the beta profile.

9. Use iTunes to Check for New iOS Update.

If the above solutions didn’t work, consider using iTunes to check and install new iOS updates. Here is how to do so:

• Connect your iPhone via USB with your PC that has iTunes installed.
• Next, launch iTunes on your PC and select your iPhone on iTunes.
• Press on “Summary” and then “Check for Update”.
• Press “Download and Update” if it is available. Enter your passcode to proceed with the update.

10. Check for Update with Third-party Tool

If you are stuck with “Unable to Check for Update”, you can consider utilizing a third-party tool like FoneGeek iOS System Recovery to fix the device. This tool can help you fix most of the system errors with your iOS, including the ability to update your iPhone to the latest iOS version. In addition, the tool is easy to use and requires a short time to fix your device.

Here is how to utilize the FoneGeek iOS System Recovery tool:

Step 1: Install and launch the FoneGeek iOS System Recovery software on your PC. Choose “Standard Mode” from the app screen.

Step 2: Connect your iPhone to the PC using a USB/lightning cable. Press "Next" on the phone if it is in normal mode and has iOS 12 or later. If your phone is not detected, follow the on-screen guide to boot into DFU or Recovery mode.

Step 3: Now, you will see available firmware versions that you can utilize to fix the device. Select one and press "Download".

Step 4: the FoneGeek app will complete the download and verify the firmware. After that, you can press "Fix Now" to begin fixing the device. After that, your iPhone should restart and works normally.

Conclusion

It can be frustrating if you cannot update your iPhone to the latest version because of unable to check for update error. We hope the above-discussed solutions will help you to fix the error quickly so that you can update the iOS version and enjoy all the latest features. Make sure to use the FoneGeek iOS System Recovery tool to quickly fix and update iPhone if it is stuck with the error.