The iPhone 16 Can Be Restored Wirelessly Using another iPhone
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This year’s iPhone 16 looks like it has another neat trick up its sleeve: the ability to completely restore the firmware wirelessly using another nearby iPhone.
While most of us won’t get our hands on Apple’s new iPhones until this Friday, the folks at 9to5Mac dug into the iOS 18 firmware for the iPhone 16 models and discovered that it’s gained the “RecoveryOS” that Apple brought to the Apple Watch and Apple TV in previous versions.
Since Apple Watch and modern Apple TV set-top box models have no wired ports, restoring the operating system on these devices when they get into an unrecoverable state has always been a challenge. Traditionally, a “bricked” Apple Watch had to be taken to an Apple Store for repairs. To help solve this, Apple added a wireless recovery mode in iOS 15.4 and watchOS 8.5 to let you restore your wearable by holding it near your iPhone and double-clicking the side button.
A similar feature came to the Apple TV in iOS 17 and tvOS 17 last year, and now it looks like Apple is bringing it to the iPhone 16 as part of iOS 18.
We have yet to see this in action on an actual iPhone 16 unit, but the team at 9to5Mac was able to simulate the process:
Essentially, when the iPhone 16 enters Recovery Mode for some reason, users can simply place it next to another iPhone or iPad to start the firmware recovery. The other device will download a new iOS firmware and transfer it to the bricked device. This means that a Mac or PC will no longer be needed to fix firmware issues on iOS devices.9to5Mac
Oddly, the RecoveryOS partition appears to be available solely in the iPhone 16 version of iOS 18. This means that only an iPhone 16 can be restored in this manner, although any iPhone or iPad running iOS/iPadOS 18 can act as a source to download and transmit the firmware package to the new iPhone models.
It’s unclear if a hardware feature on the new models is required to trigger this or if Apple will eventually bring it to older iPhone models. However, as things stand now, the iPhone 16 appears to be shipped from the factory with a special recovery partition, so it may not be possible to set that up on older devices.
While this wireless recovery process is far less essential on an iPhone since the USB-C port can also be used to restore the firmware, doing so requires a Mac or PC. While you still need a second iPhone or an iPad to do a wireless restore, that can be easier to find when you’re on the go, as you can use a friend’s or colleague’s device.
A Portless iPhone?
This change could also be the next big step toward the mythic portless iPhone we’ve heard about over the years. Although Apple won’t likely ditch the USB-C port on its iPhone Pro models anytime soon, as it’s needed for professional applications like high-quality ProRes video recording, it’s far less essential on the standard iPhone models.
Add in this year’s faster MagSafe charging, which now rivals wired charging speeds, and Apple could be ready to eliminate the physical port to create an ultra-thin iPhone “Slim” or “Air” model that’s rumored to be in the works.
Several sources suggest an “iPhone 17 Slim” could arrive next year. Although the USB-C port might not go away that soon, that model could also be a test bed for the idea.
While the rumors of a portless iPhone from a few years ago have mostly died down, analysts like Ming-Chi Kuo said that Apple was working on a premium iPhone with a “completely wireless experience.” Like most supply chain analysts, Kuo often has good insight into what Apple is working on based on the manufacturers it seeks to do business with and the components it’s interested in lining up. However, they often have difficulty predicting timelines and have no way of knowing if Apple will ultimately change course and abandon an initiative.
It’s certainly possible that the portless iPhone has been on Apple’s long-term roadmap since it was first rumored in 2019. Multiple reports suggest that Apple plans to release the so-called “iPhone 17 Slim” as a higher-end model, which could easily make it the premium iPhone Kuo referred to back then.
[The information provided in this article has NOT been confirmed by Apple and may be speculation. Provided details may not be factual. Take all rumors, tech or otherwise, with a grain of salt.]
