Have you been experiencing issues when trying to update your phone to the latest iOS? Do you get an annoying message? If your iPhone says unable to check for update, this could be due to several reasons. We’ll have a look at various reasons why you are unable to check for update iPhone, and help you find a solution.
Let’s start with the basics. We’ll quote the IT Crowd for this one, but have you tried switching it on and off again? Plenty of iPhone bugs can be fixed if you just restart your device. For those with an iPhone 8 or earlier, press and hold the power button and swipe right to power off. If you have an iPhone X or above, press and hold the power button and one of the volume buttons to turn on the power off screen.
Is your iPhone frozen? You might have to perform a hard reset. Here is how to do that depending on your device:

• iPhone 8, X and above: Quickly press and release the volume up button, then the volume down button, and finally, the side button until you see the Apple logo appear.
• iPhone 7: Press and hold the power button and the volume down button simultaneously until the screen turns off and you see the Apple logo appear
• iPhone SE and earlier: At the same time, press the Home button and the power button until the Apple logo appears on the screen

Sometimes you can be negligent and forget to turn on your Wi-Fi or cellular data. This would be possible if you turned Airplane mode on, or manually switched off your internet connection. Not all iPhones need Wi-Fi to update, but the older versions do, so it’s always a good idea to check if you are connected to your local Wi-Fi network in the Settings. You should be able to see a blue check mark next to the Network name, or even the word “Connected” for some iPhone versions.
It could be possible you received the iPhone unable to check for update message while Apple’s servers are down. Do a quick Google search to see if that is the case and you caught them in the middle of routine maintenance.

Is your iphone 6 unable to check for update? This might be because the latest iOS is only compatible with iPhone 6s and above. We hate to be the bearers of nasty news, but it is suggested that iPhone 6 will enter its planned obsolescence by 2023. You will be able to use some apps still, but it is likely the phone won’t be compatible with many of them.
Another suggestion for troubleshooting the “unable to check for update iPhone” error is to put your device through a Device Firmware Update (DFU). Here are the steps you need to follow to put your iPhone 7 or older in DFU mode:

1. Plug your iPhone into your computer and open iTunes if you are running macOS Mojave 10.14 on your Mac. If your computer is running macOS Catalina 10.15 newer versions, just open Finder.
2. Press and hold the Sleep button alongside the Home buttons (iPhone 6s and below), or the volume down button for iPhone 7 and hold for 8 seconds.
3. Release the Sleep button and continue to hold the Home button (iPhone 6s and below), or the volume down button (iPhone 7) until you see the phone appear in iTunes or Finder.
4. Let go of the button and check your phone – is the display fully black? Then you have successfully entered DFU mode. If not, retry.
6. Follow the steps on your computer using iTunes/Finder to restore your iPhone.

Are you using a newer version of iPhone, like iPhone 8 or higher? Here are the necessary steps to follow:

1. Press and release the volume up button and then the volume down button, and press and hold the side button until the screen goes black.
2. Now that your phone is black, press and hold the volume down button while holding the side button.
3. After 5 seconds, release the side button but continue holding the volume down button. You should see iTunes/Finder displaying your iPhone.
4. As soon as you can see your device in iTunes or Finder, you can relax – your phone has entered DFU mode.

Our final solution is to use a computer to update your device manually. Start by backing up your device using iCloud or your computer. If you are using macOS Catalina, or later keep reading. The macOS Mojave instructions can be found below.
Make sure your computer is connected to Wi-Fi or Ethernet and not a personal hotspot. Follow these steps:

1. Open Finder
2. Connect your device to the computer.
3. Select your device from the sidebar.
4. Click General.
5. Click Check for Update.
6. Click Download and update.
7. If prompted, enter your passcode.
8. That’s it!

For those using iTunes on their device, once again make sure you are connected to Wi-Fi and that you have backed up your device. Here’s what you need to do:

1. Open iTunes on your Mac or Windows PC.
2. Connect your device to the computer
3. Click the device button in iTunes toolbar.
4. In the Summary section, click on Check for Update.
5. If prompted, enter your passcode
6. That’s it!

Is your iPhone 11 unable to check for update? If you still can’t install the latest update, try downloading it again:

1. Go to Settings > General > Storage.
2. Find the update in the list of apps.
3. Tap on the update, then press Delete Update.
4. Go to Settings > General > Software Update and download the latest version.

If you can’t see the update in the list of apps, updating manually using a computer is your only option.
We hope you found this guide on “Unable to Check for Update iPhone” useful! If for some reason none of these steps help, you can contact Apple Support and seek further assistance.