- Users report that they get the Unable to Check for Update error when trying to update their iPhones.
- OTA (Over-the-Air) iOS updates that you get on your iPhone are almost always reliable but that doesn’t seem to be the case here.
- Start with a restart and give it another try. If the issue persists, find the solution below.
What does it mean when iPhone says Unable to Check for Update?
If your iPhone informs you that it’s unable to check for updates, that means one of these things:
- your iPhone can’t connect to Apple’s servers and get over-the-air updates.
- your iPhone doesn’t have enough storage space to download and install updates.
- you can connect to Apple’s servers but the Wi-Fi connection is too slow.
You can fix these possible causes by following the instructions we provided below.
How to fix Unable to Check for Update on your iPhone
1. Check the network connection. In 99% of the cases, you’ll get the Unable to Check for Updates prompt if your iPhone doesn’t have a Wi-Fi or mobile data connection when you try to check for updates. So, make sure to keep your device charged above 30% and that there’s a stable connection. Slow internet connections can cause problems with updates, too. But, instead of getting the prompt, you’ll get stuck during the download procedure. If you experience major network problems on your iPhone, learn how to fix them. Also, disable VPN and Proxy if you have them enabled.
2. Ensure that you have enough storage space. iOS updates can take up a lot of storage space. This space is used only temporarily because all installation files are deleted after the system is successfully updated. You might need to make some space on your iPhone with that in mind. So, open Settings > General > iPhone Storage, and see what files take up the most space. Delete some of them so you can install updates. Have in mind that some files go to Trash so you might want to permanently delete them from there.
3. Delete older updates if available in iPhone’s Storage. Since you don’t have to install updates right away, the system will store downloaded updates on your device. And, sometimes, that’s the reason why you can’t install new updates because only one update can be stored on your iPhone at a time. So, navigate to Settings > General > iPhone Storage and ensure that there are no updates already available. If there are, you can remove them and install the latest update.
4. Update your device with Mac or Windows PC using iTunes. In the end, you can try updating your iPhone with iTunes on a Windows PC or by using your Mac. Just install iTunes, connect your iPhone, and check for updates in the iTunes client on your PC. That’s a workaround if your iPhone can’t get updates Over-The-Air and shows the Unable to Check for Updates error.
That should do it. Don’t forget to report the problem to Apple Support if the issue persists or if you’re a Beta tester for iOS. Thank you for reading and make sure to share your experience in the comments section below.
