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Apple fixes iOS 10 update flaw that bricked people’s iPhones and iPads

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What iOS release doesn’t come with its fair share of problems? The new iOS 10 update doesn’t seem to break away from tradition — multiple users say downloading the over-the-air update “bricked” their iPhone and iPad devices. Apple has since confirmed to Digital Trends that the flaw is fixed and downloads should continue without a hitch.

However, we suggest holding off on updating your devices until others report successful downloads. If you’re one of the many people with a bricked device, meaning your phone or iPad won’t function, all you need to do is plug the device into a Mac or PC, open iTunes, and trigger a restore. The restore seems to be a hit or miss on getting devices to iOS 10 — some people say it works, while others say it only jumps to iOS 9.3.5.

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You may find your device bricked if you’re stuck waiting on the iOS loading screen progress bar. Do a quick search of “#iOS10” on Twitter and you’ll find a plethora of people complaining about their devices getting bricked.

The issue seems to be that the over-the-air (OTA) update attempts to download iOS 10.0 and then iTunes updates to iOS 10.0.1, which causes a problem. Updating to iOS 10 from iTunes is the safer route at the moment. However, Apple has since acknowledged the issue and says it’s been fixed.

“We experienced a brief issue with the software update process, affecting a small number of users during the first hour of availability,” Apple told Digital Trends. “The problem was quickly resolved and we apologize to those customers. Anyone who was affected should connect to iTunes to complete the update or contact AppleCare for help.”

Assuming the fix works, the iOS 10 OTA update should be safe to download at this point in time. However, we strongly recommend that you back everything up before you attempt the update. It’s also advisable to err on the side of caution and update to iOS 10 via iTunes or to simply wait a day.

Julian Chokkattu
Julian Chokkattu
Former Mobile and Wearables Editor
Julian is the mobile and wearables editor at Digital Trends, covering smartphones, fitness trackers, smartwatches, and more…
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