You can restore iPhone 16's firmware wirelessly using another iPhone
Apple has introduced a wireless firmware recovery and restoration system for its latest iPhone 16 series. This feature, first seen in iOS 15.4 and watchOS 8.5 for the Apple Watch, was later extended to Apple TV with iOS 17 and tvOS 17. Now, with the release of iOS 18, this innovative system is available for the iPhone as well.
iOS 18 firmware includes RecoveryOS for wireless restoration
The iOS 18 firmware for iPhone 16 models incorporates the same RecoveryOS that enables users to restore Apple Watch and Apple TV firmware from an iPhone. When an iPhone 16 enters Recovery Mode, users can initiate the firmware recovery by bringing it close to another iPhone or iPad. The assisting device downloads a new iOS firmware and transfers it wirelessly to the affected device, eliminating the need for a Mac or PC.
Special recovery partition in iPhone 16 models
The wireless restoration feature is currently exclusive to the iPhone 16 models. These devices come with a unique recovery partition that can handle the entire process, even if the main iOS partition is not booted. It remains uncertain whether Apple intends to extend this system to older iPhone models in future updates or if this feature necessitates new hardware.
