By Achilles Hill | Last Updated
Q1: "I've been using my iPhone 13 for a while, yesterday I factory reset it and the message "an update is required to activate your iPhone" has been bothering me, how do I fix this error?"
Q2: "I purchased a used iPhone and updated the phone using iTunes, but when I try to restart the phone, it says "Unable to activate. An update is required to activate this iPhone". What can I do?"
There are a lot of threads on Apple forums about "unable to activate iPhone" or "iPhone requires an update to activate", especially for iPhone 7 models. Why does your iPhone keep showing this annoying message and how to fix it? We'll explore this in today's post.
Figuring out why your device keeps showing "an update is required to activate your iPhone" may help in fixing it. Here are some possible reasons.
1. The device is running an outdated iOS system.
2. Unstable or no internet connection.
3. The SIM card is not properly inserted into the slot.
4. iPhone jailbreak causes system failure.
5. iPhone activation lock is enabled and the device is locked by the previous user's Apple ID.
6. iPhone hardware failure.
After ruling out iPhone hardware faults, most of the iPhone inactivation problems are related to software issues. How to fix it within seconds? It's an exaggeration of speed, but with the help of a dedicated tool, you indeed can fix software glitches on your iPhone in no time.
iSunshare iOS Repair Genius is a reliable tool dedicated to fixing all kinds of iOS faults, which provides options for iOS system repair, upgrade, and downgrade. Here are its main features:
1. Quickly fix all kinds of iOS system failures without data loss, including iPhone stuck in SOS mode, freezing, black screen, iOS update failure, and more.
2. Upgrade or downgrade iOS within a few clicks.
3. Supports all iOS versions and iPhone models.
Now, download and install iOS Repair Genius on your Windows computer and start fixing the "unable to activate an update is required" issue on your iPhone.
Step 1: Double-click to run iOS Repair Genius and select "System Repair".
You will see two repair options, click "Standard Mode", then connect your iPhone to the computer with a cable and click "Next" to continue.
Step 2: The software will automatically detect your iPhone, you need to click "Download" to get the firmware package and wait for it to finish downloading.
Step 3: Now, click "Repair" and the program will start repairing your device immediately.
When the message "iPhone Repair Successfully" shows, all iOS-related software glitches on your iPhone have been resolved.
A dedicated iOS repair tool helps you to solve the iPhone not activating issue faster, but it's not the only solution, you can also try the following options.
Sometimes, your iPhone just suddenly has some minor malfunctions or software conflicts during operation, these can be easily solved by restarting the device. There are different procedures for different iPhone models, here are the detailed steps.
Option 1: Restart iPhone X or newer models.
Press and hold either Volume button and Power button at the same time > Drag the power off slider > Wait for half a minute and then press the side button to turn on the device.
Option 2: Restart iPhone 6, iPhone 7, iPhone 8, or iPhone SE (2nd or 3rd).
Press and hold the side power button > Drag the slider to power off > After 30 seconds, press and hold the side button to start the device.
Option 3: Restart iPhone SE (1st gen) or earlier.
Press and hold the top power button until the shutdown slider appears > Drag it to the right > Wait for the phone to shut down completely, then and press and hold the top button to turn on the device.
It is common for iPhones to fail to activate due to SIM card and carrier issues. In the absence of a valid WiFi LAN, the correct placement of the SIM card is a guarantee of a smooth activation of the device. Now, turn your iPhone off and check if the SIM card has been placed correctly. If everything works, go to the next solution.
An iPhone running on an unstable network may occasionally experience some system malfunctions, which may result in an activation error on the device. Checking whether its network connection is stable and then connecting the iPhone to a new reliable WiFi or cellular network may easily solve the problem.
If you still can't get rid of the iPhone activation error, turn to iTunes on your computer and use this program to activate your iPhone. This solution doesn't require your iPhone to have a valid internet connection or a SIM card.
Step 1: Check the iTunes on your computer to make sure it is the latest version.
Step 2: Connect the iPhone to the computer with a USB cable and wait for the computer to detect it automatically. If the iPhone can't be detected, please check if the network on the computer is available.
Step 3: A reminder will appear on the screen of iTunes: "Welcome to Your New iPhone", which means your iPhone has been successfully activated. Click "Continue" to complete the rest of the settings.
Step 4 (Optional): If the message "activation information was invalid" or "activation information could not be obtained from the device" appears, you need to put your iPhone in recovery mode, and then click "Restore "to restore the iPhone to factory reset.
If you try to activate another carrier on a locked iPhone, you will get an activation error. You need to contact the carrier to check if your iPhone is locked and ask them to activate your iPhone and SIM card. If your device has met the unlock conditions, your iPhone will be activated very quickly.
In the other case, if you have purchased a used device and it has been securely locked by the previous owner's account, then you need to ask for help to turn off the activation lock.
After trying all the above-mentioned options and the activation issue on your iPhone is not resolved, then the hardware on the iPhone, especially the baseband module may have been damaged. In this case, if you are not a professional, taking the device to an officially authorized repair shop in order to have it serviced is the best option.
If your iPhone can't be activated or keeps showing the message "an update is required to activate your iPhone", then you won't be able to use the device normally, hopefully, the solution shared in this article can help you fix the problem.
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