Apple Developing Over-the-Air Recovery Feature for iOS Based on Code in iOS 13.4

Code in the iOS 13.4 beta released this morning suggests that Apple is developing an over-the-air recovery feature designed for the iPhone and the iPad.

osrecoveryios134
There are references to a hidden "OS Recovery" option in the update found by 9to5Mac, which appears to provide a way to restore an ‌iPhone‌, ‌iPad‌, Apple Watch, or HomePod without the need to connect to a computer.

Right now, if you have a malfunctioning ‌iPhone‌ or ‌iPad‌, a Mac or PC needs to be used to restore the firmware, which is inconvenient as some people no longer even use computers and Apple has made efforts to remove the need to operate iOS devices with computers.

Devices like the Apple Watch and ‌HomePod‌ don't even have options to restore the software because there are no connectors, a problem that the OS Recovery feature could solve. There is a similar macOS Internet Recovery option that has been available for some time, allowing Macs to be restored with software downloaded over the internet.

It appears the feature will allow for a restore to be conducted over-the-air or by connecting a device to another ‌iPhone‌ or ‌iPad‌ using a USB connection.

Related Forum: iOS 13

Popular Stories

iOS 26

iOS 26.1 Coming Soon: New Features for Your iPhone and Release Date

Monday October 27, 2025 7:55 am PDT by
The upcoming iOS 26.1 update includes a handful of new features and changes for iPhones, including a toggle for changing the appearance of the Liquid Glass design, "slide to stop" for alarms in the Clock app, and more. Below, we outline key details about iOS 26.1. Release Date Given that Apple has yet to seed an iOS 26.1 Release Candidate, which is typically the final beta version, the...
iOS 26

6 New Things Your iPhone Can Do in iOS 26.1

Wednesday October 29, 2025 4:22 am PDT by
Apple is about to drop iOS 26.1, the first major point release since iOS 26 was rolled out in September, and there are at least six notable changes and improvements to look forward to. We've rounded them up below. Apple has already provided developers and public beta testers with the release candidate version of iOS 26.1, which means Apple will likely roll out the update to all compatible...
maxresdefault

Apple TV 4K Could Still Launch Before 2025 Ends: All the Rumored Features

Monday October 27, 2025 4:51 pm PDT by
Apple is designing an updated version of the Apple TV 4K, and rumors suggest that it could come out sometime in the next couple of months. We're not expecting a major overhaul with design changes, but even a simple chip upgrade will bring major improvements to Apple's set-top box. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. We've rounded up all the latest Apple TV rumors. ...
iOS 26

Apple Seeds iOS 26.1, iPadOS 26.1, and macOS Tahoe 26.1 Release Candidates

Tuesday October 28, 2025 1:07 pm PDT by
Apple today provided developers and public beta testers with the release candidate versions of upcoming iOS 26.1, iPadOS 26.1, macOS Tahoe 26.1, tvOS 26.1, watchOS 26.1, and visionOS 26.1 updates for testing purposes. The RCs betas come a week after Apple released the fourth betas. The new betas can be downloaded from the Settings app on a compatible device by going to General > Software...
M6 MacBook Pro Feature 1

M6 MacBook Pro: Release Date, Pricing, and What to Expect

Monday October 27, 2025 9:15 am PDT by
Apple this month refreshed the 14-inch MacBook Pro base model with its new M5 chip, and higher-end 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models with M5 Pro and M5 Max chips are expected to follow in early 2026. However, these machines will represent the final update to the current design, with Apple reportedly developing a completely new version of the MacBook Pro packed with next-generation hardware...
iPhone 17 Pro Cosmic Orange

8 Reasons to Wait for Next Year's iPhone 18 Pro

Thursday October 30, 2025 4:42 am PDT by
Apple's iPhone development roadmap runs several years into the future and the company is continually working with suppliers on several successive iPhone models at the same time, which is why we often get rumored features months ahead of launch. The iPhone 18 series is no different, and we already have a good idea of what to expect for the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max. One thing worth...
macos tahoe

Here Are Apple's Release Notes for macOS Tahoe 26.1

Tuesday October 28, 2025 1:21 pm PDT by
Apple today provided developers and public beta testers with the release candidate version of macOS Tahoe 26.1, which means the update will likely see a public launch next week. The release candidate includes notes on what's in the update, so we have a full picture of the new features that Apple has included. macOS Tahoe 26.1 adds AutoMix support over AirPlay, improved FaceTime audio...
M5 MacBook Pro

Waiting for New Macs? Apple Just Shared Bad News

Friday October 31, 2025 7:32 am PDT by
Apple has just given a strong indication that it will not be releasing any additional new Macs for the remainder of the year. Apple's CFO Kevan Parekh dropped the hint during the company's earnings call on Thursday:On Mac, keep in mind, we expect to face a very difficult compare against the M4 MacBook Pro, Mac mini, and iMac launches in the year-ago quarter.Parekh essentially gave a heads up ...
ipad mini 7 feature blue

OLED iPad Mini: Release Date, Pricing, and What to Expect

Wednesday October 29, 2025 7:13 am PDT by
Rumors are stoking excitement for the next-generation iPad mini that Apple is reportedly close to launching. So what should we expect from the successor to the iPad mini 7 that Apple released over a year ago? Read on to find out. Processor and Performance Apple is working on a next-generation version of the iPad mini (codename J510/J511) that features the A19 Pro chip, according to...

Top Rated Comments

JPack Avatar
74 months ago
Port-less iPhone in 2021, here we go.
Score: 37 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Braderunner Avatar
74 months ago
UK: No more Lightning plug. There needs to a standard.
Apple: Okay. No plug.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
zorinlynx Avatar
74 months ago
A portless phone would suck; wireless charging is only 60% efficient. That means you just lost 40% of the capacity of your powerbank right there.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
will_is_here Avatar
74 months ago
Port-less iPhone: Calling it.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Bornee35 Avatar
74 months ago

Port-less iPhone in 2021, here we go.
Yep! This is the major feature they needed to make it happen
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
elvisimprsntr Avatar
74 months ago
I wonder if a port-less device is Apples answer to a GreyKey.



Attachment Image
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)