iOS 12 Update: iPhone hangs - what to do?

Whenever you install major system updates for your iPhone, you may experience problems. For example, it may happen that your smartphone hangs during installation. In such a case, a forced restart of the device is usually enough to remedy the situation.

iPhone hangs during iOS 12 update

If your iPhone hangs during the update to iOS 12, you need to restart it. How you force a restart on your iPhone depends on the model.

• iPhone 6s and older models: press the power button and the home button at the same time. Wait until the iPhone vibrates briefly and the screen goes black before releasing the buttons. The iPhone then restarts.
• iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus: To restart an iPhone from the 7 series, you must simultaneously press the Volume Down button and the Power button until the smartphone vibrates.
• iPhone 8 and newer models: first briefly press the Volume Up button and then the Volume Down button. Then hold down the side button for about ten seconds until the iPhone restarts.

Normally, you can now use your iPhone again as usual. The update to iOS 12 should also be installed and working.

Restart does not work

If you still have problems, you can reset the smartphone with the help of a backup and iTunes. Depending on how old your backup is, you may lose data in the process. Therefore, it is advisable to create a backup in advance, especially for major system updates. This way you can be sure that no data will be lost if there are problems.