Oliver Haslam on September 18, 2019, 5:13 am

How To Fix iOS 13 OTA Stuck On Preparing Update Issue

Here’s how to fix iOS 13 OTA stuck on Preparing Update issue on your iPhone, iPad or iPod touch device.

Now that iOS 13 is in the hands of people around the globe, we’re hearing of some of the great additions in this update. Dark Mode is likely the feature that most people are waiting for, and this is the update that finally brings it to iPhone and iPad. But it isn’t all going according to plan for everyone, with some people finding that their device is stuck on the “Preparing Update” phase of the process.

If you’re unfortunate enough to find yourself in that situation, then there are a couple of things you can try to make your update install. Nobody wants to sit and stare at a device waiting for something to happen. Try this guide instead.

Step 1: Open the Settings app and go to General > iPhone Storage and then wait for the interface to complete loading. If you have a lot of storage or lots of data, this might take a while.

Step 2: Look through what you have installed and what data is taking up lots of space. Don’t worry, you don’t need to delete any of it. It’s just always good to be aware of what you have on your devices. You do need to delete something, though – locate the iOS OTA update file and tap it.

Step 3: Now you have the option to delete the file. Do that now.

Step 4: Head back into Settings > General > Software Update and initiate the iOS 13 update all over again. This time everything should work as normal and your update will be completed in no time.