iPhone stuck on preparing update screen

Thank Soph-37 for posting the solution. It worked for me as well. I noticed on my iPhone 15, the downloaded update used 1.8GB space (from 17.3 to 17.4.1). When my Mac mini downloaded update, it was over 8GB. Maybe somehow the iPhone is not able to download the proper update.

This is happening to me too, I am setting up a brand new iphone 15pro and it has been stuck on "1 second remaining" for the last two hours. Apple, can you reply and sort your **** out, not great for a new phone

I’m in exactly the same position. Setting up new iPhone15 and can’t get past the software update. It gets to 1 second to complete and hangs there indefinitely. Can’t get into settings to do anything as this is during setup. Did you find a solution?

I'm stuck with the same issue. Have bought a new iPhone and almost 24 hours later, it's still not configured. I have tried to syncronizee with my old iPhone 5 times, and it stucks on "14 seconds left" or "26 seconds left" for 3 hours before I give up and restart the process. Last try was to just set up the iPhone as a brand new iPhone with nothing except for my iCloud login and try to upgrade it as normal. Still doesn't work. The worst part is that I cannot transfer from my old iPhone, either from the phone itself or from my backup on my mac, since the iOS versions aren't the same on the two phones. Old iPhone has iOS 17.1.2 and the new iPhone has 17.1.1.

This is the worst buy-a-new-Apple-product-experience I've ever had since my dad came home with a Macintosh SE in 1991!

I had the 13 Pro. Wednesday morning I upgraded to 17.4 and by 2pm I had a black screen of death. My phone itself was still on and working but my screen never came back on.

I tried everything from a hard reset to plugging it in to my PC and going through iTunes to do a factory reset but the phone would never restart.

I had to get a new phone (my partner got me the 15 pro) and I’ve been stuck on “preparing update” for over 12 hours now. My phone needs to update so I can pair my watch to it.

I have the 14 pro max and have the same issue. I currently have the 17.3.1 and I have the auto update turned on, which obviously didn’t work. I have no idea how to fix it either. Nothing I’ve tried so far has worked

Have tried this on new 15 pro max:(

Mac struggling to find iPhone. Had to plug and unplug a few times. It is now recognising phone. But when I click get started and go into general and click update (from 17.3 to 17.4.1) nothing happens. Really annoying! £1200 for a phone to do this!

Will maybe try again later and see if something different happens…

does Anybody please have a solution for this??? without having to go to an Apple Store (there’s none near me) and without having to use a MacBook/pc as I don’t have one!! Thank you in advance. I spoke to apple support and they were no help

My new IPhone 13 PM has been ‘preparing update’ since 4:30 PM YESTERDAY , it has been well over 17 hours since.

my current phone is useless as my SIM card is in the new phone. I don’t have a MacBook to do the update on that , so I feel like I’m basically screwed 😭

I just got my new Iphone 15 Pro Max and stuck in updating IOS 17.4.1 when trying to transfer my data from my old Iphone 12.

Support couldn't help me, asked me to contact a Apple Service store to get help.

Next possible time to get help is next week, during work hours and not possible for me to go. *sigh*

Feels like a larger bug that Apple needs to resolve, as I know its problem for other customers updated to version IOS 17.4.1 using it as well.

Don't have the possibility to login in to Itunes either (for reasons), as that seems to be a way to resolve it.

I’m having the same issue. Tried to resolve with Apple support. I don’t have a Mac to plug into. They suggested I go to an Apple Store. Incredibly frustrating experience. I specifically had the phone mailed to my house to avoid going to the Apple Store in the first place.

I couldn't locate my phone via that route. Problem I now have is that I transferred info from my iPhone 13 pro via esim and now have a new phone stuck on update (with a phone signal) and an old phone with no phone signal. So effectively no phone usable. Apple need to sort this out

Yes: rapid battery drain from full charge yesterday (April 10, 2024). That was on iOS 17.3.1.

I'm now stuck on "preparing update" for 17.4.1. (My thinking was that the battery drain might have been from downloading the update.)

****... just bought an iphone 15 pro max... supposingly to be flagship model, and yet, having the same problem when i was trying to transfer from my iphone 12 pro max (on iOS 17.4.1) the iphone 15 pro max had iOS 17.2.... it was stucked at "Preparing for updates..." "Installing... " etc... many many times, until I found this forum... now doing it on the Mac using Finder.... thanks for all the tips....

APPLE, this is the most disappoint iphone upgrade in my history of using iphone 4 onwards... 4, 5, 7+, 12 pro max were all good and without issues.... this 15 pro max on 17.4.1 sucks big time !!!

I am also stuck with preparing the update for watchOS 10.4 on my apple watch series 9 and massive battery drainage (from 100% to 2% in 4 hours).

Apple does not have a solution yet, I called support and the support team says that the problem is in the server