iPhone 6, upgrade fail, next steps?

How did she unlock her iPhone if not using a passcode?

If she used her fingerprint, then there's a passcode set for that. That should be what it's asking for, she must know this as it's usually requested every so often after a while of just using a fingerprint to re-enable it.

Beyond that, you would need to completely restore the iPhone to Factory Settings and set it up again if she really does not remember her passcode.

click here ➜ If you forgot your iPhone passcode or your iPhone is disabled - Apple Support

1. An iPhone 6 cannot run iOS 26, so there's no way for her to have updated to that. Since it would not have even been offered for an iPhone 6 at all.
2. You haven't actually told us what password it's asking for or where on the iPhone it's asking for this.
3. Unlikely any update would have killed the iPhone completely, but you have not clarified what if anything appears on screen and what exactly is happening.
4. How did you attempt to reset the iPhone, what exactly did you do?
5. Contacts are not stored directly on device. They are either saved to iCloud or to another email account. So just adding those accounts back onto a new iPhone should be all it takes to get them back.
6. You can verify the contacts are on iCloud by logging into https://www.icloud.com/contacts/ with her iCloud account.

SecretGeek17 wrote:

iPhone 6, upgrade fail, next steps? My mom has(had?) an iPhone 6. Not paying close attention, she upgraded the iOS when the phone prompted her. I'm assuming 26 but I wasn't there and don't know for sure. My believe is that she killed the phone but I'm not sure. The phone is asking her for a password which she has never had so she can't get in. I attempted to reset the phone, but it wouldn't let me. It just looked like it was working forever and then nothing happened. At this point, I think she needs a new phone. Xfinity Mobil (her current network) and Verizon (potential new network) have both told her they cannot unlock her phone to get to her contacts, and she will need to go to the genius bar. But shouldn't it be as simple as getting her a new phone and then using her most recent iCloud backup to get to her contacts? The last time she changed phones she didn't add them one by one so she must have them backed up. I can't figure out why both stores are telling her to go to the genius bar. Any advice is appreciated. Thanks!

Highest ios for an iphone 6 is 12.5.7.

Password like the 4 to 6 digit code to unlock the device?

Password to apple id?

SecretGeek17 wrote:

1. I should have included much more, apologies. So to answer your questions....

I didn't think it could either but it upgraded to something as it's acting as if it has been upgraded... or maybe it actually reset? It is displaying the "hello" in multiple languages and when I touch the button to open the home screen it's asking for a password

2. It's asking for a 6 digit password that you would enter into a locked home screen. Just like when you turn the phone off and turn it back on.

3. Was being slightly sarcastic which apparently didn't translate here. See answers to 1 & 2 for clarification on what is happening.

4. If I remember correctly, when I clicked "forgot password", the only option was to reset the phone. When I attempted that, at first it wouldn't do anything. A second tap and then I got the circular buffering display you see when waiting for something to download. Eventually it just went back to the "hello" screen.

5. Awesome, that was my thought too.

6. Thanks, I'll have her do that.

In order to update the ios on her phone she needs to enter a 6 digit code.

If there was no passcode set up, then it should not be asking for one now.

Is it maybe asking you to set one up instead?

Can you maybe post a photo of the iPhone screen? Redact any personal info.