Why does iTunes say my iPhone 6s needs to be updated to iOS 9.2.1

I have this same issue, have read this thread and still dont understand. What is Error 53, what does it have to do with the original question? Also, we could do without all the editorializing. Should people who have this situation just do the update iTunes is suggesting?

Thank you, Scott

boulderskies@ck wrote:

I have this same issue, have read this thread and still dont understand. What is Error 53, what does it have to do with the original question? Also, we could do without all the editorializing. Should people who have this situation just do the update iTunes is suggesting?

An internet search would turn up Error 53. But, in summary, it was an error that appeared if someone who had an non-functioning TouchID on an iPhone 6 or later, tried to restore or update their phone. The phone would be rendered unusable. There is no reason not to update your phone.

But my phone doesnt need an update, according to Settings, Update.Hence my confusion.

Hi AMCarter,

Do you want to update it or not? If you do not, go to Settings > General > Notifications > And turn that off. If you want to update it, connect your device to iTunes, or just update it from settings. If you believe that iTunes is right and there isn't a new update, just go to Notification Center and turn that off so it doesn't bother you around.

boulderskies@ck wrote:

But my phone doesnt need an update, according to Settings, Update.Hence my confusion.

This particular update will only appear if you connect your phone to iTunes. If you connect your phone to iTunes and it suggests you update, there's no reason not to. I haven't connected my iPhone to iTunes (I rarely do) since the update was released so I haven't updated. However, if my TouchID went bad and I hadn't done it and I then tried to restore my phone, I might have problems. However, I'll probably continue to live dangerously until the next major update.

Hannah Feng wrote:

Hi AMCarter,

Do you want to update it or not? If you do not, go to Settings > General > Notifications > And turn that off. If you want to update it, connect your device to iTunes, or just update it from settings. If you believe that iTunes is right and there isn't a new update, just go to Notification Center and turn that off so it doesn't bother you around.

As Meg pointed out, this update would not appear in your Settings, nor is it accessed via your settings. This us an update that is only triggered when you connect to iTunes. It will be triggered whether you have already updated to 9.2.1 or not. As was previously explained by Lawrence, this is a slipstream update that has the same version number as the update that you may or may not have done via the Settings app on your device. The notification for this update does not appear on the Settings icon at all.

Cheers,

GB

Why the frak wouldn't Apple make it more obvious that there has been a change? That's just [mentally impaired] in my opinion. How hard is it for them to say v.9.2.2 or v9.2.1.1? I just did it so it's pretty easy in my opinion.

Do you think it makes you look smarter to use inappropriate language in a post? It doesn't.

To answer your question, it has to do with the version control system that Apple uses. It doesn't support more than 3 levels (most version control systems don't), so it can't be 9.2.1.1. And there is probably a 9.2.2 that does something entirely different. But you can get additional levels using the build number, which Apple has done in this instance. The previous version was 9.2.1(13D15) and the one that is installed after the update is 9.2.1(13D20).

Here's my situation, which I can't tell is the same as is being debated here.

Itunes 12.3.2

Iphone 6+ v9.2.1

Iphone is acting laggy so I want to restore it. I plug it into my MBP and hit restore. iTunes says there's a new version, 9.2.1, that must be downloaded and installed before I can restore the phone. Yet when I try to download it, after about 15 minutes it states that the download failed (forget the error reason).

So, iTunes says I need to upgrade to 9.2.1, but cannot successfully do so thereby preventing me from doing a restore on my phone. Thoughts other than doing a factory reset on the phone and then hoping "restore from backup" isn't similarly blocked by this failure to download issue?

Thanks

Perry

It's impossible to help you without the exact error message and error code. Also your computer type and operating system.

Even if there was no update you would get the same error doing a restore, so you need to solve that problem first.

Can someone help? I don't understand the technical discussion above. What can I do? The message i get is that My iphone can't be used with itunes on my macbook because the phone needs a new version of itunes. but my OS is up to date on my phone - it's a 6s. What recourse do i have?

Campervanshayna wrote:

Can someone help? I don't understand the technical discussion above. What can I do? The message i get is that My iphone can't be used with itunes on my macbook because the phone needs a new version of itunes. but my OS is up to date on my phone - it's a 6s. What recourse do i have?

You can continue using the phone with the current version. But you will have to update iTunes to the latest version (12.3.x) to sync the phone and for future updates. To install the latest iTunes your Mac must have OS X 10.8.5 or later.

As Lawrence indicated, the message refers to the version of iTunes that is running on your Mac. Until the OS X on the Mac is upgraded so that it can run the latest version of iTunes, your phone won't be able to "talk" to the Mac. The iOS on your phone is just fine.

Best of luck,

GB

GHail from Maine...OH!!! Thank you, now I get it! Thanks for the clarification. 🙂