Q: iPhone won't restore after being disabled

Zaramorgaan wrote:

 

My iphone 6 got disabled today during babysitting, and it told me the only way to get it off disabled mode was to connect to itunes. I have done so, and it allows me to select the option of restoring my iPhone. It then starts "extracting software" which takes a few minutes, and says "preparing to restore iphone". Immediately after the a information box pops up saying "iphone could not be restored. Device isn't eligible for the requested built."

I Have updated iTunes and am using a Mac to connect to iPhone store. Can anyone help?

If you forgot the passcode for your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch, or your device is disabled - Apple Support

Erase your device with iCloud

If you set up Find My iPhone on your iOS device or Mac, you can use iCloud to erase and restore it.

1. From another device, go to icloud.com/find.
2. If prompted, sign in with your Apple ID.
3. Click All Devices at the top of your browser window.
4. Select the device you want to erase.
5. Click Erase [device] to erase your device and its passcode.
6. Now you can either restore from a backup or set up as new.

If your device isn't connected to a Wi-Fi or cellular network, you can't erase it with Find My iPhone.

If erasing through iCloud is not an option, you may need to follow down to that last step in the article...

Erase your device with recovery mode

If you've never synced with iTunes or set up Find My iPhone in iCloud, you'll need to use recovery mode to restore your device. This will erase the device and its passcode.

1. Connect your iOS device to your computer and open iTunes. If you don't have a computer, borrow one from a friend, or go to an Apple Retail Store or Apple Authorized Service Provider.
2. While your device is connected, force restart it: Press and hold the Sleep/Wake and Home buttons at the same time. Don't let go when you see the Apple logo — keep holding until you see the recovery mode screen.

Make sure that your iOS restore file was downloaded directly to iTunes on your Mac from Apple, not from some other website or that may be another reason you are getting that build message.

Did you download an IPSW file, or did you just use iTunes? Do you have a beta version of iOS on the phone? Was the phone jailbroken? Those are the chief reasons you might get that particular message.