How to Fix ‘Update Error 4000’ on iPhone?

iPhone is one of the most popular brands of mobile devices that are developed and distributed by Apple. It is famous for its lightweight and secure iOS. Apple has always been the champion for providing updates to its handsets even when they are 3 or 4 generations old. However, quite recently, a lot of reports have been coming in where users are experiencing the “The iPhone Could not be Updated. An Unknown Error Occurred (4000)” while trying to download software updates on their mobiles.

Update Error 4000

What Causes the “Update Error 4000” on iPhone?

After receiving numerous reports from multiple users, we decided to investigate the issue and devised a set of solutions to fix it completely. Also, we looked into the reasons due to which it is triggered and listed them as follows.

  • Installed Updates: In most cases, this issue is triggered when the iPhone is already updated with the latest version of the software available to iTunes.This means that your iPhone doesn’t require a new update and can be used after restarting normally.
  • Locked Device: It is possible that the device that you are trying to update locked with a passcode while the installation process for the software started. iPhone needs to be unlocked in order to be updated by iTunes, if it isn’t locked, this error might be triggered.
  • Outdated iTunes: In some cases, it is possible that the error is being triggered due to the iTunes application being outdated. In most cases, the application is updated automatically but it can sometimes fail.
  • Low Battery: In some cases, this issue can occur if your iPhone’s battery level is lower than 50%. If the battery level is lower than 50% installation option will be disabled on your phone automatically. Due to low battery.

Now that you have a basic understanding of the nature of the problem, we will move on towards the solutions. Make sure to implement these in the specific order in which they are presented to avoid conflicts.

Solution 1: Downloading Updates Directly

If the error is being triggered while downloading the updates from iTunes, you can try to download them directly on the mobile. For that:

  1. Navigate to “Settings” and click on “General“.
  2. Click on the “Software Updates” option.
    Clicking on General and selecting “Software Updates”
  3. iPhone will check if there is a new update available for your mobile, click on the “Download and Install Now” button if an update is available.

Solution 2: Updating iTunes

In some cases, the error is triggered if iTunes is outdated. Therefore, it is recommended to update your iTunes application to the latest version. For that:

  1. Open iTunes and click on the “Help” option in the top right corner.
  2. Select “Check for Updates” from the list.
    Clicking on the “Check for Updates” option
  3. iTunes will now automatically check and download updates.
  4. Try to update your phone and check to see if the issue persists.

Solution 3: Uninstalling MS Store iTunes and installing through IPSW

If both the above methods don’t work, we can try using the Apple website’s version of iTunes instead of the MS Store one and install the iOS using IPSW directly.

  1. Navigate to the application manager (press Windows + R, type ‘appwiz.cpl‘, and press Enter) and uninstall iTunes. Only uninstall it if you downloaded iTunes from the Microsoft store.
  2. Open iTunes and connect your Apple device. Now, shift-click on update and try installing using IPSW directly.
  3. Now check if this does the trick. You can also check and get an idea about IPSW from here.

Tip:

Another workaround that we came across was where users were able to bypass the update error by turning off auto-lock and turning off Facial Recognition before continuing with the update process. If the update process was successful, you can always revert the changes back.

Solution 4: Charge your mobile more than 50%

Smartphone charging port and charger usb connector
Charger disconnected

If the error is being triggered when your iPhone’s battery level is lower than 50% you should try charging it above that 50% mark which seems to fix this issue for many iPhone users. Check to see if you can install the updates after charging your iPhone more than 50%.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Kevin Arrows


Kevin Arrows is a highly experienced and knowledgeable technology specialist with over a decade of industry experience. He holds a Microsoft Certified Technology Specialist (MCTS) certification and has a deep passion for staying up-to-date on the latest tech developments. Kevin has written extensively on a wide range of tech-related topics, showcasing his expertise and knowledge in areas such as software development, cybersecurity, and cloud computing. His contributions to the tech field have been widely recognized and respected by his peers, and he is highly regarded for his ability to explain complex technical concepts in a clear and concise manner.