It's apparently possible to restore an iPhone 16 in Recovery mode just by holding it near another up-to-date iPhone or iPad, according to findings from 9to5Mac.
Due to the system requiring a dedicated portion of memory that'll allow the process to work even with the device in recovery, only iPhone 16 series models can be reset this way. But any iPhone or iPad running iOS 18 or iPadOS 18 can provide a helping hand. Placing one of these updated phones or tablets next to to an iPhone 16 in Recovery mode can download the latest iOS firmware and send it over wirelessly to try and resuscitate the stricken device, as explained by a pop-up found during 9to5Mac's investigation.
This isn't exactly new tech for Apple. You've been able to save Apple Watches in Recovery mode with an iPhone since iOS 15.4/watchOS 8.5, and Apple TVs since iOS 17/tvOS 17. Though of course having this ability added to Apple's single largest product category is a big deal.
Users who aren't fully kitted out with a laptop or desktop will benefit hugely from this, since connecting to a PC or Mac with a cable is currently the only way to reawaken iPhones from Recovery mode. Instead, a friend or family member, or even a passing stranger with an iPhone will be able to help you out.
It doesn't escape notice that adding a wireless version of a key iPhone maintenance feature plays into the rumors of the portless iPhone of the future. This has been tipped for several years but has yet to materialize.
The iPhone 16 series, including the iPhone 16 Plus, iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max, go on sale from Friday September 20, along with Apple's newly-announced Apple Watch 10 and AirPods 4. Our reviews aren't quite ready yet, but take a look at our iPhone 16 hands-on and iPhone 16 Pro and Pro Max hands-on for our thoughts so far.
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