It happens. You see that white Apple logo, a thin progress bar that hasn't moved since breakfast, or maybe a spinning wheel that’s been doing laps for three hours. It’s frustrating. You’re trying to be productive—or maybe just watch Netflix—and your device is a brick. If you're looking for how to get iPad off update screen, you've probably already tried tapping the screen a hundred times. Spoiler: that doesn't work.
iPadOS updates are massive. They involve rewriting core system files while the device is in a vulnerable state. Sometimes the Wi-Fi blips. Sometimes the battery was just a little too low, even if it was plugged in. Whatever the reason, you're stuck. We need to talk about why this happens and, more importantly, how to get you back to your home screen without losing every photo you’ve ever taken.
Why iPads Get Stuck During Updates
Hardware isn't perfect. Software definitely isn't. When your iPad is installing an update, it’s basically performing open-heart surgery on itself. If the connection to Apple's servers drops during the "Verification" stage, the iPad might just sit there, confused. It's waiting for a signal that isn't coming.
Usually, it's one of three things. First, the storage might be too full. If you had 500MB left and tried to install a 3GB update, the system literally ran out of "thinking space." Second, a weak Wi-Fi signal can corrupt the download package. Third, and this is the one people forget: the battery. If the iPad gets too hot during the update, it might throttle the processor or pause the install to prevent hardware damage.
The First Move: The Forced Restart
Don't panic yet. Most of the time, the iPad isn't actually "broken." It’s just looped. The first thing you need to do to figure out how to get iPad off update screen is a hard reset. This doesn't delete your data; it just cuts the power and forces the hardware to reboot from scratch.
How you do this depends on your model. If you have a newer iPad (Pro, Air, or Mini) without a Home button, you have to do a little dance with the volume buttons. Quickly press and release Volume Up. Quickly press and release Volume Down. Then, hold the Top button (the power button) and do not let go. You’ll see the "Slide to power off" slider. Ignore it. Keep holding until the screen goes black and the Apple logo reappears. Only then can you let go.
If you have an older iPad with a physical circular Home button at the bottom, it's easier. Hold the Home button and the Power button at the same time. Keep holding them. Your thumb might get tired. Keep holding. Once that Apple logo pops up, you're usually in the clear.
What if the progress bar moves after the restart?
Sometimes, after a forced restart, the iPad will go right back to the update screen. Look closely. Is the bar moving? Even a millimeter? If it is, leave it alone. Apple mentions in their support documentation that some updates can take over an hour to finish, especially if you have a massive amount of data being indexed. Grab a coffee. If it hasn't moved in twenty minutes, then we move to the heavy hitters.
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Using Recovery Mode (The Official Fix)
If the forced restart didn't work, your iPad’s firmware is likely in a "limbo" state. You need a computer. It can be a Mac or a Windows PC with iTunes installed. This is the standard way to handle how to get iPad off update screen when the internal software is borked.
- Connect your iPad to the computer using a high-quality USB cable. Cheap gas station cables often fail here because they don't handle data transfer well.
- Put the device into Recovery Mode. This is the same button combo as the forced restart, but keep holding the buttons even after you see the Apple logo. You need to keep holding until you see a screen showing a cable pointing toward a computer icon.
- On your computer, a window will pop up. It will say there’s a problem with the iPad.
- Choose "Update." This is critical. Choosing "Update" tells the computer to try and reinstall the OS without wiping your photos, apps, and settings. If you choose "Restore," it will factory reset the device. Only choose Restore if Update fails multiple times.
Honestly, this works about 90% of the time. The computer downloads a fresh copy of iPadOS and pushes it onto the device, bypassing whatever glitched out on the iPad's internal hardware.
The "DFU" Trick for Stubborn Devices
If Recovery Mode fails, there is one deeper level. It’s called DFU mode (Device Firmware Update). This is the deepest possible restore. It doesn't even load the iPad bootloader; it goes straight to the hardware's "brain."
To get into DFU mode, you have to be precise with your timing. Connect to the computer. For iPads without a Home button: Press Volume Up, then Volume Down, then hold the Power button for 10 seconds. While still holding Power, hold Volume Down for 5 seconds. Release Power but keep holding Volume Down for another 10 seconds. The screen will stay completely black. If the Apple logo appears, you did it wrong and have to start over. If the screen is black but the computer says it found an iPad in recovery mode, you’ve succeeded.
Be warned: DFU mode will wipe the iPad. You’ll need to restore from an iCloud or iTunes backup afterward. It’s the "nuclear option."
Hardware Issues and the Apple Store
Sometimes, it’s not the software. If your iPad got stuck because the NAND flash (the storage chip) is failing, no amount of button-holding will fix it. This is rare but happens on older devices or ones that have been dropped.
If you see a screen with a support URL (support.apple.com/ipad/restore) and every attempt to update via a computer ends in an "Error 9" or "Error 4013," you're likely looking at a hardware failure. At this point, you need to check your warranty status. Even if you're out of warranty, an Apple technician can run a diagnostic to tell you if the logic board is fried. Sometimes, if the update failed because the battery is chemically aged and couldn't provide enough peak power, a simple battery replacement fixes the "update loop" issue.
Avoiding the Loop Next Time
Nobody wants to spend their Saturday afternoon learning how to get iPad off update screen. To prevent this, always do three things before hitting "Install Now."
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First, check your storage. Settings > General > iPad Storage. If you have less than 10GB free, delete some old TV shows or clear your browser cache. Give the iPad room to breathe.
Second, don't update over a public Wi-Fi network. Starbucks Wi-Fi is great for email, but it sucks for a 5GB system overhaul. Use a stable home connection.
Third, plug it in. Even if you have 80% battery, plug it into a wall outlet. The iPad is more likely to finish the job if it knows it has a consistent power source.
Actionable Next Steps
If you are currently looking at a frozen screen, here is your immediate checklist:
- Perform a Forced Restart immediately. This fixes the vast majority of "stuck" screens by clearing the temporary RAM.
- Check your cable. If you're connecting to a computer and it isn't "seeing" the iPad, swap the cable before you assume the iPad is broken.
- Use a Mac with Finder or a PC with the latest iTunes version. Older versions of iTunes often throw cryptic error codes when trying to communicate with newer iPadOS versions.
- Verify your internet speed. If the computer download of the iPad software is taking 4 hours, it might time out. Move closer to the router.
- Check for heat. If the iPad feels hot to the touch, let it cool down for 30 minutes before trying the forced restart or recovery mode again. Thermal throttling can pause an update indefinitely.
Once you get back into your device, go to Settings and ensure the update actually finished. If it says "Software Update" and shows a pending install, try it one more time, but this time, do it while the device is plugged in and has plenty of free space. Staying on top of these small details prevents the "white screen of death" from becoming a recurring nightmare.