There was a problem downloading the software for the iPhone [SOLVED]

If you run into this error: There was a problem downloading the software for the iPhone, don’t worry. The problem can be caused by poor internet connections or your security software. Many iPhone users have reported this problem. You can fix the problem with one of the fixes below.

Try these fixes

We’ve put together four solutions below to fix the problem.  You may not have to try them all; just work your way down until you find the one that works for you.

Solution 1: Check your internet connection

Solution 2: Temporarily disable or uninstall your security software

Solution 3: Check your hosts file

Solution 4: Restore your iPhone

Solution 1: Check your internet connection

When you’re updating the software, if the internet connection is poor, you probably can have this problem. If the poor internet connection is the cause, to fix problem, you can simply try these:

1. Download and update the software later, maybe a few minutes or up to several hours.
   The network may doesn’t work well at the moment you update the software. You can try again later. Usually, a few minutes is long enough for the poor network to recover, but in rare cases, it can take up to hours.
2. Restart your modem.
   Modem allows your computer to connect to the world wide web, but it’s always the cause of a poor internet connection. Restarting modem can always fix internet connections issues.
3. Restart your computer.
   Restarting computer can also fix the There was a problem downloading the software for the iPhone problem.

If all steps in the Solution 1 doesn’t resolve the problem, try other solutions.

Solution 2: Temporarily disable or uninstall your security software

This error is sometimes caused by interference from security software. If you have installed security software on your computer, you can temporarily disable or uninstall it. If you’re not sure how to disable the security software, you can contact the vendor for instructions.

If this resolves the problem, contact the vendor of your security software and ask them for advice, or install a different security software.

IMPORTANT: Be extra careful about what sites you visit, what emails you open and what files you download when your antivirus is disabled.

Solution 3: Check your hosts file

When you get this error, you may not be able to communicate with the Apply server. Check your hosts file and see if the Apple’s server address is displayed in the hosts file. What’s the hosts file?

If you’re using Windows, follow these steps to check the hosts file:

1. On your keyboard, press the Win+R (the Windows logo key and the R key) at the same time to invoke the Run box.
2. Copy and paste the %WinDir%System32DriversEtc to the box, then click OK.

   

3. Copy and paste the hosts file to the desktop. This will let you freely edit the file.

   

4. Right-click on the hosts file on the desktop  and select Open or Open with.

   

5. Select Notepad to open the file.

   

6. Find the text line containing gs.apple.com.
   Note: If you don’t see any entry containing gs.apple.com, then the hosts file isn’t related to the issue. You can skip this solution.

   

7. Add a hash character (#) to the beginning of the gs.apple.com entry. Any text in the hosts file adding the hash character will be ignore by the system.

   

8. Save the file.
9. Drag the file to its default location, the folder you opened in Step 2. If you’re prompted to replace the existed file, just click OK to replace it.
10. Check to see if the problem is resolved.

If you’re using macOS, follow these steps to check the hosts file:

1. Open Finder, and in Finder’s menu  bar, select Go > Go to Folder. In the box, type /private/etc/hosts in the box and press Return.

   

2. In the new Finder window, drag the hosts file out of the Finder window and drop it on your desktop. This will let you freely edit the file.

   

3. Double-click on the hosts file on desktop to open it.
4. Look for an entry containing gs.apple.com.
   Note: If you don’t see any entry containing gs.apple.com, then the hosts file isn’t related to the issue. You can skip this solution.
5. Add a hash character (#) to the beginning of the gs.apple.com entry.

   

6. Save the file.
7. Drag the file to the its default location, the folder you opened in Step 2.
8. Check to see if the problem is resolved.

Solution 4: Restore your iPhone

The above steps may help resolve the problem, but if they don’t, you can try to restore your iPhone in recovery mode.

WARNING: Restoring  your iPhone may cause the loss of all data and settings. So ensure you have backed up the data to iCloud or iTunes. If not, it’s recommended you to backup the data now. You can use AnyTrans to transfer all data in your iPhone to your PC or Mac easily. Just a few mouse clicks are required.

Follow these steps to restore your iPhone to fix this error:

1. Enter the Recovery Mode.
   The way to enter the Recovery Mode varies depending on the iPhone model you’re using.
   For iPhone X, iPhone  8 or iPhone 8 Plus:
   1a) Press and quickly release the Volume Up button.
   1b) Press and quickly release the Volume Down button.
   1c) Press and hold the Side button until you see the Recovery Mode screen (see the screenshot below).

   

   For Phone 7 or iPhone 7 Plus: Press and hold both the Side and Volume Down buttons until you see the recovery-mode screen.

   

   For an iPhone 6s and earlier iPhone models: Press and hold both the Home and the Top (or Side) buttons until you see the recovery-mode screen (see the screenshot below).

   

2. Click Restore when you’re asked to Restore or Update your iPhone. Then iPhone will download software for your device. Poor internet connections may cause download failure. If the download takes more than 15 minutes, your iPhone will exit recovery mode. In this case, you’ll need to repeat steps 1 and 2 .

   

3. After restore completes, check to see if the error is resolved.

Hopefully you can fix the problem with the tips above. If you have any questions, please feel free to leave your comments. We’d love to hear of any ideas or suggestions.

By Camilla Mo

Camilla, a certified MCP (Microsoft Certified Professional), has almost four years technical writing experience. She is now the author of Super Easy. Before working as a writer, she was a technical support helping people to solve their computer problems. She enjoys providing solutions to computer problems and loves exploring new technologies.

Contributor(s):

View all of Camilla Mo's posts.