Fix Software Update Failed An Error Occurred Downloading iOS 13.3

Are you receiving an error message “Software Update Failed: An error occurred downloading iOS 13.3” while updating your iPhone? Do not worry, you are in the right place, there are multiple iPhone users who are having a difficult time installing 13.3 updates. Today in this post, we will go through different troubleshooting steps to fix this error message. Let’s start with a real-life scenario.

Scenario 1: Tried to upgrade to ios 13.3 but I get the message “Software Update Failed, An error occurred downloading iOS 13.3

Hi, I have tried to upgrade to ios 13.3 but I get the message “Software Update Failed, An error occurred downloading iOS 13. Then Im supposed to delete the update and download it again but I can’t find where to delete it?

Source: Apple Community

Scenario 2: iOS 13.3 will not download

iOS 13.3 will not download and update. It runs for a few seconds then gives me this error message: software Update failed an error occurred downloading ios 13.3. options of close or settings. I have tried resetting several times, iTunes on my Mac will not recognize my iPhone 8. phone works great otherwise.

Source: Apple Community

Like the above two users, there are many other iPhone users who are not able to update their iPhone due to error “Software Update Failed: An error occurred downloading iOS 13.3” Please follow the troubleshooting mentioned below to get rid of this error message.

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Table of Contents

Restart iPhone

Sometimes a simple restart may take care of many issues on your iPhone. Press and hold the power button (Depending upon which model you have) until the slider appears on your phone screen. Drag the slider to the right to turn off your iPhone.

To restart your iPhone, press and hold the power button till the Apple logo appears. Now go to Settings > General > and tap on Software Update.

Check Your iPhone Storage

A shortage of space on your iPhone can result in a failure of a 13.3 update. Due to less internal storage, installation or download of the update may not complete and may result in an error. To check your iPhone storage, go to the iPhone Settings > select General > and then tap on iPhone Storage.

Check if you have enough storage. In case, storage is insufficient then try transferring your data to another storage device or upload it to the iCloud or iTunes. Delete all the unnecessary media or files which you do not need to create extra space on your iPhone. Restart your iPhone after making enough space for an update. Now try updating the latest update.

Restart Wi-Fi on Your iPhone

Sometimes due to the WiFi connection issue, the update may fail. Restarting your WiFi on your device may fix the error.

Tap Settings on your device.
Choose Wi-Fi.
Toggle the WiFi to turn it off and turn it on after a few seconds.
Now try downloading the update again on your iPhone.

Reset Settings on Your Device

Resetting all the settings on your iPhone will get rid of almost all issues and you may be able to update your iPhone after the reset.

Go to the Settings > tap on General > tap on Reset > Reset all settings > confirm to reset all the settings on your device.
Now try updating after the reset.

Delete & Try Downloading the Update Again

Sometimes deleting the unfinished update and downloading the update again fixes the problem. To do so, do the following:

Go to the Settings > General > [Device name] Storage.
Locate the update in the list of apps.
Tap on update and then tap on Delete Update.
Now Go to the Settings > General > Software Update & download the latest update.

Update iPhone Using Your Computer

In case you are unable to update wirelessly on your iPhone then you can use your computer to update your device. If your PC is using Personal Hotspot on your phone which you’re updating then try connecting your computer to another Wi-Fi or Ethernet connection before initiating the update.

Open Finder on your Mac with macOS Catalina 10.15. In case you have a Mac with macOS Mojave 10.14 or earlier, then open iTunes.

Connect the phone to your PC.
Locate your phone on your PC.
Go to General or Settings and then click on Check for Update.

Now click on Download and Update.

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Update Your Device With Recovery Mode

Please ensure that your Mac is updated. Also, ensure that you have the latest version of iTunes in case you are using iTunes.
On a Mac with macOS Catalina 10.15, open Finder. Open iTunes on a PC or on a Mac with macOS Mojave 10.14 or earlier. In case, close iTunes if it is already open.
Make sure that your device connected to Mac or PC. Now force-restart your device with the steps provided below, make sure that you do not release the buttons when you see the Apple logo, you have to wait till recovery mode screen appears:

For iPad models with Face ID: Press and quickly release the Volume Up button. Press and quickly release the Volume Down button. Press and hold the Top button until your device begins to restart. Continue holding the Top button till your phone goes into recovery mode.
For iPhone 8 or later: Press and quickly release the Volume Up button. Press and quickly release the Volume Down button. Then, press and hold the Side button till the recovery mode screen appears.
For (7th generation) iPhone 7, iPhone 7 Plus and iPod Touch: Press and hold the Top (or Side) and Volume Down buttons at the same time. Keep holding until the recovery mode screen appears.
In (6th generation) iPad with Home button, iPhone 6s or earlier and iPod touch or earlier: Press and hold both the Home and the Top (or Side) buttons at the same time. Keep holding until the recovery mode screen appears.

4. Find your phone on the PC. Click on Update when you see the Update option, choose Update. Your PC will install the update without deleting the data on your device. Be patient while the computer downloads the update for your device. In case, the download takes more than 15 minutes and your phone gets out recovery mode screen, then let the download complete and repeat step 3.

5. Once the update is complete, set up your phone.

Wrap Up

I hope one of the steps provided in this post helped you to get rid of the error “Software Update Failed: An error occurred downloading iOS 13.3”. In case none of the steps help you to update your device then please contact Apple Support for further assistance.