iOS 13.4 Beta Reveals Wireless OTA OS Recovery Coming Soon
Apple takes pride in the usability and stability of its software, especially its mobile platform, but bugs are inescapable and even the great iOS may lock up or blow in someone's face. Especially given the company's history with certain releases. Often, the last resort is to restore the iPhone or iPad by connecting it to a computer but it seems that Apple is finally coming up with a way that to do all of that through the convenience of a wireless Internet connection.
It might have been normal years ago to hook up an iPhone, an iPad, or even an iPod Touch to a Mac or PC when doing an emergency firmware reset. Apple users have, after all, become accustomed to that requirement over the years. Of late, though, that has become rather inconvenient and not just because of the hassle of juggling two devices. Some people might not even have a computer to connect with.
Given how Apple has been pushing the iPad as the next generation of computers (while still clinging to Macs and MacBooks), you'd think that it would have come up with a way to restore a device without using a traditional computer. That requirement becomes even more burdensome when you consider that the likes of the Apple Watch or HomePod don't even connect to such computers in the first place. Your only recourse, then, is to bring it to an authorized service center and hope your warranty is still in effect.
Fortunately, Apple has apparently given in and has started developing an over-the-air or OTA method for "OS Recovery". Clues to that future feature were spotted by 9to5Mac under the name "Internet Recovery for iOS". According to their digging, it would be one of two methods available to users, the other being the traditional USB cable.
Although it would be new to iOS, the Mac has had this option for years, since it wouldn't make sense to connect it to another Mac anyway. The question now is when such a feature would arrive since it seems to still be too new for iOS 13.4 which is expected to roll out next month.