Stuck on “Preparing iPhone for Restore”

Updated: April 8, 2026

The preparing phase should end within a few minutes. If it spins for half an hour, the PC-to-phone channel is usually the bottleneck—not iOS itself.

Windows checklist

• Try a rear USB port; avoid unpowered hubs.
• Unlock the iPhone and tap Trust again after resetting location & privacy if needed.
• Repair Apple Mobile Device Support / reinstall Apple’s Windows drivers.
• Pause antivirus real-time scan for the restore window.

Next steps

Read PC won’t recognize iPhone and error 0xE80000A. For restores outside Apple’s apps, see i4Tools backup & restore.

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