Third iOS 13.4 beta teases internet recovery mode for iPhone, iPad

AppleInsider

A code and resource delve of the latest iOS 13.4 beta has found suggestions that Apple will implement an internet recovery mode for the iPhone, iPad, and the iPod touch.

Traditional tethered Recovery Mode on an iPhone

The third iOS 13.4 beta, released on Wednesday, has software hooks for an "OS Recovery" feature. While this can be performed now, when connected to a Mac or PC, it appears that for the first time, an iOS device will be able to restore itself from an external server.

It isn't clear if this extends beyond the iPhone and similar devices. If it also works on the HomePod or Apple Watch, in theory, this can lighten Apple service load for "bricked" devices that would need to be hauled into an Apple Store, or shipped off for software restoration.

In the initial report by 9to5 Mac, it appears that users can not just restore device operating systems with an internet connection. It also looks like users can connect to another iPhone or iPad and do the same restoration across the appropriate physical connection.

Few other details exist right now. It isn't clear when or if Apple will roll out the feature.

Other new featured discovered in iOS 13.4 include the return of iCloud folder sharing, and a "CarKey" API for remotely starting a car.

Originally promised for iOS 13, iCloud folder sharing was removed prior to rollout. "CarKey" is a new API for iOS and watchOS that will allow you to lock, unlock, and start your car with your iPhone and Apple Watch.

seanismorris

Not all iPads have cellular wireless.  That means they don’t have SIMs to store connection data.

Would WiFi & cellular settings be stored outside of the OS?

I can’t even install tiny security updates because a WiFi connection is required.  Am I to believe the entire OS will be downloaded (using internet recovery mode) on cellular in the future?

I would be pretty amusing if I end up, instead of downloading patches, I use Internet Recovery Mode to get the OS up to date.  Then, download everything that was on the device from the cloud...

Apple, how about not requiring WiFi to have a functional updated devices first...

entropys

This spells another step in the approaching end of the lightning port.  Over the air restoration? Check!

auxio

seanismorris said:

Not all iPads have cellular wireless.  That means they don’t have SIMs to store connection data.

Would WiFi & cellular settings be stored outside of the OS?

I'm confused: why couldn't they just get the user to connect to a WiFi network manually (or use cellular if it's available) when performing a recovery?

EDIT: Or use a nearby device to get the WiFi settings, as Entropys says below

entropys

Sean, it would simply either wifi/hotspot/airdrop with a neighbouring Mac/iOS device. And I wouldn’t rule out the smart connector

seanismorris

entropys said:

Sean, it would simply either wifi/hotspot/airdrop with a neighbouring Mac/iOS device. And I wouldn’t rule out the smart connector

With T-mobile hotspot no longer works for updates.  You can browse the web, but updates just spins for hours calculating how long it’s going to take.

I haven’t used WiFi at home in years.  I have unlimited cellular.  My sister (for example) has WiFi though a dsl connection (only internet available)  that’s 8 times slower than her Verizon.

How about Apple get their shit together?  Android doesn’t have a problem...

seanismorris

auxio said:

seanismorris said:

Not all iPads have cellular wireless.  That means they don’t have SIMs to store connection data.

Would WiFi & cellular settings be stored outside of the OS?

I'm confused: why couldn't they just get the user to connect to a WiFi network manually (or use cellular if it's available) when performing a recovery?

EDIT: Or use a nearby device to get the WiFi settings, as Entropys says below

I’m assuming you’re using the recovery because the OS is non functional, maybe an update failed, FaceTime camera is damaged, or you’ve forgotten your password.  Whatever it is, you need Internet access before loading the OS to initiate the recovery.  That means the wireless connection needs to be stored outside of the OS.  

Currently, to perform a recovery you download the latest iOS within iTunes, put your device in recovery mode, then the OS is pushed to the phone.  There’s no internet connection on the phone until the OS is reloaded.

The article doesn’t say how recovery mode will work without iTunes.  Another way to do it would be to add a recovery option in Settings, that downloads the latest OS, reboots. then wipes the device, and loads the OS.  The problem is this doesn’t work if you can’t boot the device.

There’s already a way to erase the device under General and Reset... if you can boot the device.  I use it all the time.  But, I assume Apple is creating a new way to do a recovery because users are using iPads & iPhones and don’t own a PC with iTunes.  Instead they’re going into Apple stores to do recovery wasting everyone’s time.

Apple is probably also planning ahead for virus’s that infect your phone or iPad that remains on the device even after doing a normal reset.  A recovery is more low level, so it should still work even after getting infected.  If the iTunes recovery wasn’t such a pain in the ass, I would do a recovery every time, and never do a reset.  Having it take 30min. is worth the piece of mind that whatever the problem is...if it continues to be a problem, it’s not OS related.

Also, if I was giving someone my phone as a hand-me-down I would only use recovery and not use reset.  I want the data gone gone, and not just not easily accessible.

auxio

seanismorris said:

auxio said:

seanismorris said:

Not all iPads have cellular wireless.  That means they don’t have SIMs to store connection data.

Would WiFi & cellular settings be stored outside of the OS?

I'm confused: why couldn't they just get the user to connect to a WiFi network manually (or use cellular if it's available) when performing a recovery?

EDIT: Or use a nearby device to get the WiFi settings, as Entropys says below

I’m assuming you’re using the recovery because the OS is non functional, maybe an update failed, FaceTime camera is damaged, or you’ve forgotten your password.  Whatever it is, you need Internet access before loading the OS to initiate the recovery.  That means the wireless connection needs to be stored outside of the OS.  

Currently, to perform a recovery you download the latest iOS within iTunes, put your device in recovery mode, then the OS is pushed to the phone.  There’s no internet connection on the phone until the OS is reloaded.

Have you ever used network-based recovery on a Mac?  That mode has basic networking and will ask you which WiFi network you want to connect to (if you're not connected via ethernet), and the password for that network, when it first starts up.  I fail to see why iOS network recovery mode would be any different.

I get that it doesn't work that way today (and requires tethering to a computer), but I'm assuming that's the whole point of this new feature.  Giving recovery mode the ability to connect to a WiFi or cellular network.

mazda 3s

auxio said:

seanismorris said:

auxio said:

seanismorris said:

Not all iPads have cellular wireless.  That means they don’t have SIMs to store connection data.

Would WiFi & cellular settings be stored outside of the OS?

I'm confused: why couldn't they just get the user to connect to a WiFi network manually (or use cellular if it's available) when performing a recovery?

EDIT: Or use a nearby device to get the WiFi settings, as Entropys says below

I’m assuming you’re using the recovery because the OS is non functional, maybe an update failed, FaceTime camera is damaged, or you’ve forgotten your password.  Whatever it is, you need Internet access before loading the OS to initiate the recovery.  That means the wireless connection needs to be stored outside of the OS.  

Currently, to perform a recovery you download the latest iOS within iTunes, put your device in recovery mode, then the OS is pushed to the phone.  There’s no internet connection on the phone until the OS is reloaded.

Have you ever used network-based recovery on a Mac?  That mode has basic networking and will ask you which WiFi network you want to connect to (if you're not connected via ethernet), and the password for that network, when it first starts up.  I fail to see why iOS network recovery mode would be any different.

I get that it doesn't work that way today (and requires tethering to a computer), but I'm assuming that's the whole point of this new feature.  Giving recovery mode the ability to connect to a WiFi or cellular network.

That’s what I’m thinking as well. I don’t see why it’s so hard to figure out?

Soli

seanismorris said:

Not all iPads have cellular wireless.  That means they don’t have SIMs to store connection data.

Would WiFi & cellular settings be stored outside of the OS?

I can’t even install tiny security updates because a WiFi connection is required.  Am I to believe the entire OS will be downloaded (using internet recovery mode) on cellular in the future?

I would be pretty amusing if I end up, instead of downloading patches, I use Internet Recovery Mode to get the OS up to date.  Then, download everything that was on the device from the cloud...

Apple, how about not requiring WiFi to have a functional updated devices first…

I thought all iPads with cellular offer visual SIMs as an option. Those are stored separately from the OS.

EsquireCats

The iPad Pros don't have a lightning port, and the USB-C port functions as a means to connect accessories and external storage. 

The iPhone however, goodbye lightning.

frantisek

Regardless how/when Apple will implement it officially we are heading into truly post PC era but also heavy dependence on online world. It is already there just will be strengthened.

netmage

seanismorris said:

Also, if I was giving someone my phone as a hand-me-down I would only use recovery and not use reset.  I want the data gone gone, and not just not easily accessible.

I don’t think you understand how the iPhone works. Reset doesn’t make the data not accessible, it erases the encryption key for all data and creates a new one. The data is as securely gone as it is unrecoverable from a stolen iPhone. Even if you pulled the empty blocks from the flash, it would take billions of years of computing to unencrypt it without the key. 

neilm

seanismorris said:

Currently, to perform a recovery you download the latest iOS within iTunes, put your device in recovery mode, then the OS is pushed to the phone.

Currently, meaning Catalina and onward, there is no iTunes. That function is now handled by the Finder.

Soli

neilm said:

seanismorris said:

Currently, to perform a recovery you download the latest iOS within iTunes, put your device in recovery mode, then the OS is pushed to the phone.

Currently, meaning Catalina and onward, there is no iTunes. That function is now handled by the Finder.

You can still do it in the TV and Music apps by selecting the device in sidebar.

dewme

Interested to know what the statement “In the initial report by 9to5 Mac, it appears that users can not just restore device operating systems with an internet connection. It also looks like users can connect to another iPhone or iPad and do the same restoration across the appropriate physical connection.”

Does this mean that one iOS device can be the source of the restore image for another iOS device? It would actually make sense that one could attach two iOS same-species devices together using a double ended Lightning or USB-C cable and copy the iOS operating system and built-in apps, but no user installed apps and no user data, from one device (the presumably good one) to the other device, the device that’s in need of the image. The whole notion makes me nervous from a security standpoint, but if the need arose and there was no other way, allowing a healthy iOS device to “artificially resuscitate” a sickly one may be a reasonable compromise.