Updating your iPhone, iPad, or iPod can be a daunting task, but it usually goes smoothly. Despite this, the situation may unexpectedly get worse if the dreaded “iPhone error 4013” appears. You might see this message when restoring or updating your iPhone, iPad, or iPod, and although it may seem scary at first, there is an easy way to fix it. In this article we explain what you should do and describe the steps you should follow to fix error 4013 and get your Apple device to work normally again.
How to fix iPhone error 4013
The 4013 error usually looks like this when it appears: “Could not restore iPhone device name . An unknown error (4013) occurred ”. This message can refer to an iPhone but can appear with any iOS device, including iPads and iPods.
Basically, error 4013 occurs when a problem arises during the update or restore process, possibly because you have accidentally disconnected the iPhone or iOS device during the update process, or there may be a software error that is preventing the update from running properly.
Regardless of the cause, fixing iPhone error 4013 is pretty straightforward (as is fixing the following related errors: iPhone error 9, iPhone error 4005, and iPhone error 4014). If you come across any of these four messages, here’s what to do:
Step 1 : make sure you are running the latest version of iTunes on your Mac or PC; Updating iTunes is a simple process and you can do it by going to the App Store> Updates on your Mac, or by going to the Microsoft Store on a Windows 10 PC. You can also go to the Apple website to get the latest version.
Step 2 : Similarly, make sure your Mac or Windows PC is running the latest version of its own operating software. To do this, go to the App Store to update MacOS (or click on the Apple logo and then press Software Update ). To update Windows 10, go to Settings> Update & Security> Windows Update .
Step 3: Force restart your iPhone or iOS device. On iPhone 8 and later, this can be done by quickly pressing and releasing the volume up button, quickly pressing and releasing the volume down button, and then pressing and holding the side button until the Apple logo appears.
On iPad with Face ID, you need to quickly press and release the volume up button, quickly press and release the volume down button, and then press and hold the top button .
On the iPhone 7, iPhone 7 Plus and iPod Touch (7th generation), you must simultaneously press and hold the side (or top) button and the volume down button.
With iPads with the Home button, iPhone 6S or earlier iPhones, and iPod Touch (6th generation) or earlier, you must simultaneously press and hold the side (or top) button and the home button .
Step 4 : Connect iPhone or iOS device to iTunes on your computer and update it. On a Mac with macOS Catalina 10.15 or later you can do this by opening the Finder and then clicking on your iPhone. On a Mac with MacOS Mojave 10.14 or earlier or on a Windows PC, you should open iTunes instead. Once you’re done, click General or Settings , then click Check for updates> Download and update .
Other options to try
These four steps should be enough to get your device working again after seeing iPhone error 4013. However, if it still fails you, there are a few other alternatives you can try.
- Try plugging in a different USB cable when connecting your iPhone to the computer and updating it. The problem may be with a faulty cable so trying a new or different one may work.
- Try connecting and updating the iPhone through a different computer. The problem may also be that the computer may have a software error that prevents your iOS device from updating correctly, so trying a different computer can solve it.
- Contact Apple: Assuming all of the above didn’t work, you may need to contact a specialist to get your iPhone (or Mac) repaired. To do this, contact Apple Support .
