Nick Fernandes / Android Authority
TL;DR
- iPad Mini (A17 Pro) comes with RecoveryOS, which lets you wirelessly restore a nearby iPhone or iPad if you get bricked.
- This Apple feature first debuted on the Apple Watch, then Apple TV, and then the iPhone 16 series.
- To recover a bricked iPhone 16 or iPad Mini (A17 Pro), your other iDevice must be running OS version 18 or later.
Apple has gradually made it easier to repair devices. With watchOS 8.5 and tvOS 17, the company can now use the latest iPhones to restore a bricked Apple Watch or Apple TV. The iPhone 16 series then followed suit, allowing you to recover the operating system wirelessly on at least an iPhone or iPad running iOS 18 or iPadOS 18. Similarly, the latest iPad Mini (A17 Pro) now features RecoveryOS, allowing you to restore it on other iDevices if it gets bricked.
9to5 mac analyzed the iPadOS 18 firmware on the new iPad Mini and discovered the same RecoveryOS partition provided on the iPhone 16. This makes the tablet wirelessly recoverable and less dependent on the PC.
To recover your bricked iPad Mini (A17 Pro), simply bring your iPhone or iPad running OS version 18 or later closer to it. A pop-up will appear on your active device asking you to fix the bricked device. Once you start the process, the latest iPadOS firmware will be downloaded to your iDevice and wirelessly transferred to the affected iPad. The bricked iPad should flash the OS and boot.
It’s worth noting that while Wireless OS Recovery is limited to bricked iPhone 16 models and iPad Mini (A17 Pro), it can restore any older iDevices running iOS or iPadOS 18. As expected, using the Finder or iTunes on your computer to recover your iPad Mini is still an option for those who prefer a wired solution or don’t have another iDevice on hand.
