How to Reinstall iOS on Your iPhone 5S: A Step-by-Step Guide

Why Reinstall iOS on Your iPhone 5S?

Reinstalling the operating system on your iPhone 5S can be a helpful solution for various issues, such as persistent software glitches, sluggish performance, or preparing your device for resale. This process, also known as restoring your iPhone to factory settings, will erase all data and install a fresh copy of iOS.

Before You Begin

Before proceeding with the reinstallation, take these important steps:
Back up your iPhone data to iCloud or your computer.
Ensure your computer has the latest version of iTunes or Finder (for macOS Catalina and later).
Charge your iPhone 5S to at least 50% battery life
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Disable Find My iPhone in Settings > [your name] > Find My > Find My iPhone.

Putting Your iPhone 5S into Recovery Mode

To reinstall iOS, you’ll need to put your iPhone 5S into recovery mode:
Connect your iPhone to your computer using a USB cable.
Press and hold both the Home button and the Sleep/Wake button simultaneously.
Keep holding both buttons until you see the recovery mode screen (a computer icon with a USB cable)
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Reinstalling iOS Using iTunes or Finder

Once your iPhone 5S is in recovery mode, follow these steps:
Open iTunes (on Windows or macOS Mojave and earlier) or Finder (on macOS Catalina and later).
Your computer should detect your iPhone in recovery mode.
Click on your device when it appears in iTunes or Finder.
You’ll see options to “Update” or “Restore.” Choose “Restore” to reinstall iOS.
Confirm your choice when prompted.
Wait for the process to complete, which may take several minutes
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Setting Up Your iPhone After Reinstallation

After the iOS reinstallation is complete:
Your iPhone will restart and display the “Hello” screen.
Follow the on-screen instructions to set up your device.
Choose to set up as a new iPhone or restore from a backup, depending on your preference.

Troubleshooting Tips

If you encounter issues during the reinstallation process:
Ensure you’re using an official Apple USB cable.
Try a different USB port on your computer.
If the download takes more than 15 minutes, your iPhone may exit recovery mode. In this case, repeat the process to enter recovery mode.