iPad Mini 7 Supports Over-the-Air Recovery Using Another iOS Device
In iOS 18, Apple includes a new over-the-air recovery feature designed to revive bricked iPhone 16 devices using another iPhone or an iPad, and it appears that the same feature can be used to recover the new iPad mini 7, too.

In iOS 18, placing an iPhone 16 next to another iPhone or iPad can start an over-the-air firmware recovery – the other device downloads a new iOS firmware and transfers it to the bricked device, removing the need to connect it to a computer. This contrasts with iPhone 15 and earlier models, which require connection to a Mac or PC to restore the firmware.
9to5Mac today reports that the firmware shipped with the iPad mini 7, which is powered by an A17 Pro chip, includes the same RecoveryOS partition that was added to the iPhone 16 models. The finding puts to bed the earlier theory that the RecoveryOS partition was something exclusive to the A18 chip in the iPhone 16.
Evidence that Apple has been working on an over-the-air recovery method for iOS devices first appeared way back in iOS 13.4. Whether Apple intends to add the functionality to other iPhone or iPad models via a software update remains unclear. Apple introduced the iPad mini 7 on October 15, and the first pre-orders are arriving in the hands of customers today.
Popular Stories
An iPhone 17 announcement is a dead cert for September 2025 – Apple has already sent out invites for an "Awe dropping" event on Tuesday, September 9 at the Apple Park campus in Cupertino, California. The timing follows Apple's trend of introducing new iPhone models annually in the fall.
At the event, Apple is expected to unveil its new-generation iPhone 17, an all-new ultra-thin iPhone 17...
Apple today announced its "Awe Dropping" iPhone-centric event, which is set to take place on Tuesday, September 9 at 10:00 a.m. Pacific Time. There are a long list of products that are coming, but we thought we'd pull out five feature highlights to look forward to.
That Super Thin iPhone - Apple's September 9 event will see the unveiling of the first redesigned iPhone we've had in years, ...
Apple's logo for its upcoming September 9 event hints at two rumored iPhone 17 Pro features, including new color options and a vapor chamber cooling system.
Of course, this is all just speculation for fun, as we count down the final days until the event.
New Colors
Last month, Macworld's Filipe Espósito reported that orange and dark blue would be two out of the five color options...
Apple will offer the upcoming iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max in a new orange color, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman.
Gurman made the claim in the latest edition of his Power On newsletter, adding that the new iPhone 17 Air – replacing the iPhone 16 Plus – will come in a new light blue color.
We've heard multiple rumors about a new iPhone 17 Pro color being a shade of orange. The ...
Apple's cases for the iPhone 17 lineup will be accompanied by a new Crossbody Strap accessory with a unique magnetic design, according to the leaker known as "Majin Bu."
Apple's Crossbody Strap reportedly features an unusual magnetic design; it likely has a "flexible metal core" that makes it magnetic along its entire length. At the ends, "rings polarized oppositely to the strap close the...