Apple has finally released the iOS 10 public update with build number 14A403 for all compatible devices including iPhone 5, iPad mini 2, iPad 4, the iPod Touch 6G and all the later iPhones and iPads. The iPhone maker has now fixed the rampant bricking issue that affected several devices running on the first over-the-air (OTA) update for iOS 10 soon after its launch on 13 September.
It is ascertained that the affected users got their device stuck on the recovery screen soon after installing the iOS 10 OTA update, which is attributed to a brief technical problem during the roll-out process of the new update. Fortunately, the glitch has been restricted to a few select devices, which downloaded the update within the first hour of iOS 10 release.
Here's the error message as reported by the affected users on iPhones and iPads running the corrupt version of iOS 10:
There is a problem with the iPhone "iPhone" that requires it to be updated or restored. The problem may be fixed by updating your iPhone, which preserves your settings and content. However, if updating doesn't work, it may be necessary to click Restore, which erases all settings and content. If you backed up this iPhone to this computer or iCloud, you'll be prompted to restore the backup onto the iPhone."
Nevertheless, those who are stuck on the recovery screen can restore their device via iTunes to resolve this problem. Consequently, users who are stuck in recovery mode or having a bricked device may need to restore their data from backup in order to retrieve the documents and settings on the device.
If you do not want to perform a full restore via iTunes, just connect your affected device in Recovery mode to iTunes and then let iTunes fetch the iOS 10 firmware file automatically. Wait until the download completes and then hit the Update button.
Your device will now automatically get updated to iOS 10 via iTunes while also retaining the user data and original installation settings.
If you opted for the iTunes restore method to fix the bricking issue, you will need the direct IPSW download link for your specific device. Here is the full list of downloadable iOS 10 / 10.0.1 IPSW firmware files for each compatible device:
iPad Air 2 (6th generation WiFi)
iPad Air 2 (6th generation Cellular)
iPad Air (5th generation WiFi + Cellular)
iPad Air (5th generation WiFi)
iPad Air (5th generation CDMA)
