Fix "Unable to Restore iPhone, Unknown Error (9)"

iPhone restore failed. An unknown error occurred (9).

"I updated my iPhone 6 from iOS 9 to iOS 10, and then to iOS 10.3.2. Now, my phone is stuck on the Apple logo and won't turn off. I tried connecting it to my computer and restoring it via iTunes, but it failed with an error message."

In addition to error 9, which causes an iPhone to become disabled, you might see other similar error codes, such as 4005, 4013, or 4014. These errors occur when you try to update or restore an iOS device through iTunes.

"Encountered an unknown error 9 during the process of iPhone backup and recovery. Please ensure your device is properly connected and try again. If the issue persists, consider updating your iTunes or seeking assistance from Apple support."

Before attempting any solution that comes to mind, there's one thing you should do first, and that is to backup your iPhone data and files before iTunes restore when your iPhone is not working.

To access data from a disabled iPhone without iTunes, you can download the MobiSaver tool. This is an iOS data recovery app that can scan and find all your contacts, photos, messages, videos, and many other data files on the device's internal storage, or you can use it as an iPhone backup extractor to restore iCloud or iTunes backups.

Step 1: Connect your iPhone to your computer

Launch the MobiSaver program. Click “Recover from iOS Device” on the left, then click “Start”.

Step 2: Scan for Lost iPhone Data

MobiSaver will scan your iPhone/iPad/iPod automatically and find all the existing data as well as some lost data. Just wait until the scanning process finishes.

Step 3: Click the "Recover" button.

From there, you can select the lost data that you want to recover, such as photos, videos, contacts, messages, memos, voicemails, and other files, and save them to another location.

"Solution: iPhone recovery failed with an unknown error (9)"

As we mentioned, error 9 often appears during iOS updates and device restoration processes. Hence, you receive this error when iTunes fails to recognize your device or when it gets disconnected.

"Unable to restore iPhone [device name]. An unknown error occurred (9)."

There are a series of solutions you can try to fix this error. Many people have tried them on popular iOS forums and shared their successful experiences.

• Install the latest version of iTunes. • Restart your computer. • Check for available software updates for your Mac or PC. If you restarted for an update, check for updates again after your computer starts up. • Try restoring your device with a different USB cable. • Try restoring your device on another computer. • Force your device to restart. • Restore your device from factory settings.

Lastly, this method will lead to a complete loss of data. If you haven't backed up your iPhone with tools like MobiSaver prior to it being factory reset, you can check out how to recover iPhone data after a factory reset.