iPhone 17 iPhone 17 stuck in boot loop and error 4013 during restore, what should I do next?

[cruelfoolish]

I’m having a weird issue with my new iPhone 17 and I’d appreciate some advice.

Yesterday, I turned my phone off for a few seconds and when I powered it back on, it got stuck showing only the Apple logo, it would turn off and on repeatedly in a loop. I tried a forced restart, but after a while it displayed the “support.apple.com/iphone/restore” message.

When I got home, I followed the instructions and connected it to my MacBook using Finder. I tried the forced restart again, and surprisingly the iPhone booted up normally as if nothing had happened.

However, when I tried to make a backup in Finder, it suddenly shut down again and went back to the boot loop. I entered recovery mode and tried to update iOS, but during the download, the iPhone disconnected itself and went back to the loop once more.

I re-entered recovery mode and this time chose Restore, but Finder threw an unknown error (4013) partway through. I’ve already tried different cables and ports, and even attempted DFU mode, but Finder doesn’t seem to detect the device when I do that (maybe I’m missing the timing).

So right now, my iPhone keeps going back into the recovery loop.

What would you recommend I do next? Should I keep trying DFU restore, or could this be a hardware issue already (like the logic board or NAND)?

Any help would be really appreciated

 

[Bigwaff]

What would you recommend I do next?

AppleCare

 

[eyoungren]

AppleCare

They don't even need that. To me, this just seems a warranty issue, which is covered under the first year - no AC needed.

OP, take it to Apple.

 

[JPack]

4013 is a common sign of hardware issue.

 

[okkibs]

Since it's a brand new device it's likely that it came with faulty flash modules or something similar where it quickly becomes unable to read the data necessary to start up. You are somewhat lucky despite this situation that it manifested so quickly so there is no question whether it's a manufacturing defect.

If it's still within the return window I'd return it immediately and buy a brand new one afterwards. Otherwise there is a chance Apple will open up the device and repair it instead of replacing it on the spot.

 

[adrianlondon]

As almost everyone above has already said: take it back to Apple and swap it for a new one.

 

[cruelfoolish]

Since it's a brand new device it's likely that it came with faulty flash modules or something similar where it quickly becomes unable to read the data necessary to start up. You are somewhat lucky despite this situation that it manifested so quickly so there is no question whether it's a manufacturing defect.

If it's still within the return window I'd return it immediately and buy a brand new one afterwards. Otherwise there is a chance Apple will open up the device and repair it instead of replacing it on the spot.

The return window has already passed. The iPhone was purchased on Saturday, September 20, and the return period ended during the first week of October. However, this iPhone was a gift, so I only received it last week. I didn’t have much free time, so I was only able to set it up on Sunday, October 12. The warranty says it expires on October 11, 2026, so at least I’m covered on that front.

Thanks everyone for your replies. I still don’t really understand what could’ve happened with the phone. I’ll take it to Apple and hopefully they’ll give me a replacement instead of trying to repair the defective unit I got. I just hope stock isn’t an issue, after all, it’s the base iPhone 17, 256GB in black, so they should have plenty available.

 

[eyoungren]

The return window has already passed. The iPhone was purchased on Saturday, September 20, and the return period ended during the first week of October. However, this iPhone was a gift, so I only received it last week. I didn’t have much free time, so I was only able to set it up on Sunday, October 12. The warranty says it expires on October 11, 2026, so at least I’m covered on that front.

Thanks everyone for your replies. I still don’t really understand what could’ve happened with the phone. I’ll take it to Apple and hopefully they’ll give me a replacement instead of trying to repair the defective unit I got. I just hope stock isn’t an issue, after all, it’s the base iPhone 17, 256GB in black, so they should have plenty available.

This isn't a return, so the return window isn't any sort of thing. It's a hardware fault, which is covered under Apple's one year warranty. Apple will repair or replace at their discretion and there will be no charge to you at all.