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Ckpp2025
New Participant
January 3, 2026
Question

Meta Quest 3 first update fails – looking for official OTA / manual update solution

Hello everyone,

I’m experiencing a serious issue with a brand new Meta Quest 3 and I’m hoping someone here can help.

The headset is brand new, straight out of the box. During the very first startup, it begins the mandatory system update, but gets stuck in an endless loop:
“Applying update” → reboot → “Applying update” → reboot.

I have already tried:
- Factory reset (multiple times)
- Power cycling
- Different Wi-Fi networks

Nothing helps. The device never finishes the update and never reaches the normal system UI.

I can enter the recovery menu and the base build/version shown there is:
49660200226600510

The web-based Meta update tool does not work and reports that the device is “not supported”.

My questions:
1. Is this a known issue with early Quest 3 firmware?
2. Is it possible to manually flash the headset using ADB sideload?
3. Does anyone have access to, or know how to obtain, the official FULL OTA update ZIP for Meta Quest 3?
4. Has anyone successfully recovered a Quest 3 from this “Applying update” boot loop?

I want to avoid using unofficial or incremental firmware files and would prefer an official OTA package if possible.

Any help or guidance would be greatly appreciated.
Thank you!

    10 replies

    steve40
    steve40
    Honored Contributor
    January 4, 2026

    the base build/version shown there is: 49660200226600510

    Current version is 51563850146500520.

    When the new headset is being set up, it will download an update and reboot. It will then show another update bar in the eyepieces, while the update is being applied. Then it might restart again and/or possibly show another update or downloading bar as additional apps are initialized and/or updated. Once, after an update, my headset sat on a black screen for 5-10 minutes before everything suddenly loaded up and started working (it gave me the cold sweats, thinking it had bricked itself 😅)

    The web-based Meta update tool does not work and reports that the device is “not supported”.

    That's not a good sign. Either the device is faulty, or you possibly interrupted the software update process by factory resetting/ rebooting the headset in the middle of its update and possibly bricked it.

    If I were you, I'd return the device to the store where you bought it and get a replacement or refund.

    BUT, if you want to try to fix it yourself, see this YouTube video here.

     

    Ckpp2025Author
    New Participant
    January 4, 2026

    so I know what the current version is. I read that it is with this build that I have problems updating, because I updated for 25 glasses and I understand how the update process works and only 2 glasses in my case do not want to update and have such a problem.

    Shrus13
    New Participant
    January 13, 2026

    Found a solution? I have exactly the same problem.

    steve40
    steve40
    Honored Contributor
    January 14, 2026

    Yes. The solution is to RMA your headset or buy a new one.

    Anggur
    New Participant
    February 4, 2026

    You don't understand, some people, like me and apparently the thread's creator, have the problem that we ordered our Quests from another country, and now we can't download the update the normal way. We need to do it directly from a computer via a wired connection using ADB. Otherwise, we won't be able to do it, or it's much more problematic. If we're looking for a solution to this problem, we search for it in the GPT chat. And he recommends downloading and installing an OTA update archive somewhere. :))

    Aioria367
    New Participant
    March 7, 2026

    I have the same problem did you get the u full OTA firmware ?

    Arkangel1981
    New Participant
    April 14, 2026

    fixed??

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