The Recovery Server Could Not Be Contacted (Solution)
The recovery server is arguably the best component of ongoing macOS updates. The recovery server feature allows you to troubleshoot when you encounter problems, such as running First Aid, opening Terminal, or reinstalling the operating system. In any case, using Recovery Mode requires connecting to an Apple server, and if that doesn't work, a "Couldn't connect to the recovery server" error can occur. A macOS update can be interrupted by many issues. The most common problem is an inability to connect to the recovery server. This occurs when you try to install macOS High Sierra, Mojave, or Catalina. If your Mac has this error, this guide may be helpful. Learn why the "Couldn't connect to the Mac recovery server" error occurs and how to fix it.
Part 1: What Does It Mean If the Recovery Server Cannot Be Connected?
Installing a macOS update through the macOS installer requires your Mac to connect to an online Apple server. When it says "Couldn't connect to the recovery server with High Sierra," it means your Mac has lost connection to the Apple server. Several reasons can trigger this issue:
It's best if you have a good internet connection so your Mac can communicate effectively with the Apple server.
The date and time settings on your Mac may not sync with the Apple recovery server after a while.
The Apple server may be down due to the many clients trying to get the new update right away.
Part 2: How to Fix Recovery Server Couldn't Be Contacted
Fix 1: Check the Network Connection on Your Mac
First, you need to check that your system has a stable internet connection. If your Mac is on a wired internet connection, you can reconnect the Ethernet connection to check. The better your internet connection, the faster you can connect your Mac to the Apple recovery server. A stable internet connection is all you need to resolve the "Couldn't contact the Mac OS recovery server" error.
Fix 2: Check Apple's Servers
Apple has a status page where it records issues with its web server and online services. Since there's no recovery entry, a problem with other services could indicate a problem with the recovery server. In this case, wait for Apple's servers to come back up again and resolve the "Unable to connect to the recovery server with High Sierra" error.
Fix 3: Sync Your Mac's Date and Time with the Apple Recovery Server
You can refresh and set your Mac's date and time settings to the Apple recovery server using the following steps:
Step 1: First, close the error and open the macOS Utilities window. Select "Utilities" from the top menu bar.
Step 2: Double-tap "Terminal" and type the command "ntpdate -u time.apple.com".
Step 3: Once the process is complete, you can reinstall the macOS update again. Ideally, the "Unable to connect to the authentication server" issue will be resolved.
If the command mentioned above failed to fix the recovery server, causing your Mac to be unable to communicate, you can follow these steps:
Step 1: Open the Terminal app and type "date." Your Mac will display your Mac's current date and time.
Step 2: If the settings are incorrect, you can enter the current time in the following order: date ddddddyy. For example, if it's June 10, 2021, at 7:00 AM, enter the date 1006070021 (June 10, 2021, at 7:00 AM).
Step 3: Try reinstalling macOS to run the Catalina/Mojave installer again and fix the internet recovery error.
Fix 4: Use the macOS Installer
Many customers reported the "Could not contact the recovery server for Catalina" error when trying to install a macOS update using the update installer from the App Store. However, after downloading the full version of the macOS installer, the installer worked without errors. The following method will help you get the full update/version of macOS Catalina:
Step 1: Launch Terminal and enter the following command line to download the full version of the macOS Catalina 10.15.3 Installer App.
software update - get the full installer - full installer version 10.15.3
Step 2: After downloading, run the installer to continue without the recovery server issue.
Use the macOS Installer
Fix 5: Update macOS
Step 1: To find app updates, open the App Store on your Mac, then go to the "Updates" tab.
Step 2: Select "Automatically keep my Mac up to date" to automatically install macOS updates, including downloaded apps, later. This feature will notify you when updates need to be restarted, so you can choose when to update the apps.