Like any high-tech device, the iPhone is designed to be as trouble-free as possible, and most people will own one for years without ever experiencing a serious issue.
But sometimes things can go wrong, and if your iPhone is unresponsive — and all other troubleshooting steps have failed — then you might need to enter recovery mode.
What is recovery mode on an iPhone?
Recovery mode is a troubleshooting tool that connects your iPhone to a computer and lets you use Finder or iTunes to diagnose and fix the problem.
Here are some reasons why you might need recovery mode:
- Your iPhone's display shows nothing but the Apple logo for a long time and never fully turns on.
- During an iOS update, the phone gets stuck in a loop of continuously restarting.
- The phone won't turn on, turn off, and is completely unresponsive.
How to put your iPhone into recovery mode
The method you use to activate recovery mode will differ depending on whether you're using a newer version of macOS, an older version, or a PC with Windows.
1. Connect your iPhone to your Mac or PC with a USB charging cable.
2. If you're running macOS Catalina or newer, open a Finder window. If you're running macOS Mojave or older or Windows, open iTunes.
3. You'll need to press and hold buttons on your iPhone to activate recovery mode.
- On an iPhone 8 or newer, press and quickly release the Volume Up button, and then the Volume Down button. Then press and hold the Lock button until the recovery mode screen appears.
- On an iPhone 7 or 7 Plus, press and hold the Lock button and Volume Down button until the recovery mode screen appears.
- On an iPhone 6s or earlier, press and hold the Lock button and Home button until the recovery mode screen appears.
4. In Finder, click on your phone in the left menu; or in iTunes, click the iPhone icon near the top-left corner of the window.
5. You'll be asked if you want to Update or Restore your iPhone. Click Update — this will try to fix your phone without erasing the data. If the recovery finishes and your phone still isn't fixed, try it again but click Restore.
Once you've gone through the recovery process, your phone should exit recovery mode on its own. Turn it back on and set it up.
If recovery mode didn't work, and your iPhone is still malfunctioning, then you're probably out of options you can perform at home. Try contacting Apple directly for more help.
FAQs
Can you enter recovery mode if your iPhone is disabled?
A disabled iPhone is simply one that has been locked due to the user entering an incorrect password too many times on the lock screen. You should be able to put it in recovery mode using the same steps outlined above and restore it to regain access.
How do I put my iPhone in recovery mode without a computer?
A computer isn't required to enter recovery mode on an iPhone. As long as you press the right buttons, depending on your iPhone model, you can access it. However, you won't be able to restore your iPhone – that's where a computer comes in.
How do I put my iPhone in recovery mode without the power button?
If your Power button is broken, you can use a third-party software like Tenorshare ReiBoot to put your iPhone in recovery mode with a single click. Alternatively, you can look to get the Power button fixed at the nearest Apple Genius Bar.
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