Forcing recovery on an iPhone can be necessary if your device is frozen, unresponsive, stuck on the Apple logo during start up, or exhibiting other issues that cannot be resolved through standard troubleshooting. Recovery mode is a special state that iPhone can enter, allowing you to restore or update the device software to try and fix problems. Here are some common questions and answers about forcing recovery mode on an iPhone.
What does recovery mode do on an iPhone?
The recovery mode on iPhone is designed to allow you to restore or update the device software as a troubleshooting step. When an iPhone is in recovery mode, it will connect to iTunes or Finder on a Mac/PC and give you the option to wipe the device and reinstall the operating system. This can potentially fix many serious software issues and glitches.
Some key things to know about recovery mode:
- It completely wipes the device and reverts it to factory default settings.
- You’ll lose all data, settings, apps, etc that are on the iPhone currently.
- After restoring iOS, you can then restore a backup to get your content back.
- The device stays in recovery mode until the restore process is complete.
When should you force recovery mode on an iPhone?
Some situations where you may want to force recovery mode include:
- iPhone is frozen on Apple logo during boot up.
- Device won’t boot up properly and is stuck on black screen.
- You forgot passcode and iPhone is disabled.
- Stuck in a reboot loop.
- Significant lag, crashes, or glitches that standard resets did not resolve.
Essentially any major software issue that prevents normal function and can’t be fixed through basic troubleshooting steps warrants attempting recovery mode to reinstall iOS.
How to force restart an iPhone before recovery
Before forcing recovery mode, you should attempt a standard forced restart of the iPhone. This can occasionally resolve a frozen device and allows you to restart without fully wiping data.
To force restart an iPhone 8 or later:
- Press and quickly release the Volume Up button.
- Press and quickly release the Volume Down button.
- Press and hold the Side button until you see the Apple logo.
For iPhone 7 or earlier:
- Press and hold the Sleep/Wake button and Volume Down button together.
- Keep holding until you see the Apple logo.
This will restart your iPhone without data loss. If the issues persist, move on to recovery mode next.
How to put an iPhone into recovery mode
To manually force an iPhone into recovery mode, follow these steps:
- Connect your iPhone to your computer via a Lightning cable.
- Open iTunes or Finder on your Mac/PC if it doesn’t open automatically.
- While connected, quickly press and release the Volume Up button.
- Quickly press and release the Volume Down button.
- Press and hold the Side button until you see the recovery mode screen.
- You’ll see a Connect to iTunes screen on your iPhone and a recovery mode alert on your computer.
If done correctly, your iPhone will now be in recovery mode and ready to restore. If you don’t see the alert, you may need to repeat the process.
How to exit recovery mode without restoring
If you force recovery mode but then decide you don’t want to restore, follow these steps to exit:
- While iPhone is still connected, press and hold the Side button for 10-15 seconds.
- Keep holding the button even when you see the Apple logo.
- After 15-20 seconds, release the Side button when you see the Home screen.
This will reboot your iPhone and exit recovery mode without restoring iOS. Use this if you change your mind.
Ways to restore iPhone from recovery mode
Once your iPhone hits the recovery mode screen, you have two options to restore it – via iTunes or via Finder if you’re on a Mac.
Restore iPhone using iTunes
- Open iTunes on your computer with iPhone connected.
- A pop-up should appear saying there’s a problem with your iPhone and it must be updated or restored.
- Select the Restore iPhone option.
- iTunes will download the latest iOS software file and install it on your iPhone.
- The restore process will take several minutes to complete.
- When done, you can set up your device as new or restore a backup.
Restore iPhone using Finder
For Mac users on macOS Catalina or later, you can also restore using Finder instead of iTunes:
- Open Finder on your Mac with the iPhone connected via cable.
- You should see a pop-up that your iPhone is in recovery mode and needs to be updated or restored before it can be used.
- Select Restore on the pop-up message.
- Finder will download the iOS software and install it on the iPhone.
- Follow the on-screen prompts to complete the restore process.
- You can then set up the iPhone as new or from a backup.
Finder works essentially the same as iTunes for recovery mode. Use whichever you have available on your computer.
What to do if recovery mode restore is not working
In some cases, you may run into issues getting your iPhone to restore properly from recovery mode. Here are some things to try:
- Force restart your iPhone and try recovery mode again.
- Use a different Lightning cable in case the current one is damaged.
- Update iTunes/Finder to the newest version if it’s outdated.
- Try a different USB port if the current one may have problems.
- Disable antivirus temporarily if it’s blocking the restore process.
- Factory reset your iPhone from Settings if still able to access it.
- Contact Apple Support for further troubleshooting tips.
As long as your iPhone hardware itself is still functional, recovery mode should be able to restore it to working order in most cases.
Important notes about recovery mode
Here are some other key things to keep in mind when using recovery mode:
- Back up your iPhone data first before restoring to avoid losing photos, messages, etc.
- Stay connected to power source during the restore process.
- Don’t interrupt the restore or unplug the cable mid-process.
- Restore can take 15-30 minutes or more to fully complete.
- You’ll have to re-download any apps and games after restoring iOS.
- Log out of iCloud before restoring for a smooth experience.
- Enter Find My iPhone passcode if prompted after restoring.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does recovery mode delete everything?
Yes, forcing recovery mode and restoring iPhone will erase all contents and settings on the device. Be sure to back up your data first.
Can I exit recovery without restoring?
Yes, you can exit recovery mode without restoring by force restarting the iPhone using the Sleep/Wake + Volume Down buttons while connected.
Will I lose iOS update if I restore?
No, restoring will actually install the latest version of iOS that is compatible with your device.
Does recovery mode fix software issues?
In many cases, yes. Restoring iOS can resolve software bugs, glitches, freezing, and other issues cause by corrupted operating system files.
Can I restore from an iCloud backup?
Absolutely. After the iOS restore, you can choose to set up your iPhone from an iCloud or iTunes/Finder backup during setup.
Conclusion
Recovery mode is an important troubleshooting tool for resetting iPhone devices that are experiencing major software issues not fixable through standard restarting. While forcing recovery will erase and restore iOS, this is often necessary to get an iPhone working properly again if it is frozen, glitchy, or exhibiting other problematic symptoms. Just be sure to back up data before restoring and stay connected to power during the process. With some patience, recovery mode can get your stubborn iPhone up and running again in most cases.