Recovery mode lets a Mac or Windows PC reinstall iOS when an iPhone cannot be updated, restored, or accessed normally. It is different from an ordinary restart and from simply opening the Restore screen in Settings.
Before You Begin
Use Finder on a Mac or the Apple Devices app on Windows. Have a reliable cable available. Restoring through recovery mode can erase the iPhone, so use a backup if one exists.
Put a Current iPhone Into Recovery Mode
- Connect the cable to your Mac or Windows PC.
- Turn off the iPhone if the procedure you are following requires it.
- Connect the cable to the iPhone while holding the Side button.
- Keep holding the Side button when the Apple logo appears.
- Release only when the recovery-mode screen showing a computer and cable appears.
Restore the iPhone From the Computer
- Select the iPhone in Finder or Apple Devices.
- Choose Restore when the computer offers Restore or Update.
- Allow the required software to download.
- Wait for the restore to complete.
- Set up the iPhone when the Hello screen appears.
If the download takes more than about 15 minutes and the iPhone exits recovery mode, let the download finish, then repeat the recovery-mode steps.
If the Buttons Do Not Work
If you cannot get the recovery screen because the necessary buttons do not respond, the iPhone may need service rather than another software procedure.
Recovery Mode vs. DFU Mode
Recovery mode is Apple’s standard troubleshooting and restore state for most users. It should not be confused with DFU mode, a lower-level procedure that is unnecessary for ordinary passcode recovery or most restore problems. If Apple’s documented recovery-mode process works, there is no reason to use a more complicated mode.
What Happens to Your Data?
If you choose Restore, the iPhone is erased while iOS is reinstalled. You can then restore from an iCloud or computer backup if one exists. Do not begin a restore assuming that files stored only on the device will survive.