A step-by-step guide to use recovery mode on iPhones

The Apple iPhone is a highly sophisticated offering from the Cupertino-based tech giant. Like many other high-tech gadgets in the market, the iPhone is designed to work without any persistent issues for many years. This design allows people to own their iPhones for years without experiencing any major issues with their devices.

However, an iPhone is a gadget, and like others, things are bound to go wrong sometimes. One of the common issues faced by iPhone users is when their coveted smartphone becomes unresponsive or the screen is stuck on the Apple logo for several minutes without the progress bar. If you have tried all the known troubleshooting tricks and yet your iPhone is unresponsive then it might be a sign to enter recovery mode.

Apple iPhone recovery mode: What is it and how does it work

The recovery mode on iPhone is an Apple-designed troubleshooting technique to diagnose and fix any major problem. For this to work, you need to connect your unresponsive iPhone to a Mac or a Windows PC and either use Finder or iTunes to diagnose and fix the problem.

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Here are the instances when you might need to enter the recovery mode on your iPhone:

1. During an iOS update, your iPhone gets stuck in a continuous loop of restarting or your phone is bootlooping.

2. Your iPhone’s display is stuck on the Apple logo for a long time and does not fully turn on.

3. You forgot your passcode or your iPhone is disabled.

4. Your iPhone won’t turn on, turn off, and has become completely unresponsive.

Please note recovery mode should be used as a last resort for troubleshooting your iPhone. During the process, your iPhone may also factory reset and you might need to set it up again. If you have forgotten your passcode then you will have to erase the device.

iPhone into restore mode: Step-by-step guide

The steps you need to follow to enter recovery mode on your iPhone will vary depending on the version of macOS as well as for Windows PC. Here is a step-by-step guide to put your iPhone into recovery mode.

Step 1: Connect your iPhone to your Mac or PC using a USB charging cable.

Step 2: If your Mac is running macOS Catalina or newer version then you can use the Finder window to fix your iPhone. If your Mac is running macOS Mojave or older or Windows, you will need the latest version of iTunes.

Step 3: Once you have connected your iPhone to a Mac or Windows device, you will need to press and hold the following button combination to activate recovery mode.

i. iPhone 8 or newer: Press and release the Volume Up button, press and release the Volume Down button, and press and hold the Side or Lock button until you see the Recovery mode screen.

ii. iPhone 7 or iPhone 7 Plus: Press and hold the Side button and Volume Down button until you see the Recovery Mode screen.

iii. iPhone 6s or earlier: Press and hold both the Power button and the Home button until you see the Recovery Mode screen.

Step 4: Open Finder on your Mac running macOS Catalina or later to see your device in the sidebar. When you click on your device, a pop-up will appear prompting you to Update or Restore. The Update option will reinstall the OS without erasing data. If this fails or you are locked out of your device then clicking on restore will reinstall the OS and erase all data.

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Step 5: For maOC Mojave and prior or Windows users, open iTunes and click on your iPhone icon at the top left corner. You will see a pop-up prompting you to Update or Restore your device. The Update option will reinstall the OS without erasing data while restore will reinstall the OS and erase all data.

Once you have completed these steps, your iPhone will exit the recovery mode and turn back on. You can then set up your device. However, if your iPhone is unresponsive even after updating or restoring using the recovery mode then it might be time to take your iPhone to Apple Genius Bar for technical assistance.