How to Put Your iPhone Into Recovery Mode (Step by Step)

Recovery mode is Apple’s built-in rescue tool for an iPhone that will not start properly, refuses to update, or is stuck on the Apple logo. When your phone is in recovery mode, a computer can repair iOS or, as a last resort, erase and reinstall it.

Many people meet recovery mode by accident after holding buttons too long during a force restart. Others are sent here by Apple Support when nothing else works. Either way, it looks scarier than it is, and nothing is erased unless you choose the Restore option yourself.

This guide walks you through entering recovery mode on every iPhone model, what the Update and Restore choices really mean, and how to leave recovery mode if you opened it by mistake.

Quick Answer

Connect your iPhone to a computer with a cable, open Finder (Mac) or the Apple Devices app or iTunes (Windows), then: quickly press Volume Up, quickly press Volume Down, then hold the Side button and keep holding until you see the recovery mode screen with a cable and computer icon. Do not release at the Apple logo; keep holding. Then choose Update first, which tries to fix iOS without erasing your data.

What You Need Before You Start

Recovery mode cannot be opened from the phone alone. You need a computer and a cable, plus a few minutes of patience, because downloads can be large.

• A Mac with Finder (macOS Catalina or later) or a Windows PC with the Apple Devices app or iTunes installed.
• A good quality USB cable that carries data, not a charge-only cable.
• Your Apple ID password, which you will need if you restore and set the phone up again.
• A recent backup if you have one, in case Restore becomes necessary.

Update your computer software first if possible. Old versions of iTunes sometimes fail to recognise newer iPhones such as the iPhone 17 and 18 series running iOS 27.

Steps for iPhone 8 and Later

These steps cover the iPhone 8, X, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17 and 18 families. The phone can be on, frozen, or showing the Apple logo when you begin.

1. Connect the iPhone to the computer with the cable and open Finder, Apple Devices or iTunes.
2. Quickly press and release the Volume Up button.
3. Quickly press and release the Volume Down button.
4. Press and hold the Side button. The screen will go black and the Apple logo will appear. Keep holding.
5. Continue holding until the recovery mode screen appears, showing a cable pointing to a computer.
6. On the computer, a message will offer Update or Restore. Choose Update first.

The computer downloads iOS and reinstalls it while trying to keep your data. If the download takes more than 15 minutes, the phone may leave recovery mode; let the download finish, then repeat the button steps to return.

Steps for iPhone 7, 6s and Earlier Models

Older models use two-button combinations instead of the three-step sequence.

1. Connect the phone to the computer and open Finder, Apple Devices or iTunes.
2. For iPhone 7: hold Volume Down and the Side button together until the recovery screen appears.
3. For iPhone 6s and earlier: hold the Home button and the Sleep/Wake button together until the recovery screen appears.
4. Choose Update on the computer when the options appear.

If the Apple logo appears and disappears a few times, just keep holding. Recovery mode can take 20 to 30 seconds of holding on older hardware.

Update or Restore: Which Should You Choose?

This is the most important decision in the whole process, and it is worth taking slowly.

• Update reinstalls iOS and keeps your photos, messages and apps. Always try this first.
• Restore erases the entire phone and installs a clean copy of iOS. Use it only when Update fails or you know your passcode is lost.
• After a Restore you can bring your data back from an iCloud or computer backup during setup.
• A locked phone with Activation Lock still needs your Apple ID after a Restore. A restore never bypasses ownership checks.

If the problem began after an update went wrong, you may also find our guide on fixing an iPhone that will not turn on useful for the simpler power checks to try first.

How to Exit Recovery Mode Without Doing Anything

Opened recovery mode by accident? You can leave without updating or restoring, as long as no process has started on the computer.

1. Unplug the iPhone from the computer, or simply close the Finder or iTunes window.
2. Press and hold the Side button until the recovery screen disappears and the Apple logo appears.
3. Let the phone boot normally and unlock it with your passcode.

If a download or update is already in progress on the computer, do not unplug the phone. Interrupting a half-written system update is one of the few ways to make the situation worse.

Recovery Mode vs DFU Mode: Know the Difference

While researching recovery mode you may meet references to DFU mode, and the two are often confused. DFU stands for Device Firmware Update. It is a deeper state than recovery mode: in DFU the phone does not even load its normal bootloader, so a computer can rewrite the firmware from the lowest level. The screen stays completely black in DFU, unlike recovery mode, which shows the cable icon.

For almost every real-world problem (failed updates, forgotten passcodes, boot loops, disabled phones), recovery mode is the correct and sufficient tool, and it is the deepest state Apple Support will normally ask you to use. DFU is reserved for rare cases where recovery mode restores keep failing, and Apple may suggest it during a support session.

A practical rule: never use DFU instructions found on random forums as a first step. DFU restores erase the phone just like a recovery restore does, but with more ways to go wrong mid-process. Start with recovery mode, choose Update before Restore, and only consider DFU if Apple Support directs you there with your exact error code in hand.

Common Mistakes and Helpful Tips

• Releasing the Side button at the Apple logo is the most common error. Recovery mode needs you to keep holding past the logo.
• A cheap charge-only cable will power the phone but never connect it to the computer. Use the cable that came with the phone if you can.
• If the computer does not react at all, try a different USB port and restart the computer before blaming the phone.
• Write down your Apple ID password before choosing Restore. You will need it during setup because of Activation Lock.

Apple explains the same process in its support library. The official Apple recovery mode guide includes the exact screens you should see on each device. For stubborn cases, Apple’s advice when an iPhone cannot update or restore covers the common error codes and what they mean.

Conclusion

Recovery mode is a powerful but safe tool when you follow the order: connect to a computer, use the correct button sequence for your model, and always choose Update before Restore. Keep holding the Side button past the Apple logo, use a proper data cable, and never interrupt a download that has already started. With those basics covered, most stuck, frozen or failed-update iPhones come back to life with their data intact.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does recovery mode delete everything on my iPhone?

Not by itself. Entering recovery mode changes nothing. Your data is only erased if you choose Restore on the computer. Choosing Update reinstalls iOS while keeping your photos, messages and apps.

My computer does not recognise the iPhone in recovery mode. Why?

The usual causes are a charge-only cable, an old version of iTunes, or a faulty USB port. Change the cable and port, update iTunes or the Apple Devices app, restart the computer, and put the phone back into recovery mode.

How long does the Update option take?

It depends on your internet speed, because the computer downloads the full iOS file, often several gigabytes. On a typical home connection, expect 15 to 45 minutes including installation.

Can recovery mode remove a forgotten passcode?

Recovery mode with the Restore option is the official way to regain access when the passcode is forgotten, but it erases the phone. You can then restore a backup. There is no method that unlocks the phone and keeps data without the passcode.

What if my iPhone leaves recovery mode during a download?

This happens if the download takes longer than about 15 minutes. Wait for the download to finish in Finder or iTunes, then repeat the button sequence to re-enter recovery mode and choose Update again.