How to Get Your iPhone Into and Out of Recovery Mode

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Clare Weaver
Last updated: May 16, 2023

This article will explain what iPhone Recovery Mode is and how to get iPhone into and out of Recovery Mode.

iPhone Recovery Mode is a mode that helps you troubleshoot iOS system issues. If you don't know what it is and how to get your iPhone into and out of the mode, you've come to the right place. From this article, you will find all the answers you want.

Let's get started.

How to Get iPhone Into and Out of Recovery Mode

What Is iPhone Recovery Mode?

iPhone Recovery Mode, also known as iPhone Restore Mode, is a mode that lets your iPhone run the iBoot (Bootloader) . This mode can easily fix your iOS system problems, restore iPhone and reinstall iOS. But unlike DFU mode, another mode often used by developers, Recovery mode only lets you install an iOS similar to or higher than the current iOS.

When to Put Your iPhone in Recovery Mode

Recovery Mode can help you fix iOS issues. In the scenarios below, it is recommended that you put your iPhone in recovery mode.

  • You want to restore your iPhone.
  • Your computer cannot read iPhone content.
  • Your iPhone is disabled or permanently locked.
  • You want to update or reinstall iOS on Mac.
  • If your screen is stuck on the Apple logo for several minutes with no progress bar.

How to Put Your iPhone Into Recovery Mode

If you have a problem with your iPhone and you want to put it into recovery mode, follow these steps:

  1. Connect your iPhone to your Mac or PC.

  2. Open Finder or iTunes.

    • For Macs running macOS Catalina and later, open Finder.
    • For Windows PCs and Macs running macOS Mojave and earlier, open iTunes (if iTunes is not the latest version, update it first).
  3. Press and hold the right buttons depending on your iPhone mode until the Recovery Mode screen appears on your iPhone. (This process may take about 10 seconds.)

    • iPhone 8 or later, including iPhone SE (2nd generation): Press and quickly release the Volume Up button. Press and quickly release the Volume Down button. Then, press and hold the Side button until you see the recovery mode screen.

    • iPhone 7, iPhone 7 Plus, or iPod touch (7th generation): Press and hold the Top (or Side) and Volume Down buttons at the same time. Keep holding them until you see the recovery mode screen.

    • iPhone 6s or earlier, including iPhone SE (1st generation), and iPod touch (6th generation) or earlier: Press and hold both the Home and the Top (or Side) buttons at the same time. Keep holding them until you see the recovery mode screen.

When your iPhone successfully enters recovery mode, you should see the following screen on your iPhone. (iPhones running iOS 12 and earlier have a slightly different recovery mode screen.)

recovery-mode-ios-12-13.png
Tip
There are third-party tools that can help you put your iPhone into recovery mode. Note, however, that they only work if your iPhone screen is accessible.

How to Get Your iPhone Out of Recovery Mode

If you accidentally put your iPhone into recovery mode or your iPhone is stuck on the recovery screen, how do you get it out of recovery mode? Don't worry. You can try the following methods:

Method 1:

Press and hold the Side (or Sleep) button until your iPhone screen goes black. Depending on your iPhone model, you'll also need to press the Volume Down button.

When you release the button/buttons, you will find your iPhone starts up automatically.

Method 2:

In principle, your iPhone will automatically exit recovery mode when the recovery process is complete. What you should do is restore or upgrade your iPhone. Note that this method may result in data loss.

Method 3:

Another faster way to get your iPhone out of recovery mode is to use a third-party tool such as BuhoUnlocker.

Just download, install and launch it, make sure your iPhone is connected to your computer, and click the Exit Recovery Mode option in the BuhoUnlocker Help menu.

Exit Recovery Mode with One Click
note
If your iPhone is being restored or upgraded, do not take it out of recovery mode, or your iPhone may become bricked.

Conclusion

We hope this article was helpful to you. The next time you have a problem with your iPhone, you can follow this guide to fix it.