This should probably be the first time you are in a situation where your iPhone stuck in recovery mode won’t Restore and you are lost in thought as to why this happens and how you can fix it.
To be sure about is iphone stuck in recovery mode, you need to be seeing a charging cable pointing to a Mac on your iPhone screen if you are using the latest old iPhone version and the cable should be pointing to an iTunes logo if you are using an older version.
If that justifies what you are seeing on your iPhone screen, it means you are facing a scenario where your iPhone is stuck in recovery mode and it won’t restore.
Since that is the case, there are a few proven troubleshooting steps you should take if you want to bring your phone back to normal working conditions.
If you don’t have a PC close by, you might want to do that in case the first few troubleshooting steps don’t solve the issue you are facing.
If you don’t have it, well, it’s not the end of the world, but you might not be able to perform a factory reset in recovery mode or do a DFU.
That being said, let’s delve into how you can go about it.
How to Fix an iPhone Stuck in Recovery Mode Won’t Restore
There are a series of potential issues causing what you are going through with your iPhone; however, if your iPhone is stuck in recovery mode, there are also a series of troubleshooting techniques you can start with before considering the extreme troubleshooting steps.
Most of the extreme steps usually lead to the loss of your data. However, you can always back up your iPhone before proceeding with the troubleshooting step to stay on the safe side.
Recommended: How to Backup Your iPhone to iTunes
That being said, let’s delve into these steps
Check your USB Cord
This might seem rather insignificant if you ask me, but it can sure well do a lot of damage when you are using it for more intricate activities such as performing a local update or using it for your iPhone’s recovery purpose.
Transferring video, pictures, images, or other data can work while you are using other less compatible USB cables. However, if you need to do stuff such as erase and reinstall your iOS firmware, you are better off using an Apple-compatible cable.
Once you’ve changed the USB cables, try turning it on again. If the issue persists, proceed to the next step.
Force-restart your iPhone.
Getting your iPhone out of recovery mode can be tricky if you don’t know what to do. But then, it is no surprise that you might be aware of how a factory reset works as an iPhone user unless you’ve never encountered any issue worth troubleshooting before.
If you haven’t come across one, one thing you need to know is that performing a backup is an easy process and does not lead to any form of data loss.
Also, the steps might be different depending on the iPhone model, but if you follow the instructions carefully, your iPhone will be fixed.
Here are the steps you should follow based on your iPhone model:
For the iPhone 6s and earlier:
- Press and hold down the Sleep/Wake button and the Home button at the same time.
- Don’t realize it until you see the Apple logo again.
For the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus:
- Press and hold the Sleep/Wake button along with the Down Volume button.
- Don’t release them until you see the Apple logo on the screen.
For the iPhone 8 and later:
- Press and release the Volume Up button.
- Press and release the Volume Down button.
- Now, press and hold the side button until you see the Apple logo.
Put your iPhone in DFU Mode
After you’ve tried all the troubleshooting steps listed above and you are still stalked at iphone stuck in recovery mode, you should try performing a DFU.
A DFU means Device Firmware Update and it is a bit extreme when compared to a standard factory reset. It wipes the entire device of its existing firmware, settings, contacts, messages, media files, and apps.
Before proceeding with a DFU, make sure the device is adequately charged. Also, you might want to backup your files if you have not done so.
Once you’ve done all that, follow the steps below to perform a DFU.
- Get a data cable and connect your iPhone to a computer.
- Push the volume increase button.
- Simultaneously keep the side button pressed while pressing the volume decrease button.
- Wait until the display turns black.
- Keep the press of the volume down button and let go of the power button for 5 seconds.
- 6. After the above steps, iTunes should recognize the iPhone in DFU mode.
- A message should show up on the screen after that.
- Lastly, press OK and move forward with the ‘Restore iPhone’ process.
Contact customer support.
If nothing seems to work after going through everything above, then it is time to get in touch with Apple Support.
However, it is important to understand whether a free repair is included in your device’s warranty before making contact.
You can check this by visiting Apple’s website and then entering your device’s serial number.
If your device still has warranty coverage, you can book an appointment for the repair.
The iPhone won’t Stay in Recovery Mode long Enough to Restore
This is the same thing other iPhone users are facing, and it isn’t much different from what I discussed above on iphone stuck in recovery mode and won’t restore.
When you are faced with a situation where your device is stuck in recovery mode, your device will look as if the device has hung or frozen. You can apply how to fix a frozen iPhone to see if it helps/
That shouldn’t give you worries, all you need to do is apply the troubleshooting steps listed above to fix it.
How to Restore an iPhone without iTunes
If you don’t want to restore your iPhone with iTunes, there are other interesting ways to do this. You can use third-party tools such as TenorShare Reiboot. However, it isn’t free; you need to perform a deep restore to get your iPhone back.
But then, another alternative is to perform a DFU, which means Device Firmware Update. This process also clears all the files and settings on your iPhone.
Here is how you can go about it:
- Obtain a data cable and connect your iPhone to a computer.
- Push the volume increase button.
- Simultaneously keep the side button pressed while pressing the volume decrease button.
- Wait until the display turns black.
- Retain the press of the volume down button and let go of the power button for 5 seconds.
- After the above steps, iTunes should recognize the iPhone in DFU mode.
- A message should show up on the screen after that.
- Lastly, press OK and move forward with the ‘Restore iPhone’ process.
How to Restore an iPhone with iTunes
Restoring your device with iTunes is not rocket science. All you need to complete this step is a PC and a USB cable.
Once you have those two, here are the steps you need to follow to resolve them.
- Connect your iPhone to a computer with iTunes using a USB cable.
- For iPhone models, perform a force restart and hold the button until the recovery screen appears.
- A pop-up appears in the iTunes app to update or restore the iPhone.
- Select Restore to finish.
If you are ready to go even deeper with your iphone stuck in recovery mode and won’t restore then you should try recovery tools like TenorShare Reiboot.
There are a series of third-party apps/software that has been reported to work to fix the iPhone stuck on recovery mode without incurring any form of data loss.
If you are looking for one, look no further because Tenorshare is one of the most effective iOS recommendation tools you’ll find.
It comes with both a free and a paid feature, but the free package can do pretty much everything when it comes to repairing your iOS.
But before you can use it, you need to simply download the tool and run it on your Windows or Mac computer to start using it.
That being said, here are the steps involved to get started with TenosrShare Reiboot.
- Download Tenorshare ReiBoot and install it on your laptop.
- Start the ReiBoot Software.
- Plug your iPhone into the computer with a USB cable.
- When your device is in recovery mode, ReiBoot will automatically recognize it.
- Now, select “Exit Recovery Mode” from the display.
- Afterwards, your iPhone will return to normal functioning.
Recommended: How to Backup iPhone
The method described above will work if it is just something minimal that is keeping your iPhone from getting stuck during the recovery process. If it isn’t, you might be forced to carry out an alternate recovery using the TenoshreReiboot tool.
Performing it isn’t rocket science, and you do not have to worry about your data getting lost here unless you are doing a deep repair.
What you will be doing over here is a standard repair, and I will be showing you how to do that.
- Launch ReiBoot on your computer.
- Plug in your iPhone with a USB cable.
- Push the start button for a regular repair.
- Read the notice and then select Standard Repair.
- Install the firmware package.
- Tab on ‘Start Standard Repair‘ to initiate system repair.
- Allow the iOS device to turn on automatically without information being lost.
Perform a Restore to Reinstall iOS via iTunes.
This is one of the few troubleshooting steps you should consider if nothing else is working. This step is similar to doing a factory rest. However, they are not the same.
What you are essentially doing here is reinstalling your iOS device to its default state.
When you do this, your files and save settings will be deleted.
So it makes sense to backup your file before proceeding with this step.
Here is how to go about it:
- Connect your iPhone to a computer with iTunes using a USB cable.
- For iPhone models, perform a force restart and hold the button until the recovery screen appears.
- A pop-up appears in the iTunes app to update or restore the iPhone.
- Select Restore to Complete it.
Conclusion
To wrap things up on “iPhone stuck in Recovery Mode won’t Restore”, one thing you need to keep at the back of your mind is to ensure your iPhone is backed up before proceeding with the extreme e-mailing methods listed above.
Also, if all of your attempts to get it back to normal didn’t work out, seek a technical repairer.