How do I put my iPhone in recovery mode when it wont turn on?

Answered by James Kissner

Putting your iPhone in recovery mode is a useful troubleshooting step when your device is unresponsive or won’t turn on. Here’s a detailed guide on how to do it:

Step 1: Prepare for the process
Before you begin, make sure you have a computer with the latest version of iTunes installed. Also, grab a Lightning cable, which you’ll need to connect your iPhone to the computer.

Step 2: Force restart your iPhone
To start the recovery mode process, you first need to force restart your iPhone. This step can vary depending on the iPhone model you have:

– For iPhone 6s and earlier models: Press and hold both the Sleep/Wake (or Side) button and the Home button simultaneously. Keep holding them even when you see the Apple logo on the screen. Continue holding until you see the recovery mode screen.

– For iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus: Press and hold the Sleep/Wake (or Side) button and the Volume Down button at the same time. Keep holding them until the recovery mode screen appears.

– For iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus, and iPhone X: Quickly press and release the Volume Up button, then quickly press and release the Volume Down button. press and hold the Side button until the recovery mode screen shows up.

Step 3: Connect your iPhone to the computer
Once you see the recovery mode screen on your iPhone, connect it to your computer using the Lightning cable. Make sure iTunes is running on your computer.

Step 4: Access recovery mode in iTunes
After connecting your iPhone to the computer, iTunes should detect it in recovery mode. A window will pop up in iTunes, displaying a message indicating that your iPhone needs to be restored.

Step 5: Restore your iPhone
At this point, you have two options: restore your iPhone to its factory settings or restore from a previous backup. If you have a recent backup, you can choose to restore from it to retain your data and settings. If not, you’ll have to restore your iPhone to its factory settings, which will erase all data and settings.

To restore from a backup, select the desired backup in iTunes and click “Restore.” Wait for the process to complete, and your iPhone should restart with your data restored.

If you choose to restore to factory settings, click “Restore iPhone” instead. iTunes will download and install the latest iOS version on your device. Once the process is finished, your iPhone will restart, and you can set it up as a new device or restore from a backup.

Putting your iPhone in recovery mode can help resolve issues when your device won’t turn on or is unresponsive. It involves force restarting your iPhone and connecting it to a computer running iTunes. From there, you can choose to restore your iPhone to its factory settings or restore from a backup. Remember to always keep a backup of your data to avoid losing important information.