Connect first, then use the sequence
Plug the iPhone into a computer with a cable and open Finder on a Mac or the Apple Devices app on Windows. Then, with it connected, run the button sequence for your model and keep holding past the Apple logo until the recovery screen appears — a computer and cable symbol.
That is the difference from a force restart: releasing at the Apple logo restarts normally, continuing to hold reaches recovery mode.
The sequence for your model
iPhone 8 and later, including SE 2nd generation onwards: press and release volume up, press and release volume down, then press and hold the side button past the Apple logo until the recovery screen appears.
iPhone 7 and 7 Plus: hold volume down and the side button together, past the logo. iPhone 6s, SE 1st generation and earlier: hold the Home button and the side or top button together, past the logo.
Update versus Restore — read this before clicking
The computer offers two options and they are very different. Update reinstalls the operating system while keeping your data, and it is what you should try first. Restore erases everything and installs a clean copy.
Always try Update first. It resolves a great many boot problems without any data loss, and Restore is still available afterwards if it does not.
If Update fails or times out
The download times out after about fifteen minutes and the phone drops out of recovery mode. That is normal — repeat the button sequence to re-enter recovery while the computer finishes downloading, then try again.
If Update fails repeatedly, Restore is the remaining option. It erases the device, which is why the backup you made earlier matters. Our restore guide covers getting your data back afterwards.
Getting out of recovery mode
If you entered it by mistake or changed your mind, simply force restart the phone: the same button sequence, releasing at the Apple logo this time. It boots normally with nothing changed.
Nothing about entering recovery mode alters the device on its own. It is only the Update or Restore action that changes anything.
When recovery mode is the right answer
An iPhone stuck at the Apple logo, in a boot loop, showing the recovery screen already, or one that failed part-way through an update. It is also how you install a specific signed version of iOS.
Our Apple logo guide covers the first case, our recovery loop guide the second, and our IPSW guide the version question. If none of it works, DFU mode goes a level deeper — see our DFU guide.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I put an iPhone in recovery mode?
Connect it to a computer, then run the force restart sequence for your model but keep holding past the Apple logo until the recovery screen appears.
Does recovery mode erase my iPhone?
Entering it does not. Choosing Restore does; choosing Update reinstalls iOS while keeping your data. Try Update first.
How do I exit recovery mode?
Force restart the phone — the same button sequence, releasing at the Apple logo. Nothing is changed.
Why does my iPhone keep leaving recovery mode?
The download times out after about fifteen minutes. Re-enter recovery while the computer finishes downloading and try again.