How to Put Any iPhone or iPod Touch into Recovery Mode

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Learn how to put your iPhone or iPod into Recovery Mode
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Do you need to put your iPhone or iPod into Recovery Mode, but you're not sure how? Recovery Mode is used for a lot of things, including restoring your device when it won't work, updating it, and jailbreaking it. Whatever the reason you need to get your device into Recovery Mode, we've got you covered. In this article we go over how to get any iPhone or iPod Touch model into Recovery Mode in just a few simple steps. Read on to learn more.

How to Put Your iPhone or iPod in Recovery Mode

Plug your device into your computer and open Finder (Mac) or iTunes (Windows). If you have an older iPhone or an iPod Touch, press and hold the side/top button and Home button (or volume down button). On the iPhone 8 or newer, you must press and release volume up, then volume down, then press and hold the side button.

Method 1
Method 1 of 3:

iPhone 8 and Later

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  1. If you use a Mac, make sure your operating system is up to date. If you use Windows, make sure iTunes or the Apple Devices app is up to date.
    • This method is for iPhone 8 and later, including iPhone SE 2nd Generation and later.
  2. If you don't have a secondary cable, the USB charging cable that came with your device works as well.
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  3. If you're on a Mac computer, open Finder. If you're on a Windows computer, open iTunes. You can also open the Apple Devices app on Windows if you prefer.
  4. In order to get your device into recovery mode, you'll need to perform the following button presses:
    • Press and release the volume up button
    • Press and release the volume down button
    • Press and hold the side button until you see the Connect to computer screen
  5. On a Mac, your device will be in the sidebar under the Locations header. On Windows, there will be a device button that pops up near the top of the iTunes screen. [1]
    • Continue with restoring or updating your device as necessary.
    • To exit recovery mode without updating or restoring your device, do the following button presses:
      • Press and release the volume up button
      • Press and release the volume down button
      • Press and hold the side button until the phone restarts
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Method 2
Method 2 of 3:

iPhone 7, iPhone 7 Plus & iPod Touch 7th Gen

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  1. If you use a Mac, make sure your operating system is up to date. If you use Windows, make sure iTunes or the Apple Devices app is up to date.
    • This method is for iPhone 7, iPhone 7 Plus, and iPod Touch 7th Generation.
  2. If you don't have a secondary cable, the USB charging cable that came with your device works as well.
  3. If you're on a Mac computer, open Finder. If you're on a Windows computer, open iTunes. You can also open the Apple Devices app on Windows if you prefer.
  4. Press and hold these buttons at the same time, until you see the Connect to computer screen.
  5. On a Mac, your device will be in the sidebar under the Locations header. On Windows, there will be a device button that pops up near the top of the iTunes screen. [2]
    • Continue with restoring or updating your device as necessary.
    • To exit recovery mode without updating or restoring your device, press and hold the side/top and volume down buttons until the device restarts.
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Method 3
Method 3 of 3:

iPhone 6s & iPod Touch 6th Gen & Earlier

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  1. If you use a Mac, make sure your operating system is up to date. If you use Windows, make sure iTunes or the Apple Devices app is up to date.
    • This method is for iPhone 6s and earlier (including iPhone SE 1st Generation) and iPod Touch 6th Generation and earlier.
  2. If you don't have a secondary cable, the USB charging cable that came with your device works as well.
  3. If you're on a Mac computer, open Finder. If you're on a Windows computer, open iTunes. You can also open the Apple Devices app on Windows if you prefer.
  4. Press and hold these buttons at the same time, until you see the Connect to computer screen.
  5. On a Mac, your device will be in the sidebar under the Locations header. On Windows, there will be a device button that pops up near the top of the iTunes screen. [3]
    • Continue with restoring or updating your device as necessary.
    • To exit recovery mode without updating or restoring your device, press and hold the side/top and Home buttons until the device restarts.
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Community Q&A

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  • Question
    I forgot my four digit lock code on my iPhone. What should I do?
    Community Answer
    You need to connect it to a computer and follow these steps to restore the device. This is the only way you can unlock it.
    Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
    Thank you for your feedback.
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    Not Helpful 13 Helpful 48
  • Question
    I restored my iPod many times and it is still locked. What now?
    Community Answer
    You didn't restore it if your passcode is still apparent. Read and follow the instructions in this article one more time.
    Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
    Thank you for your feedback.
    If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow
    Yes No
    Not Helpful 25 Helpful 35
  • Question
    How can I restore my iPod if it is disabled?
    Community Answer
    If it's an iPad Touch, boot it into recovery mode using the tutorial above. Use a different tutorial if it's a different iPod, then recover it using iTunes.
    Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
    Thank you for your feedback.
    If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow
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    Not Helpful 12 Helpful 20
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      Warnings

      • wikiHow and the authors of this article are not responsible for any damage caused to your device.
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      • Jailbreaking an iPod may be considered a copyright violation by Apple, and jailbreaking any device may void your warranty.
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      References

      1. ↑ https://support.apple.com/en-us/118106
      2. ↑ https://support.apple.com/en-us/118106
      3. ↑ https://support.apple.com/en-us/118106

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