The iPhone (or indeed iPad) Recovery Mode is a last resort option for fixing your device in some specific situations, for example, if the phone has become so chuggy and unresponsive you can't get it to do very much of anything.

Alternatively, sometimes Software Updates refuse to cooperate and you might need to start again from square one to make any progress.

Either way, while we don't recommend putting your device into Recovery Mode as a first port of call, it is worth knowing how to do it for these situations where there are no other real options.

iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus & iPhone X Recovery Mode

Recovery Mode on the iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus, and iPhone X is a little different from earlier models because Apple ditched the physical Home key.

1. If you've left iTunes running on a computer, close it.
2. Plug your Lightning cable's USB plug into your computer.
3. Plug your Lightning cable's Lightning plug into your iPhone.
4. On your phone, open iTunes.
5. Press and release the phone's Volume Up button, then do the same with the Volume Down button, and finally press and hold the side button until the Connect To iTunes screen appears.

iPhone 7 & iPhone 7 Plus Recovery Mode

The iPhone 7 series still has a Home button, but it's a Force Touch key rather than a physical clicker. As such, similar to the iPhone 8 and onwards, the iPhone 7 series uses the volume keys for controlling Recovery Mode.

However, it operates a little differently from the iPhone 8 series and up.

1. Open iTunes on the computer.
2. Switch your iPhone 7 off by holding down the Power Key for three seconds, then swipe the Power Off slider to the right.
3. Press and hold the Volume Down key.
4. Plug the iPhone into your computer.
5. Release the Volume Down key when you see the Connect To iTunes screen.

iPhone 6s Series & Earlier Recovery Mode (Also iPad & iPod Recovery Mode)

1. Open iTunes on the computer.
2. Turn off your iPhone, iPad, or iPod device.
3. Press and hold the Home button.
4. Plug your iPhone, iPad, or iPod into the computer.
5. Release the Home button when you see the Connect To iTunes screen.

How To Get An iPhone Out Of Recovery Mode

If you need to get out of Recovery Mode, ensure that your Apple device is connected via the cable to your computer running iTunes.

1. Hold the Home button and Power keys down at the same time.
2. The Apple logo should appear, though it may take a few moments. Once it does, you can release the buttons.
3. Leave the device plugged in until it reboots and shows the lock screen. When you see the lock screen on your device, you are out of Recovery Mode.