iPhone Stuck in Recovery Mode? How to Get Out Without Losing Data

Your iPhone is stuck in recovery mode: the screen shows a computer and a cable, and no matter what you do, it comes back to that same screen. Maybe it happened during an update, or maybe your computer just told you “The iPhone could not be restored” with an error like 9 or 14. The good news is that a phone in recovery mode is often recoverable without losing anything. The bad news is that the most obvious button on your computer is the one that can erase everything. Here’s how to get out safely.

First, try to exit recovery mode with a force restart

Sometimes an iPhone is in recovery mode only because an update was interrupted, and a simple force restart brings it back to normal. A force restart doesn’t erase anything.

• iPhone 8 and later (including iPhone SE 2nd and 3rd generation): press and quickly release Volume Up, press and quickly release Volume Down, then press and hold the Side button. Keep holding until you see the Apple logo, then let go. If the recovery-mode screen comes back instead, release and move on to the next section.
• iPhone 7 and 7 Plus: hold the Side button and Volume Down together until the Apple logo appears.
• iPhone 6s and earlier: hold the Home button and the Side (or Top) button together until the Apple logo appears.

If the phone boots to the Lock Screen, you’re out. Back it up right away (more on that below), because whatever caused the problem may happen again.

If it lands back on the recovery screen, or hangs on the Apple logo, the iOS installation on the phone needs repair. Our guide to an iPhone stuck on the Apple logo covers that related hang.

Update vs. Restore: the choice that decides your data

When you connect an iPhone in recovery mode to a computer, Finder, iTunes or the Apple Devices app asks what you want to do:

• Update reinstalls iOS and keeps your data.
• Restore erases the iPhone and installs a fresh copy of iOS.

Always choose Update first. If you don’t have a current iCloud or computer backup, never choose Restore, even if Update keeps failing. Every modern iPhone encrypts its storage with keys tied to that phone, and a restore throws those keys away. After a restore, the data is gone for good, and no one, including a lab, can bring it back.

You’ll also see advice online about DFU mode. A DFU restore is still a restore, and it erases the phone. It’s a tool for people who already have a backup.

How to run an Update from recovery mode

1. Use an updated computer. On a Mac, install the latest macOS and use Finder (or iTunes on macOS Mojave and earlier). On Windows, use the Apple Devices app or the latest version of iTunes.
2. Connect directly with a good cable. Use an Apple or MFi-certified cable plugged straight into the computer, not a hub, dock or keyboard port.
3. Put the phone into recovery mode while it’s connected. On iPhone 8 and later: Volume Up, Volume Down, then hold the Side button and keep holding past the Apple logo until the recovery screen appears.
4. Click Update when your computer offers Update or Restore.
5. Let the download finish. If the download takes longer than about 15 minutes, the iPhone may exit recovery mode on its own. Apple’s guidance is to let the download finish, then put the phone back into recovery mode and click Update again.

If the update completes, your iPhone should restart with your data intact.

“The iPhone could not be restored”: error 9, error 14 and friends

When an Update fails, you’ll usually see a message like “The iPhone could not be restored. An unknown error occurred (9).” The number is a clue, not a diagnosis.

Error 9

Apple groups error 9 with errors like 4005, 4013 and 4014: the device disconnected or stopped responding partway through the update or restore. That can be as simple as a bad cable or a USB port that drops the connection. It can also mean something on the iPhone itself stopped working mid-process. See our iPhone error 4013 guide for the closely related case.

Error 14

Error 14 is commonly associated with USB connection problems, and sometimes with a problem with the downloaded iOS software file. Swapping the cable, port or computer is the usual first fix.

What to try for either error

1. Try a different cable. Cables fail more often than people expect, especially at the connector.
2. Try a different USB port, directly on the computer.
3. Try a different computer. This rules out drivers, security software and port problems on your machine.
4. Update the computer’s software before trying again.
5. Run Update again, not Restore.

Give it a few honest attempts across different cables and computers. Dozens of retries on the same setup won’t help.

When it keeps failing: it may be hardware

If Update fails repeatedly with the same or different errors on more than one computer and cable, the problem is likely inside the phone. Repeated failures at the same point can be a sign of a fault on the logic board, including the power circuitry or the NAND storage chip that holds your data. This is often seen after a drop or liquid exposure, but it can also happen on its own as components wear.

At that point, the honest picture is:

• Apple’s typical fix for a board-level fault is a replacement or a repair that doesn’t preserve your data. That’s fine if you have a backup.
• Getting your data back means repairing the original phone’s board well enough for it to boot, then extracting the data. Because the storage is encrypted and tied to that board, the chip can’t simply be read in another device.
• Your passcode is required. Without it, the data stays locked even on a repaired phone.

If the phone also restarts on its own or keeps cycling between the Apple logo and a black screen, our guide to an iPhone that keeps restarting is worth a read.

If you get out of recovery mode, back up immediately

A phone that escaped recovery mode once may not do it twice. As soon as it boots:

• iCloud: on Wi-Fi, go to Settings → [your name] → iCloud → iCloud Backup → Back Up Now, and make sure iCloud Photos is on.
• Computer: connect to Finder, iTunes or the Apple Devices app and click Back Up Now.

Then check that the backup actually finished. Once you’re stable, the 3-2-1 backup rule is the simplest way to make sure the next recovery-mode loop is a minor annoyance instead of a crisis.

The bottom line

An iPhone stuck in recovery mode can often be fixed with a force restart or an Update from an up-to-date computer, using a good cable connected directly. Errors 9 and 14 usually point to a connection problem first, so change the cable, port and computer before assuming the worst. If nothing works and you have no backup, don’t Restore: a restore permanently erases the phone, and repeated failures often mean a hardware fault that needs board-level work to get past.

If your iPhone won’t leave recovery mode and holds photos or messages that were never backed up, our iPhone recovery service repairs the original board enough to boot it and extract your data. It’s mail-in with a free prepaid shipping label, one flat $1,200 price for a single device, and you pay nothing unless the recovery succeeds. You’ll need your passcode.