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Is your iPhone apparently stuck in purgatory? Are you staring at a stubborn Apple logo or a progress bar that doesn’t seem to move? You’re not alone. Here are some things you can try to fix your unresponsive device.
Hold on tight if it’s an update
Sometimes your iPhone can seem stuck when applying an update, especially larger updates that roll over from one version of iOS to another. The progress bar that appears during installation seems to move at a glacial pace, to the point where you’ll find yourself staring at your screen for the slightest sign of movement.
If your iPhone appears to be stuck while applying an update, Apple’s official advice is to “make sure the progress bar on your iPhone’s screen hasn’t moved for at least an hour” before taking the reins. Leave your iPhone at your business and make yourself a cup of tea or coffee, then come back later and check it out.
The company then advises you to use recovery mode to rescue your device, instructions for which you’ll find further down this page. Before doing that, you may want to try resetting your device. After all, what do you have to lose?
Force restart your iPhone
Force restarting your iPhone is the first thing you should try, whether your iPhone is stuck during an update, starts cold, or restarts because it fancied a restart. It’s also worth a try if your device seems to be stuck in a boot loop, where the Apple logo may periodically disappear for a few seconds while the device tries to start up again.
The advice to force restart an iPhone may differ depending on the model you have. On newer models (iPhone 8 and above), perform the following steps:
- Press and release the “Volume Up” button on the side of the device.
- Press and release the “Volume Down” button on the side of the device.
- Press and hold the “Side” button on the opposite side of the device until you see an Apple logo, then release it.
Do you have an older device? See our full instructions to force restart all iPhone models.
Update or restore your iPhone with recovery mode
Recovery mode allows you to update or restore your device’s software to (hopefully) fix your problem. To do this, you’ll need a Mac or PC with iTunes that’s compatible with your currently installed version of iOS.
First, connect your iPhone to your Mac or PC. The steps to put your device into recovery mode are very similar to a hard restart (above), but instead of releasing power when you see the Apple logo, press and hold it. The instructions are a bit different for iPhone 6 and earlier, which you can find in our guide to getting into recovery mode with your iPhone.
If all goes well, your iPhone should indicate that it has entered recovery mode. In macOS 10.15 Catalina or later, open Finder and click your iPhone in the sidebar. On macOS 10.14 and earlier or Windows, open iTunes and click on your iPhone.
You should have two options: “Update” (or “Check for updates”) and “Restore”. Use “Update” to try to update your device, keeping all the data on it. Click “Restore” to wipe your device, which will result in all data loss. You will have the opportunity to restore an iCloud or local backup when it is complete.
RELATED: How to put your iPhone or iPad into recovery mode
Firmware repair with DFU mode
DFU stands for “Device Firmware Update” and refers to a low-level advanced recovery mode. In effect, your iPhone doesn’t load iOS at all when it enters DFU mode, giving you the opportunity to restore the operating system completely. In essence, he’s doing a clean slate in an attempt to fix his problem.
You should use DFU mode if nothing has worked so far, but keep in mind that you will lose everything on your device by doing this. You’ll need a Mac or PC with iTunes to restore iOS, the same way recovery mode works.
Just like hard reboots and recovery mode, entering DFU mode is different depending on which model of iPhone you have. On modern devices like iPhone 8 and above (including iPhone 13):
- First connect your iPhone to the Mac or PC you’ll use to restore it, with Finder (macOS 10.15 and up) or iTunes (macOS 10.14 and Windows) running.
- Hold down the side button for three seconds.
- Continue holding the Side button and press and hold the “Volume Down” button for 10 seconds.
- Release the Side button while continuing to hold the “Volume Down” button for five more seconds.
You should see a black screen and your device should now be detected in Finder or iTunes. From here you can choose to “Restore” your device using your Mac or PC. If you have an older device, you will need to follow different instructions to put your device into DFU mode.
If you see the Apple logo or a “Connect to iTunes” screen, then you’ve done something wrong. Force reset your device and try again, and keep trying until you get it right
Bring your iPhone to Apple
If you’ve tried everything (or couldn’t pinpoint the time for DFU mode) and nothing has worked, you can always try taking your iPhone to Apple. This is particularly true if your device is under warranty or covered by AppleCare.
Even if your device is no longer covered, you can still get a solution by visiting an Apple Store or Authorized Service Center. Apple can resolve the issue by restoring your device in the store. They can run diagnostics on your device to find out what’s going on and give you a chance to fix your iPhone.
You will not incur any charges unless you give Apple express permission to repair your device. Small repairs like replacing the battery can be worth it to get a few more years of use out of your device. More complicated repairs are likely to cost you a lot more, at which point you’re better off spending the money on a more up-to-date model.
Prevent the problem from happening again
How to prevent this from happening again ultimately depends on what caused it in the first place. If you enrolled your iPhone in Apple’s software preview program, using preview software may be to blame. You can avoid this by leaving the iOS beta program and using only stable versions in the future.
If you managed to fix your problem with a forced restart, please note that the problem may arise again. You may need to use Recovery Mode or DFU Mode for a more permanent solution.
There’s also nothing stopping you from visiting an Apple Store and explaining the problem. Apple can run a set of diagnostics on your device and tell you about any issues bubbling under the surface that you’re not aware of.
But if there’s one thing you should take away from the experience, it’s how important it is to have a backup.
The importance of backups
Problems like this can happen at any time and be caused by software or hardware. If you prefer to go the manual backup route, you can back up your iPhone using Finder or iTunes on a Mac or Windows PC.
Alternatively, iCloud provides a set-and-forget backup solution. You may need to purchase additional iCloud space and use services like iCloud Photo Library to make sure your media is safe.
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