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iPhone 7: How to force restart, enter Recovery Mode, and enter DFU mode

Since the Home button on iPhone 7 isn’t a mechanical button anymore, and is instead a capacitive solid-state button controlled by software, it’s no surprise that performing hard resets, entering recovery, and entering into DFU mode no longer works the same way on iPhone 7.

The good news is that you’ll only need to adopt a new button combination to perform each of these tasks. Have a look at our full video walkthrough, and we’ll show you how.

How to force restart iPhone 7

To force restart (hard reset) the iPhone 7, press and hold the Sleep/Wake button + Volume Down button for 10 seconds. Because of the Home button change, it’s been replaced by the Volume Down button during the process.

The side-effect to this method is that the Volume HUD appears on screen each time you wish to force restart the iPhone 7. Not a big deal, but not as “clean-looking” as in the past.

How to get into Recovery Mode on iPhone 7

Step 1: Connect your iPhone 7 to your Mac or PC with a Lightning to USB cable.

Step 2: Press and hold the Sleep/Wake button and the Volume Down button until the screen turns off. Continue holding the Sleep/Wake button + Volume Down button, even after you see the Apple logo appear.

Step 4: Release the Sleep/Wake + Volume Down button once you see the Connect to iTunes message appear on the iPhone 7’s screen.

Step 5: Launch iTunes, and you should see a message stating that “There is a problem with the iPhone that requires it to be updated or restored.”

Video tutorial

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How to get into DFU mode on iPhone 7

Getting into DFU mode, as you can probably guess, also requires a change.

Step 1: Connect your iPhone 7 to your Mac or PC with a Lightning to USB cable.

Step 2: Press and hold the Sleep/Wake button and the Volume Down button simultaneously for 10 seconds.

Step 3: Release the Sleep/Wake button while continuing to hold the Volume Down button for 10 additional seconds. Unlike Recovery Mode, which presents a Connect to iTunes message on the screen, the iPhone 7’s screen will remain blank while in DFU mode.

Step 4: Launch iTunes, and you should see a message stating that “iTunes has detected an iPhone in recovery mode. You must restore this iPhone before it can be used with iTunes.”

The Volume Down button takes on an additional role on iPhone 7

How to exit Recovery mode or DFU mode on iPhone 7

As long as there are no issues with your iPhone, getting out of Recovery Mode or DFU Mode is easy.

Step 1: Press and hold the Sleep/Wake button and the Volume Down button simultaneously until you see the Apple logo appear (or the connect to iTunes message disappear when in Recovery Mode). You iPhone should boot back to the Lock screen.

Although there is no longer a mechanical Home button on the latest iPhone, it’s still relatively easy to force restart, enter Recovery Mode, and enter DFU mode by strategically wielding the Volume Down button + Sleep/Wake button combination.

To learn more about the new iPhone 7, be sure to watch our Top iPhone 7 features video, embedded below:

FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.

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Avatar for Jeff Benjamin Jeff Benjamin

Jeff is the head of video content production for 9to5. He initially joined 9to5Mac in 2016, producing videos, walkthroughs, how-tos, written tutorials, and reviews. He takes pride in explaining things simply, clearly, and concisely. Jeff’s videos have been watched hundreds of millions of times by people seeking to learn more about today’s tech. Subscribe to 9to5Mac on YouTube to catch Jeff’s latest videos.


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