How to Use Recovery Mode on iPhone 11, iPhone 11 Pro, iPhone 11 Pro Max
Recovery Mode can be initiated on iPhone 11, iPhone 11 Pro, or iPhone 11 Pro Max as a means of troubleshooting some particularly challenging problems with the device.
Typically Recovery Mode is only needed in rare occasions, like when the iPhone 11 or iPhone 11 Pro is stuck on Apple logo during boot, or the device is stuck with a connect to computer screen indicator, or sometimes if the computer doesn’t recognize the iPhone at all and the device is stuck in some unusable state.
There are other troubleshooting scenarios as well, where using Recovery Mode can be helpful, in which case the instructions below will guide you through putting an iPhone 11, iPhone 11 Pro, or iPhone 11 Pro Max into Recovery Mode.
How to Enter Recovery Mode on iPhone 11, iPhone 11 Pro, iPhone 11 Pro Max
Note you will need a USB cable, and a computer with iTunes or MacOS Catalina (or later) to be able to successfully use Recovery Mode with any iPhone. You’ll also want to be sure a backup of the iPhone 11 or iPhone 11 Pro is available before using Recovery Mode, as a failure to have sufficient backups of the device can result in data loss.
- Connect the iPhone 11, iPhone 11 Pro, iPhone 11 Pro Max to the computer with a USB cable
- Open iTunes on the Mac or PC computer (or Finder in MacOS Catalina)
- Press and release Volume Up on the iPhone
- Press and release Volume Down on the iPhone
- Press and continue holding the Power button until the iPhone 11, iPhone 11 Pro, iPhone 11 Pro Max is in recovery mode
- Wait until iTunes (or Finder) shows an alert message saying iPhone has been found in Recovery Mode
Now that the iPhone 11, iPhone 11 Pro, or iPhone 11 Pro Max is in recovery mode, you can use the “Restore” or “Update” functions of iTunes or Finder (Catalina and later).
You can read about restoring iPhone with iTunes here if interested, you’ll usually want to restore from an available backup, but you can also set up the device as new.
If you’re an advanced user you can also use Recovery Mode to restore a device using IPSW firmware files, just be sure you pick one specific to and compatible with your particular iPhone 11, iPhone 11 Pro, or iPhone 11 Pro Max. You can find iOS IPSW firmware files to download here.
How to Exit Recovery Mode on iPhone 11, iPhone 11 Pro, iPhone 11 Pro Max
Exiting Recovery Mode will occur automatically after the iPhone 11, iPhone 11 Pro, iPhone 11 Pro Max has been successfully restored or updated.
Alternatively, you can manually exit out of Recovery Mode by performing a forced reboot of iPhone 11, iPhone 11 Pro, or iPhone 11 Pro Max, as so:
- Disconnect the USB cable connecting iPhone 11, iPhone 11 Pro, or iPhone 11 Pro Max from the computer
- Press and release the Volume Up button on iPhone
- Press and release the Volume Down button on iPhone
- Press and hold the Power button on iPhone, then continue to hold that Power button until you see an Apple logo appear on iPhone screen
Leaving Recovery Mode puts the iPhone back to where it was before Recovery Mode was entered. Sometimes that means the device is not usable as it must be restored with Recovery Mode (or DFU mode) first, or sometimes the iPhone 11, iPhone 11 Pro, iPhone 11 Pro Max may boot again as expected.
If you’re interested in learning about recovery mode beyond iPhone 11, iPhone 11 Pro, iPhone 11 Pro Max, then you can also learn about using Recovery Mode on prior iPhone models as well as iPad devices:
- How to enter Recovery Mode on iPhone XR, iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max, iPhone X
- How to enter Recovery Mode on iPhone 8 Plus, iPhone 8
- How to enter Recovery Mode on iPhone 7 Plus, iPhone 7
- How to enter Recovery Mode on iPhone 6s, 6, SE, 5s, and earlier
- How to enter Recovery Mode on iPad Pro (2018 and newer)
- How to enter Recovery Mode on iPad Air, iPad mini, iPad and earlier iPad Pro models with Home buttons
If the problem with an iPhone or iPad persists after using Recovery Mode, then you can go a step further with DFU mode, which is a lower level restore capability than Recovery mode. Using DFU mode is considered advanced and is rarely necessary for the average user.
- How to enter DFU mode on iPad Pro (2018 and later)
- How to enter DFU mode on iPad with Home buttons, including iPad, iPad mini, iPad Air, and older iPad Pro
- How to enter DFU mode on iPhone XS, iPhone XR, XS Max
- How to enter DFU mode on iPhone X, iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus
- How to enter DFU mode on iPhone 7, iPhone 7 Plus
- How to enter DFU mode on older iPhone models
- How to enter DFU mode on Apple TV
Did you use Recovery Mode for your iPhone 11, iPhone 11 Pro, or iPhone 11 Pro Max? Did it work to resolve the issue you were aiming to fix? Let us know your experiences troubleshooting and using Recovery Mode in the comments below.
