How to Enter & Exit DFU Mode on M1 iPad Pro (2021 Model)

Oct 10, 2021 - Leave a Comment

How to Enter & Exit DFU Mode on M1 iPad Pro

DFU mode is a lower-level restoration state that’s utilized by advanced users to troubleshoot serious software issues. It’s something that can be used across all iPhone and iPad models, but the technique to enter the DFU mode varies on the newer iPad Pro models due to the hardware involved.

A lot of users may already be familiar with the recovery mode for troubleshooting and resolving iPadOS issues. While this may be good enough most of the time, there are some rare instances where the recovery mode doesn’t help and you’ll need to resort to more advanced options. This is exactly where the Device Firmware Update (DFU) mode proves to be extremely useful. Users can enter DFU mode to get their iPad Pros to communicate with Finder or iTunes just like Recovery Mode, but the key difference here is that you get to choose which iPadOS firmware you want to install.

If you don’t want to install the latest iPadOS version on your device, entering DFU mode might be the better option. Here, we’ll be taking a look at how to enter and exit DFU mode on your M1 iPad Pro 11″ and 12.9″.

How to Enter DFU Mode on M1 iPad Pro

First of all, you need to back up all your valuable data to iCloud, Finder, or iTunes if your iPad is still functioning and not frozen or stuck in a boot loop. This is because you could potentially lose your data during the process. Once you’re done, connect your iPad Pro to the computer using the included USB-C cable and follow the steps below:

  1. Press and release the Volume Up button on your iPad. Immediately after, press and release the Volume Down button. Now, press and hold the power button for about 10 seconds until the screen turns black.

    How to Enter & Exit DFU Mode on M1 iPad Pro
  2. Continue to hold the power button, but now, hold the Volume Down button too for 5 seconds. Now, let go of the power button and keep holding the Volume Down button for another 10 seconds. The screen will remain black. Next, launch iTunes or Finder on your computer and you’ll find a pop-up indicating that an iPad has been detected in recovery mode and it needs to be restored first.

    How to Enter & Exit DFU Mode on M1 iPad Pro

Of course, the above screenshot is for an iPhone, but it’s the same pop-up message for all iPads as well. When you attempt to restore using iTunes or Finder, you’ll get the option to select the iPadOS firmware that you want to install. You can use this technique to downgrade the software on your M1 iPad Pro if you’re facing major issues after a software update. That being said, you will need a signed and compatible IPSW firmware file downloaded to your computer first.

How to Exit DFU Mode on M1 iPad Pro (2021 Model)

If you followed the above procedure just to experiment and you don’t really wish to update, restore, or downgrade the firmware on your new M1 iPad Pro, you can safely exit out of DFU mode by following these steps:

  1. First, press and release the Volume Up button on your iPad.
  2. Right after, quickly press and release the Volume Down button located next to it.
  3. Next, press and hold the power button until you see the Apple logo on the display.

That’s all you have to do. Do remember that you’ll need to follow these steps and press the buttons in quick succession or you may fail to exit DFU mode.

These steps basically force restart your iPad Pro, but just because you exited DFU mode without restoring your device doesn’t mean all the problems you were facing will be fixed out of nowhere.

Do you want to extensively learn about entering this DFU mode? Perhaps, you’d like to use it for troubleshooting your other Apple devices too? If so, do make sure to read the other DFU topics that we’ve covered for various iPhone and iPad models:

We hope you managed to use the DFU mode to downgrade the firmware or troubleshoot the issues affecting your M1 iPad Pro. Do you prefer the more advanced DFU mode over the regular recovery mode that most people use? What problems were you facing on your iPad? Let us know your personal views, share your experiences, and drop your valuable feedback in the comments section down below.

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Posted by: Hamlin Rozario in iPad, Tips & Tricks, Troubleshooting

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