How to put iPhone / iPad into DFU mode to restore

Whenever your Apple mobile device stops working and you cannot restore iPhone using Recovery Mode, an alternative method is to set the device to DFU mode. DFU mode, short for Device Firmware Update, is a mode created by Apple, which basically freezes your iOS device. DFU mode does not allow iOS to start the device (ignoring iBoot mechanism), but the device can still communicate with iTunes on PC / Mac and can therefore be restored. After that, you can choose to upgrade, downgrade or restore iOS software.

The inclusion of an iOS device in DFU mode requires a combination of different buttons on all devices that Apple releases (due to the fact that Apple has removed the Home button in most recent versions). However, all methods still use the power button (the On / Off button is located on the right or top of the device on previous versions). The difference is that later Apple models use volume down instead of the Home button to enter DFU mode.

Note : When using DFU to restore iPhone, your computer will erase and reload every bit of code controlling software and hardware on iPhone. Therefore, all data on your device will be deleted. Make sure you only use this method to repair an inactive device, if there is no other option.

iPhone XR, XS, XS Max

1. Connect iPhone XR, XS or XS Max to PC or Mac and make sure iTunes is running on the computer.

2. Turn off the iPhone power. Keep it connected to a PC or Mac.

3. Press and release the volume up button quickly.

4. Press and release the volume down button quickly.

5. Now press and hold the Side button until the Power Off slider appears. Release this button and drag the slider to power off iPhone.

6. Click and hold the power button above the iPhone. After 3 seconds, while holding down the power button, press and hold the volume down button for 10 seconds.

7. Only release the power button and continue to hold the volume button for 5 seconds.

8. If the screen is still black, your device is currently in DFU mode. iTunes will automatically pop up with a message similar to the one above.

Note : If you see the Apple logo after step 6 or the ' Plug into iTunes ' screen after step 7, that means you have pressed the buttons for too long. Please try the above method again.

iPhone X, 8 Plus and 8

The method of putting iPhone X, 8 Plus and 8 devices into DFU mode is slightly different. For how to do this, please refer to the article: How to reboot, reset, turn on DFU mode on iPhone 8 and iPhone X for more details.

Note : If you see the Apple logo after step 3 or the ' Plug into iTunes ' screen after step 4, that means you have kept the buttons for too long. Try the method again, because aligning the right time can be a bit difficult.

iPhone 7 and 7 Plus

For iPhone 7 and 7 Plus models, please refer to the article: How to bring iPhone 7/7 Plus to DFU restore mode with iTunes for more details.

If after the operation, the screen is still black and you receive the message 'iTunes has detected an iPhone in recovery mode, you must restore this iPhone before it can be used with iTunes' , then your phone is now is in DFU mode.

iPod Touch (all versions), iPhone 6s, 6s Plus and earlier versions

Fortunately, the method of bringing iPhone 6S and all previous versions into DFU mode is the same. Similarly, the method for all iPod Touch versions is the same. Implementing all these devices into DFU mode as follows:

1. Connect your iPhone or iPod Touch to your Mac or PC. Make sure iTunes is running.

2. Turn off the device.

3. Press the power button on the device for 3 seconds.

4. While holding down the power button, press the Home button and hold both buttons for 10 seconds.

If the screen is still black, your device is currently in DFU mode.

iPad Pro 2018 (without the Home button)

Apple finally removed the Home button on the latest iPad Pro, replaced it with Face ID and swipe gestures, as seen in the iPhone series that TipsMake.com posted. Therefore, putting the iPad Pro 2018 into DFU mode is a bit different from previous iPad models, accompanied by the Home button. The method is as follows:

1. Connect iPad Pro to Mac or PC. Make sure iTunes is running.

2. Turn off the device.

3. Press and release the volume up button quickly.

4. Press and release the volume down button quickly.

5. Now, press and hold the Side button until the Power Off slider appears. Release the button and drag the slider to power off iPhone.

6. Press and hold the power button above the iPad for 3 seconds. Now, while holding down the power button, press and hold the volume down button for 10 seconds.

7. Only release the power button and continue to hold the volume button for 5 seconds.

If the screen is still black, your device is currently in DFU mode.

iPad (All previous versions of iPad Pro 2018)

Use the following method for all iPads with a Home button:

1. Connect iPad to Mac or PC. Make sure iTunes is running.

2. Turn off the device.

3. Press the power button on the device for 3 seconds.

4. While holding down the power button, press the Home button and hold both buttons for 10 seconds.

If the screen is still black, your device is currently in DFU mode.

By using DFU mode, you can now upgrade / downgrade your iOS software with iTunes.

Hope you are succesful.