iPhone recovery mode: the exact sequence for your generation
The button sequence differs by iPhone generation. Here is the right one for yours.
5 min read · Intermediate
Recovery mode lets a computer restore a locked iPhone. The button sequence changed across three generations, and using the wrong one either does nothing or takes a screenshot. Match your model, then restore with Finder or the Apple Devices app.
Find your sequence
- iPhone 8, X, and every model since (Face ID and later Touch ID): press and release Volume Up, press and release Volume Down, then press and hold the Side button. Keep holding past the Apple logo until the recovery-cable screen appears.
- iPhone 7 and 7 Plus: hold Volume Down + the Side button together until the recovery-cable screen appears.
- iPhone 6s, SE (1st gen), and earlier: hold the Home button + the Top/Side button together until the recovery screen appears.
Restore from the computer
Connect the iPhone to a Mac (Finder) or a Windows PC with the Apple Devices app. It will offer Update or Restore.
Choose Restore if the passcode is the problem — Update usually fails on a locked phone. Let the firmware download finish; do not unplug.
After the restore, the iPhone asks for the Apple Account that was signed in (Activation Lock). That account is required to finish.
Phones this covers
Stuck on your specific phone?
Ask on the community board — real people, owner-to-owner.