Ondrej Holzman If you own an iOS device, you've probably heard these terms before. However, not everyone knows what Recovery and DFU modes are for and what the difference is between them. The biggest difference is in the so-called iBoot.
iBoot serves as a bootloader on iOS devices. While Recovery mode uses it when restoring or updating the device, DFU mode bypasses it to allow other firmware versions to be installed. iBoot on iPhones and iPads ensures that the current or newer version of the operating system is installed on the device. If you would like to upload an older or modified operating system to your iOS device, iBoot will not allow you to do so. Therefore, for such an intervention, it is necessary to activate DFU mode, in which iBoot is inactive.
Recovery mode
Recovery mode is a state that is used during every classic system update or restore. During such operations, you do not switch to an older or modified operating system, so iBoot is active. In Recovery mode, the iTunes icon with a cable lights up on the screen of the iPhone or iPad, indicating that you should connect the device to the computer.
Recovery mode is also mostly needed when performing a jailbreak and can help with some unexpected problems that a regular restore won't solve. Recovery in Recovery mode deletes the old system and installs it again. You can then return the user data to the phone from the backup using restore.
How to get into Recovery mode?
- Turn off your iOS device completely and unplug the cable.
- Press the Home button.
- With the Home button pressed, connect the iOS device to the computer.
- Hold the Home button until you see a notification on the screen that you are in Recovery mode.
To exit Recovery mode, hold down the Home and Power buttons for ten seconds, then the device will turn off.
DFU mode
DFU (Direct Firmware Upgrade) mode is a special state in which the device continues to communicate with iTunes, but the screen is black (you can't tell if something is happening) and iBoot does not start. This means that you can upload an older version of the operating system to the device than what is currently on it. However, since iOS 5, Apple does not allow reverting to older versions of the operating system. A modified operating system (Custom IPSW) can also be loaded via DFU mode. Using DFU mode, you can also restore the iOS device to a clean state through iTunes, but to delete data, for example, when selling, you only need a simple restore.
DFU mode is usually one of the last solutions if all else fails. For example, when jailbreaking, it may happen that the phone finds itself in a so-called boot loop, when the phone restarts after a few seconds while loading, and this problem can only be solved in DFU mode. In the past, updating iOS in DFU mode also solved some problems associated with updating a new system, such as fast battery drain or non-functioning GPS.
How to get into DFU mode?
- Connect your iOS device to your computer.
- Turn off your iOS device.
- With the iOS device turned off, press and hold the Power button for 3 seconds.
- Along with the Power button, press the Home button and hold both for 10 seconds.
- Release the Power button and continue holding the Home button for another 10 seconds.
- Within 7 to 8 seconds, DFU mode should enter and the iOS device should be detected by iTunes.
- If the Restore logo appears on your screen, you don't find is in DFU mode, but only Recovery mode and the whole process must be repeated.
Do you also have a problem to solve? Do you need advice or perhaps find the right application? Do not hesitate to contact us via the form in the section Counseling, next time we will answer your question.
the video tutorial under the article might help some more :)
but what do we use youtube for?
otherwise nicely written