How to fix an iPhone 7 that gets stuck in Recovery Mode screen after iOS 11 update? [Troubleshooting Guide]

An iPhone that gets stuck on the Apple logo, black screen, red screen, and recovery mode screen usually denotes a serious software problem that often requires advanced solutions including system resets and restore. Normally, you can exit Recovery mode after performing a successful restore or system update by unplugging the iPhone from the USB cable, then holding down the Power button until the device powers off. The next time you turn on your iPhone, it will boot up in normal mode.

Before going any further though, if you have other concerns with your new iPhone, make sure you drop by our iPhone 7 troubleshooting page for we have already started supporting the device. Moreover, if you need further assistance, you can always contact us by completing our iPhone issues questionnaire and providing us with sufficient information about the problem.

What causes your iPhone to get stuck on recovery mode?

When your iPhone is stuck on recovery mode, it denotes a problem with the operating system that prevents your iPhone from getting out of recovery. This is usually the case when the previous system restore gets interrupted or not successfully finished. As a result, some of the iOS data gets corrupted and thereby inflicted the problem. But in recent cases, the problem is tied to a faulty update. This is what happened to some people after updating to iOS 11. The update might have contained some bugs or the update process was not successfully completed and therefore caused system data to crash and stop working as intended.

Apparently, you only have a few options when dealing with major system issues like this. Mapped out below are recommended workarounds and potential solutions for you to try on before taking a trip to a service center.

Restart or Force restart

The force restart procedures is no longer the same way as the way it was done with the previous models given that the iPhone 7 series no longer have a physical Home button to press down.

To force restart your iPhone 7, press and hold both the Power and Volume Down buttons for about 10 to 20 seconds. Let go of both buttons when you see the Apple logo. Your iPhone then power cycles.

If your iPhone 7 remains stuck on recovery mode after a forced restart, then your next option is to attempt to access your device through iTunes. Refer to the second solution.
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Restore your iPhone through iTunes

Accessing your iPhone system through iTunes allows you to back up all your important data and then perform an iOS restore/update or factory reset your device through iTunes. In order to proceed, you will need to secure a computer (Windows or Mac) that has the latest version of iTunes installed. Once you’ve got everything set, follow these steps:

Open iTunes on your computer.
Plug your iPhone into your computer using the supplied USB connector.
Select your iPhone when it shows up in iTunes.
Click Backup Now to backup your iPhone data.
Click Restore Backup to restore a previous iOS file.
Locate the iOS backup file you want to use. You can refer to the date and time stamped for each backup file.
Click Restore and wait for the process to finish.
If prompted, enter your device passcode.

Keep your device connected to the computer until the restore process is complete. You can disconnect when it has finished syncing data.

Put your iPhone in DFU mode

DFU or Device Firmware Update is considered the most in-depth restore you can perform on your iPhone. It’s often considered the last resort by Apple techs if all else failed to fix software-related issues on the iPhone that could not be rectified by the standard iTunes restore or recovery mode restore.

When your iPhone is in DFU mode, it’s powered on and able to communicate with iTunes but has not yet booted up the operating system. This allows you to make changes to the operating system itself safely because the system isn’t yet running. If your iPhone gets stuck on recovery mode after installing a new firmware update, then you can use DFU mode to downgrade or restore a previous iOS backup on your iPhone instead. In this case, it’s possible that the new update contains some bugs that might have corrupted some system data, thus causing the iOS to crash and preventing your iPhone from exiting the recovery mode screen. You can also put your iPhone in DFU mode to remove an expired beta version of iOS, which you think is causing conflicts.

While a DFU mode restore can offer permanent solution to major software issues, there are some risks factors that you need to consider. When a DFU mode restore fails or gets interrupted, it can cause your device to brick and become totally useless. If you suspect that your iPhone has physical or liquid damage, do not perform a DFU mode restore. Instead, you can take your device to a service center and have it properly diagnosed by a technician instead. But if you’re willing the take the risks, then you can go ahead and see if a DFU mode restore can fix the problem and get your device out of the recovery mode screen.
Here’s how to put your iPhone 7 in DFU mode:

Connect your iPhone to your computer.
Open iTunes on the computer using the supplied USB connector or Lightning cable.
When your device is connected, press and hold the Power and Volume Down buttons simultaneously for 8 seconds.
After the elapsed time, release the Power button but keep holding the Volume Down button until you are prompted with an iTunes message saying that it has detected an iPhone in recovery mode. Release the Volume Down button if you see this screen.
Your iPhone display will then turns black. It means that you have successfully entered DFU mode. If the screen is not black or showing any logo, it means that you haven’t entered DFU mode yet and that you need to start all over.

Once you’ve successfully entered DFU mode, restore your iPhone using iTunes. Once you’re in DFU mode, you will see an iTunes message prompting you to restore your iPhone. You can either restore your iPhone 7 to factory defaults or restore from a previous iOS backup.

When the system restore completes, you can exit DFU mode by restarting your iPhone.

Other options to consider

You may also resort to using an iOS recovery software available online. Just download your preferred iOS recovery software on your computer, connect your iPhone to the computer, launch the software and follow the onscreen instructions on how to fix your iPhone that is stuck on recovery mode. Reading prior reviews on the software’s actual performance can help you decide which software to pick and use.

If the problem persists after performing all the above procedures, it’s possible that a certain component on your iPhone is damaged. In this case, you can take your iPhone to an Apple Genius bar for hardware assessment and/or repair. If your iPhone is still under warranty, you might as well consider availing for warranty instead.

Connect with us

If you need more help with the use of certain functions and features of the new Apple iPhone 7 smartphone, feel free to visit our Tutorial Page. There you can find a list of how-to contents, step-by-step tutorials, as well as answers to FAQs regarding iPhone 7. If you have other concerns or encountered some troubles while using the phone, you can reach us through this form. Just be sure to tell us more details of the problem or device issue(s) you may have and we will be more than happy to assist you further.
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