How to Restore iPhone 13 Using iTunes on Windows

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If your iPhone 13 is acting up—stuck on the Apple logo, in a boot loop, or just plain unresponsive—restoring it through iTunes on a Windows PC might be your best move. This guide walks you through the different ways to restore your iPhone, whether you’re doing a standard restore, using recovery mode, or going all in with DFU mode.

What You Need First

  • A Windows PC with the latest version of iTunes installed.
  • A Lightning to USB cable to connect your iPhone to your computer.
  • A backup of your iPhone (if you want to restore your data afterward).
  • A stable internet connection for downloading iOS firmware.

Option 1: Standard Restore via iTunes Backup or New Setup

Use this method if your iPhone is working but needs a clean slate or a fresh backup restore.

  1. Connect your iPhone to your PC using a Lightning cable.
  2. Open iTunes, then click the device icon near the top left.
  3. Under the Summary tab, click Restore Backup.
  4. Choose the backup you want to restore from.
  5. Click Restore, then enter the encryption password if prompted.
  6. Let the process complete without disconnecting the iPhone.

This method wipes the device and restores it from the selected backup—or lets you set it up as new.

Option 2: Recovery Mode Restore (for stuck or disabled devices)

If your iPhone is unresponsive or you’ve forgotten your passcode, try this next:

  1. Turn off your iPhone 13 completely.
  2. Open iTunes on your PC.
  3. Press and hold the Side button while connecting the iPhone to the PC.
  4. Release the button when you see the Recovery Mode screen (a computer and cable icon).
  5. iTunes will prompt: “There’s a problem with the iPhone…” Choose Restore.
  6. Follow the onscreen instructions to reinstall iOS.

This will erase everything on the iPhone and install the latest version of iOS.

Option 3: DFU Mode Restore (last resort)

DFU (Device Firmware Update) mode is the most advanced recovery method, bypassing the operating system altogether.

  1. Connect your iPhone to your PC via Lightning cable.
  2. Follow this exact button sequence:
    • Quickly press Volume Up.
    • Quickly press Volume Down.
    • Press and hold the Side button for 10 seconds (until the screen goes black).
    • While still holding the Side button, press and hold Volume Down for another 5 seconds.
    • Release the Side button but keep holding Volume Down for another 10 seconds.

✅ The screen should stay black. If you see the Apple logo or recovery screen, you didn’t enter DFU mode—try again.

  1. iTunes will detect your iPhone in recovery mode. Click OK, then choose Restore iPhone.

Restoring via Finder on a Mac (macOS Catalina and later)

If you’re using a Mac instead of Windows:

  1. Connect your iPhone to your Mac using a Lightning cable.
  2. Open Finder and select your iPhone from the sidebar.
  3. Click Restore iPhone under the General tab.
  4. Choose your backup or set up the device as new.
  5. Wait for the restore to finish—don’t unplug the phone.

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