Put iPhone in DFU mode It is the first step to be able to recover a device that does not start correctly, when we want to restore it, if we have forgotten the lock code, if the iPhone is deactivated…
Before activating this mode, it is advisable to know what is DFU modewhat does it mean and what can we do with it.
What is DFU mode
DFU stands for Device Firmware Update mode, it is a state where we can put an iPhone to iPad to work again.
Its operation is similar to the recovery mode on Mac or the BIOS on PC, however, to interact with it you need to use the iTunes application or the Finder.
This mode offers access to the system in a privileged mode in terms of permissions, which is why it is commonly used to jailbreak devices.
We can activate the DFU mode on the iPhone or iPad without the system being affected at any time. This mode is commonly used to restore the device when it does not start correctly, when we have forgotten the unlock code…
What do we need to interact with the iPhone in DFU mode
After enabling DFU mode, we need to install the iTunes app on a Windows PC or Mac running macOS 10.14 or lower. If the computer you’re connected to is running macOS 10.15 or higher, we’re going to use the Finder.
Apple removed iTunes with the release of macOS 10.15 Catalina, moving iTunes functionality to the Finder. When you connect the iPhone to the Finder, the Finder will be displayed in the left column.
What to do before activating DFU mode
If our device turns on and allows us to interact with it, before entering recovery mode to restore the device, we must make a backup of all the content that is inside.
The data of the agenda, contacts, calendar and others do not need to be exported to any other platform to create a copy, we just have to activate iCloud. With the 5 GB of space it offers us, is more than enough to store this type of data.
However, with only 5 GB of space, we don’t have space to store all the photographs and images that we have taken with our device.
In this case, the simplest solution goes through connect iPhone to computer and make a backup via iTunes or the Finder (starting with macOS 10.15). Once we have restored the device, we can restore the copy.
However, backing up and restoring it later, can drag performance problems the device is presented.
If we have a Windows PC, we can connect the iPhone to the computer, access the units that are created and copy all the images and videos that are in the directories.
To extract all images and videos stored on an iPhone or iPad from a Mac using the Photos app as it is the easiest and fastest method.
Another option, if the number of photos and videos that we have stored is very smalluse AirDop, as long as both devices are compatible.
How to put iPhone in DFU mode
Unlike the process to format an iPhone, there is only one method to put iPhone in DFU mode.
The first thing we must do to activate the DFU mode on the iPhone is turn it off completely and wait a few seconds.
How to turn off iPhone 8, iPhone X or later, and iPhone SE 2nd generation:
We press the volume down button and screen off button until a slider to turn off the device is displayed on the screen.
How to turn off iPhone 7 / iPhone 7 Plus and earlier, iPhone SE 1st generation:
Long press the power button the screen until a slider appears to turn off the device.
Once we have turned off the device, we must wait a minute to make sure it’s completely turned off.
Activate DFU/recovery mode
Just as there is no single method to turn off all iPhone models, there is also no single method to enable DFU mode / recovery mode.
Depending on whether it is an iPhone 8 or later, iPhone 7, or iPhone 6s and earlier, the process varies:
How to enable DFU mode on iPhone 8, iPhone X or later, and iPhone SE 2nd generation:
We hold the screen on/off button and connect the lightning cable to the iPhone and Mac or Windows PC.
How to activate DFU mode on iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus
We hold down the volume down button while connecting the lightning cable to the iPhone and Mac or Windows PC.
How to activate recovery mode on iPhone 6s and earlier, iPhone 1st generation
We hold down the home button while connecting the lightning cable to the iPhone and Mac or Windows PC.
We must press and hold the button corresponding to each iPhone model until the top image is displayed.
How to restore an iPhone with DFU mode
Once we have activated the DFU mode on the iPhone, it is time to restore the device since this is the purpose of activating this mode for most users.
Seconds after activating the DFU mode, the computer will recognize that the connected device has problems starting and will invite us to restore or update the device.
The option Restore will delete all content stored on the device. If we have a backup either in iCloud or on the computer, we can restore it once the process is finished.
The option To updateit is used when the iPhone or iPad has problems starting up.
