When an iPhone freezes, won’t boot or asks for a computer: force restart, Recovery or DFU can help before service. Steps differ for Face ID vs Home button models.
In this guide
1. Force restart
- iPhone 8 / X and newer: quick Volume Up → Volume Down → hold Side until the Apple logo (ignore Slide to power off).
- iPhone 7 / 7 Plus: hold Volume Down + Power until the Apple logo.
- iPhone 6s and older (Home): hold Home + Power until the Apple logo.
- Does not erase data — only hard-reboots a frozen screen.
2. Recovery Mode (for Finder / iTunes)
- Connect the iPhone to a Mac/PC with a cable.
- Newer models: Volume Up → Volume Down → hold Side until the Recovery screen (cable/computer) — don’t release at the logo.
- iPhone 7: Volume Down + Power until Recovery.
- Home models: Home + Power until Recovery.
- In Finder/iTunes: Update tries without erase; Restore wipes data.
3. DFU Mode (deeper than Recovery)
- Newer models: Volume Up → Volume Down → hold Side ~10 s → hold Side + Volume Down 5 s → release only Side, keep Volume Down ~10 s. Screen stays black if DFU succeeded.
- DFU is for restore when Recovery fails; Restore erases data.
- If you see the Apple logo, you hit Recovery, not DFU — try again.
4. Diagnostic Mode (Apple hardware)
- Settings → Privacy → Analytics / Diagnostics is an analytics data menu — not hardware diagnostics.
- For Diagnostic Mode: fully power off the iPhone. Hold both volume buttons, then connect the cable to power / a computer without releasing the volumes — the diagnostics screen appears (see Apple Support).
- Quick on-device checks: Settings → General → About / Battery Health / Storage.
- If it won’t power on at all: force restart → Recovery → shop diagnostics (power, display, board).
When to book diagnostics
Won’t enter Recovery/DFU, Apple logo loop, after liquid or a drop — we diagnose port, battery, board and display.
Keep the restart sequence separate from hardware identification
Recent models can share a restart sequence, but their parts and hardware checks are not interchangeable. First confirm whether you have a model in the iPhone 17, 17e or Air family or an iPhone 18 Pro or 18 Pro Max. Avoid Restore when the data has no backup: a force restart does not erase, while Restore does.
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