Restore mode vs. Recovery mode. Is there a difference? Techs said if I'm in either mode (each has a different take on which mode I'm in) I've already lost my data. I tried the genius bar but the tech there was far from a genius.

It may sound conflicting, but it’s not. They’re both telling you the truth just at different points of the recovery mode process.

The first tech was right that you were in recovery mode because of the screen you saw. In recovery mode you can try to only update which is recommended trying first to try and not lose your data on the device. Then there is the update and restore option which takes your device to factory settings.

Since doing the recovery mode update wasn’t working it had gone into recovery mode restore where your only option is the update and restore.

qp982w3rujasdfnmvlk wrote:

Screen shows

support.apple.com/iphone/restore

image of computer and USB cable

Prior to this the phone froze on the apple logo screen. It was during a reboot.

(History: phone runs out of storage periodically for the last few years. Removing some pics, etc. and phone works fine. Last week or so the phone was acting funny. Texts wouldn't go through, etc. Then icons at the bottom of the phone screen were missing. Contacts was disabled in Settings and it was reenabled. No change. Reboot. No change. A few more reboots and the phone froze.)

1st Apple tech had me download itunes and try to install ios 16. It was at this time that the new screen image displayed.

I asked if I had lost data or would lose data with this itunes and was told no. I was in 'recovery' mode. won't lose data unless I did a restore (described as setting the phone back to the factory settings) and said there would be a prompt for this first.

(More background info: Problem was computer had windows 7 and trying to download newer itunes version was doing nothing. Despite the tech telling me it was upgrading and I should wait 15 minutes. I finally learned that no progress bar meant no activity (no upgrading or downloading).

Tried on another computer with Windows 10 and current itunes version updated fine. Appeared the iphone was being updated as this time itunes showed a progress bar (other computer did not show yet tech was sure it was installing the new itunes). Iphone ALSO showed a progress bar, but then received an error. Tried again and received a new error code.

I gave up and went home. Tried on my laptop, but that turned out to have Windows 7 also. )

So responses differ. I clearly explained that data was not backed up for a long time. Only 1 person stated that 'recovery' means if the ios updates and phone is no longer frozen, that backed up data on icloud can then be restored to the iphone.

Went to Apple store and the tech said he was going to restore it to factory settings, that I was in restore mode, and that I already lost all data.

Then I read that the process of installing the newer version is in and of itself wiping the data clean. (meaning when I started upgrading to 16, my data was being removed at that time.)

Seems I'm getting conflicting information. Or what sounds like conflicting info because everyone uses their own verbiage when describing what's taking place.

So what's your take? Leaving in a few to see what the Best Buy tech has to say.

Your phone went into recovery mode, all data is gone.

You would need to plug phone to computer/itunes - do the recovery mode and restore not update as outlined here If you forgot your iPhone passcode - Apple Support

You can then restore from your latest backup.

Can you share a picture of what is message is showing on the screen?

qp982w3rujasdfnmvlk wrote:

Restore mode vs. Recovery mode. Is there a difference? Techs said if I'm in either mode (each has a different take on which mode I'm in) I've already lost my data. I tried the genius bar but the tech there was far from a genius.

You restore from a backup.

You use recovery mode if your device is disabled.

but maybe give us more details as to why you're asking this question.