Unable to enter Recovery Mode for my iPad Air

For others who might have this issue, I searched for hours because I too could not get into Recovery mode. Turns out the Apple documentation is simply wrong. Here is how you actually get a device into Recovery mode:

With your device turned off and connected to your computer, hold the power (lock) button AND home button for 10 seconds, then release the power button but keep holding the home button for another 15 seconds.

Try DFU Mode:

1. Plug your device into your computer.
2. Turn off the device.
3. Hold the Power button for 3 seconds
4. Hold the Home button without releasing the Power button for 10 seconds
5. Release the Power Button but keep holding the Home button
6. Keep holding the Home button until you are alerted by iTunes saying that it has detected a device in Recovery Mode

NOTE: Make sure the device screen is blank and no logos are present. Be patient, it make take several trys.

Has the phone been jailbroken?

I wasn't able to get into recovery mode connected to my computer USB 3.0.

Connect to a normal power supply and press both buttons until screen with cable comes, then switch to USB cable from computer and continue.

Normally download takes much longer than 15 minutes restore time frame, resulting in no change when you walk back. So do the same again after iOS is on your computer.

Another thank you Ebonweaver! I was like you wasting hours trying to figure out how to get the power slider to appear on my disabled iPad and holding the home button a bunch.

Your tip set things in motion. Connected to my laptop via USB but unresponsive, I held the iPad's power and home buttons as you suggested. The iPad powered up showing the Apple logo. I let go of the power button, continued to hold the home button down, and FINALLY saw the iTunes connection message instead of the "iPad is disabled" message.

Moments later, my iPad is like new. THANKS!

The timing on this has to be...just...right to enter DFU mode. If that won't work, plug the iPad Air into your computer and set the iPad into recovery mode, like so:

1) Turn off your device. If you can't turn it off, press and hold the Sleep/Wake and Home buttons at the same time and wait a few seconds for it to turn off.

2) Plug the device's USB cable into your computer only.

3) Hold down the device's Home button as you connect the USB cable to it.

4) When you see the Connect to iTunes screen, release the Home button. If you don't see this screen, try steps 1 through 3 one more time.

You're a lifesaver. I followed all the Apple help pages and could not get my iPad Mini into recovery mode until I read your instructions. Thanks very much 🙂

I updated my iPad Air 2 to the public beta iOS 10. Then I wanted to go back to current iOS 9.
Now the iPad is bricked, I only see the cable + iTunes screen. Unable to enter in Recovery. What can I do?
I can't turn off the iPad as shown on the instructions!

DFU (Device Firmware Update) Mode is different than Recovery Mode.

DFU Mode is a special mode where the device can still interface with iTunes, yet it does not load the iBoot bootloader.

I assume that it may be iBoot causing the looping.

You're welcome and good luck!

Finally worked - Thank you!

You're welcome.