Q: iPhone stuck in recovery mode?
I FIXED MY PHONE.
The reasons I'm posting this:
1. So that those with the same/a similar problem see it and know what to do.
2. Others can add to this.
3. I want to know why this happened exactly. I assumed it was because of storage and having a device that wasn't up to date.
This is recovery mode: If you can't update or restore your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch - Apple Support
Background information about my iPhone 5s: had not been backed up since 2015 because iTunes required me to update it in order to back up the phone. It had not been updated in a long time because iTunes claimed I didn't have enough storage to update.
SHORT VERSION:
- If your device is stuck in recovery mode and you don't want to Restore it because you'll lose your content, try to Update it.
- If Updating doesn't seem to work (example: progress bar freezes mid-update), keep trying.
- While your device is Updating, leave your computer and the device alone. Only check your device to make sure that it is not overheating. I held my phone against my cold fingers (my hands are usually kinda cold) because it was burning hot.
- It will likely take several attempts and each attempt might seem like it's taking forever.
- When I did this, the successful Update had taken more than 24 hours.
- I lost no recent content and am now able to use my phone.
- I then was able to back up my phone because it was up to date.
So,
** EVEN IF IT SEEMS LIKE NOTHING IS HAPPENING. KEEP TRYING TO UPDATE. **
LONG VERSION:
Ok, here's how it happened:
- My iPhone 5s warned me (one week ago) that I was running out of storage, so I opened my photos app, planning to delete older pictures/videos from my camera roll (too free up storage space). However, my phone became slow/laggy and suddenly kicked me out of the app. When I reopened the photos app, all my pictures/videos were gone. After a few seconds, the photos began to restore and I thought the issue had resolved itself. Within a minute, however, my photos disappeared again and I was kicked out of the app again.
- My iPhone then shut itself off and started reboot, but wouldn't turn back on. Any attempts to turn it back on resulted in the white screen with a black apple in the center before turning off.
- I plugged the iPhone into my Apple desktop computer, but iTunes didn't recognize that there was a device. I put my phone in recovery mode so that iTunes would connect to it.
- iTunes then gave me the option to either Update or Restore my device. I chose Update because Restore=losing everything. (If you have backed up your device recently and/or don't mind losing whatever hasn't been backed up, then choose Restore. Once your device has finished restoring, you can get content back from your last back up.)
- The device then showed an Apple in the center of the screen with a loading bar below it. Somewhat similar to this: Apple logo with progress bar after updating or restoring iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch - Apple Support Sadly, the progress bar kept freezing before it could finish. I'd leave my phone and come back to find it back in recovery mode and no longer updating.
- I went to Best Buy and the employees there told me that even if I manage to get it to update, there's still a chance that my content is already gone. I was told that I could Restore my phone to get it working, but that I'd definitely lose all content.
- I went home and continued trying to update my device. 5 days had passed since this all started and I had already made several Update attempts. I still didn't want to restore it.
- Every couple of hours or so I would check my phone and the progress bar would seem frozen. It continued to shut off after a few hours of Updating and i had to start the process again. Eventually, during one of my attempts the device stayed in "Update" mode instead of reverting back to recovery mode.
- 24 hours later: The device appeared frozen, but was still Updating. It was also burning hot to the touch, so I held the back of the phone against my fingers (I have cold hands) to cool it down a little.
- 4 hours later: My iPhone was ON and requesting my passcode! All of my content was THERE.
iPhone 5s, Recovery mode
Posted on Jul 4, 2016 1:51 PM