iPhone stuck in recovery mode or looping on the Apple logo

Recovery mode loads iBoot and allows iOS to be reinstalled over the top of your existing data. Update, rather than Restore, is the option that preserves personal files.

DFU (Device Firmware Update) mode bypasses iBoot entirely and rewrites the device at a lower level. It fixes deeper faults but is a full erase in almost every scenario.

• An iOS update that failed part-way through, often due to unstable Wi-Fi or low storage
• A jailbreak or unsigned profile that broke the system partition
• A battery too weak to sustain the update process
• Corrupted filesystem after an unexpected shutdown
• A failed data migration from a previous device

1. 1Force restart: press volume up, press volume down, then hold the side button until the Apple logo reappears.
2. 2Charge for 30 minutes on an original or certified cable and retry.
3. 3Connect to a computer with the latest Finder or iTunes and choose Update, never Restore, on the first prompt.
4. 4If the update stalls at preparing, leave it connected — large iOS images can take 30+ minutes to download.
5. 5If the phone drops back into recovery repeatedly, stop. Repeated failed attempts can consume the remaining battery and complicate recovery.

A workshop can read the device state, confirm whether the fault is the system partition or the battery, and use a signed iOS image appropriate to the hardware. In many stubborn cases an Update-path restore succeeds on the second attempt with a stable power source and wired connection where a home attempt failed.

If the device is Activation Locked, no legitimate technician can bypass it. You will need the original Apple ID or proof-of-purchase documentation submitted to Apple. Be sceptical of anyone claiming otherwise.