How To Put My Iphone 7 In Dfu Mode

DFU stands for "Device Firmware Update". It's the last possible solution to troubleshoot major problems on your iOS or iPadOS device.

You can put your iPhone in DFU mode when it refuses to turn on/off, stays stuck at the Apple logo, freezes on a screen, or becomes unresponsive.

In summary, DFU Mode is the highest level of restore you can perform on your device. Let's check it out!

How to put iPhone 13, 12, 11, and iPhone SE 2020 in DFU Mode
How to enter DFU Mode on iPhone 7 and 7 Plus
How to enter DFU Mode on iPhone 6s and earlier
How to put iPad with Face ID in DFU Mode
How to put an iPad that has a Home button in DFU Mode
How to exit DFU Mode on any iPhone and iPad

Before you begin:

Make a backup of your device on your computer or iCloud (if possible)
DFU Restore will also update your device to the latest applicable iOS or iPadOS version
Don't try DFU Restore if your device is water-damaged. It may cause more harm than good!
If your Mac runs macOS Catalina or Big Sur, use Finder. If you're on an earlier version of macOS or Windows PC, use iTunes.

How to put iPhone 13, 12, 11, and iPhone SE 2020 in DFU Mode

The flagship iPhones like the iPhone 13, 12, 11, and X series have Face ID. Others, including the latest iPhone SE 2020 and iPhone 8, 8 Plus, have a Home button. Still, the process of entering DFU mode is the same on these devices. Here it is:

Connect your iPhone to a Mac or PC with a Lightning to USB cable.
Press and then release the Volume Up button.
Immediately, press and release the Volume Down button.
Now, press and hold the Side button for 10 seconds. The screen will go black.
Keep holding the Side button and now press the Volume Down button for 5 seconds.
After 5 seconds, release the Side button but keep holding the Volume Down button.
Continue pressing the Volume Down button for another 10 seconds. All this while your iPhone's screen is black.
Let go of the Volume Down button after you see a popup in Finder or iTunes that says 'Your Mac has detected an iPhone in recovery mode. You must restore this iPhone before it can be used.'
Now click OK from the popup and then click Restore iPhone…

Note: If you see the Apple logo or your iPhone restarts, that means one of the steps was not followed correctly. In such a case, carefully read and repeat the process.

How to enter DFU Mode on iPhone 7 and 7 Plus

Connect the iPhone 7 to a Mac or PC with a Lightning to USB cable.
Press and hold the On/Off button on the right side of your iPhone for 3 seconds.
Now, press and hold down the Volume Down button on the left side of your iPhone while still holding the On/Off button.
Make sure to keep both buttons held down for 10 seconds.
Note: If the Apple logo appears on the screen, you'll have to restart the process. Make sure not to hold them for too long.
Now, release the On/Off Button but keep holding the Volume Down button for about 5 seconds.
Note: If the Plug into Computer notification appears on the screen, you'll need to start again. Make sure not to hold it for too long.
Your iPhone will now be in DFU Mode. The screen will be black. You will get an alert from iTunes or Finder saying it has detected your iPhone. Click Restore iPhone.

How to enter DFU Mode on iPhone 6s and earlier

Connect your iPhone 6s, SE 1st generation, or earlier to a computer.
Press and hold the right side On/Off button for 3 seconds.
Next, while still pressing the On/Off button, press and hold the Home button on the front of your device.
Continue to hold both buttons for 10 seconds. Use a watch if needed.
Note: If you hold them for too long, you'll see the Apple logo. This means you have been unsuccessful and will have to start from step one again.
Immediately after the 10 seconds is up, release the On/Off button but continue to hold the Home button for the next 5 seconds.
Note: If the Plug into the computer screen appears on the screen, you will need to start it again. Make sure not to hold it for too long.
After you correctly follow step 5, your iPhone's screen will stay black. This means your iPhone is now in DFU mode.
iTunes or Finder will also show a popup. Click Restore iPhone to proceed.

How to put iPad with Face ID in DFU Mode

The process to enter DFU mode on iPads with Face ID is similar to iPhones with Face ID and iPhone 8/SE 2020. Here's a recap.

Connect your iPad with Face ID to a Mac or PC.
Press and hold the Power button at the top of the iPad for 3 seconds.
Keep holding the power button. Next, press and hold the Volume Down button from the right side of the iPad.
Keep holding both buttons for 10 seconds. Use a watch if needed.
Note: If you see the Apple logo, it means you've held it for too long. In such a case, you'll have to start the process again.
Now, release the top Power button but keep holding the Volume Down button for the next 5 seconds.
If the iPad screen stays black, and you see a popup in iTunes or Finder, it means you are successfully in DFU mode.

How to put an iPad that has a Home button in DFU Mode

The process of putting an iPad with Home Button in DFU mode is similar to iPhone 6s and earlier. Take a look.

Connect your iPad to a Mac or PC via Lightning to USB cable.
Press and hold the top Power button for 3 seconds.
Next, while still holding the power button, press and hold the Home button at the front of your iPad.
Continue to hold both buttons for 10 seconds. Use a watch if needed.
Note: If you hold them for too long, you'll see the Apple logo. This means you have been unsuccessful and will have to start from step one again.
Immediately after 10 seconds, release the top Power button but continue to hold the Home button for the next 5 seconds.
Note: If the Plug into Computer screen appears, you'll need to start it again. Make sure not to hold it for too long.
After you correctly follow step 5, your iPad's screen will stay black. This means your device is now in DFU mode.
iTunes or Finder will also show a popup. Click Restore iPhone to proceed.

How to exit DFU Mode on any iPhone or iPad

If you change your mind and want to exit DFU mode midway, here's how to exit DFU mode on the iPhone and iPad.

To exit DFU mode on iPhone 13, 12, SE 2020, iPhone 11, X series, and iPads with Face ID: Press and then release the Volume Up button. Immediately, press and release the Volume Down button. Finally, press and hold the Power/Side button (Top button for iPad) until you see the Apple logo appear on the screen.

To exit DFU mode on iPhone 7 and 7 Plus: Press and hold the Side power button and the Volume Down button together. Leave both the buttons when you see the Apple logo on the screen.

To exit DFU mode on iPhone 6s and earlier or an iPad with Home button: Press and hold the Home button at the front of the device and Side power button (Top button for iPad) together. Leave the buttons when you see the Apple logo.

In short, use force restart to exit out of DFU mode on any iPhone or iPad.

That's all!

Signing off…

This is how you can enter DFU mode on your iPhone or iPad. Just remember that if you see a lightning cable logo and a MacBook logo on your iPhone, it means you're not in DFU mode, but Recovery mode.

This is different. In DFU mode, you only have one option, which is Restore iPhone. In Recovery Mode, you'll see two options: Update iPhone and Restore iPhone. If the update works for you and solves your problem, then there's no need for DFU restore. Enjoy your functioning device!

If you have any questions, please feel free to ask us in the comments below.

You would like to read these posts as well:

How to Fix iPhone Touch Screen Not Working Issue
Steps to Fix iPhone Stuck on Apple Logo Issue
How to Improve iPhone Battery Life

Marcus is a freelance tech writer/editor with a focus on succinctly explaining consumer devices and their software. His previous work has been published on MakeUseOf where he covered everything from iOS to Git and UI design.