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iPhone 8 Tips: How to Force Restart, Enter Recovery and DFU Mode

02/26/2018

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With the iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus, Apple has changed the way that you carry out a forced restart, enter recovery mode, and enter DFU mode. Here's the guide. 


How to force restart iPhone 8/8 Plus?

Because of the new process for activating the Emergency SOS feature, which requires the Side button plus either the Volume Up or Volume Down button, these button combos won't work for force-restarting your iPhone 8 or 8 Plus when you have a problem with the device. The new process is as follows:

Step 1 Quick-press the Volume Up button.

Step 2 Quick-press the Volume Down button.

Step 3 Press and hold the Side button for ten seconds, until the Apple logo appears.


iPhone 8 Tips: How to Force Restart, Enter Recovery and DFU Mode


How to enter Recovery mode?

Step 1 Quick-press Volume "+" button, then Volume "-" button and finally press Power button. 

Step 2 When the screen turns to blank, press Volume "-" button until the iTunes logo appears on the screen or 3uTools detects your iDevice in Recovery mode.


How to enter DFU mode? 

Method 1 (Highly recommend this method)

Step 1: Connect your iPhone to your PC with a USB cable and lanch 3uTools.

Step 2: Press and release the Volume "+" button, press and release the Volume "-" button, and press and hold the Side button for 10 seconds until the screen turns black.

Step 3: While still holding the Power button, press and hold the Volume "-" button for 5 seconds, and then release the Side button while continuing to hold the Volume "-" button for another 10 seconds until 3uTools detects the device in DFU mode. 


Method 2 

Step 1 You need to turn off your iPhone. Hold the Power button for 3 seconds, don’t let it go. 

Step 2 Press the Volume "-" button for 10 seconds, and then release only Power button

Step 3 Continue holding Volume "-" button, then iDevice’s screen will become blank. Keep holding the Volume Down button till 3uTools detects an iOS device in DFU mode.

 


How to exit recovery-mode or DFU mode on iPhone 8?

As long as there are no problems with your iPhone, exiting out of recovery-mode or DFU mode is simple.


To exit out of recovery-mode, press and hold the Side button until the Connect to iTunes logo disappears. 


To exit out of DFU mode, press and release the Volume Up button, press and release the Volume Down button, and press and hold the Side button until you see the Apple logo appear on screen (You can also use this for exiting recovery-mode if you just prefer to remember a single method).


iPhone 8 Tips: How to Force Restart, Enter Recovery and DFU Mode

Windows
Mac OS
iOS
Linux
3uTools
Win 64-bit For this device
V9.0 2025-11-11
Download
Win 32-bit For this device
V9.0 2025-11-11
Download
3uTools V3.18
2025-09-18
Please use the 3uTools PC client to install the iOS client:
1、 Install either the Windows or Mac version of 3uTools on your computer
2、 Open the PC client and connect your device to the computer via USB cable
3、 After the connection is successful, wait for the computer to automatically install the mobile app for the device, or locate “Install Mobile App” on the computer and manually click to install.
3uTools
deb file
v3.01 2025-11-20
Download
rpm file
v3.01 2025-11-20
Download
Windows
iOS
Android
3uAirPlayer
Win 64-bit For this device
V6.0.2 2025-11-19
Download
Win 32-bit For this device
V6.0.2 2025-11-19
Download
iOS Device Mirroring (No App Required)
1、 Install 3uAirPlayer on the Windows PC
2、 Open Control Center and select Screen Mirroring
3、 From the list, choose your PC to start mirroring
4、 Or connect your iOS device to the PC via USB to begin mirroring
Scan to get "3uAirPlayer" App