With the release of the iPhone 8 and iPhone X, Apple made some changes to the methods used to force restart its flagship device. These changes come just a year after Apple made similar changes to the iPhone 7 — the first iOS device to don a solid state Home button.
These changes not only affect force restarts, but also alter the process for entering recovery-mode and DFU mode. Have a look at our brief video walkthrough inside for a look at the changes in action.
As we noted in our hands-on video walkthrough of the second iOS 11.1 beta release, pressing and the holding Sleep/Wake button (now officially renamed the Side button) + either volume buttons invokes the emergency dialing (SOS) functionality on the iPhone 8.
This behavior is present on all iPhone 8 and 8 Plus models running iOS 11. With this change in functionality in mind, a new method for force restarts, recovery-mode, and DFU mode needed to be implemented, and Apple has done just that.
How to force restart iPhone 8
To force restart (hard reset) the iPhone 8, press and release the Volume Up button, press and release the Volume Down button, and press and hold the Side button until your device reboots, then release. All three button presses should be done in relatively quick succession. After holding the Side button for about ten seconds, the iPhone will force restart.
Video walkthrough
How to get into recovery-mode on iPhone 8
Step 1: Connect your iPhone 8 to your Mac or PC with a Lightning to USB cable.
Step 2: Press and release the Volume Up button, press and release the Volume Down button, and press and hold the Side button until your device reboots. Continue holding the Side button, even after you see the Apple logo appear.
Step 3: Release the Side button once you see the Connect to iTunes logo appear on the iPhone’s display.
Step 4: Launch iTunes, and you should see a message stating that “There is a problem with the iPhone that requires it to be updated or restored.” From there, you can choose to Update or Restore your iPhone’s software.
How to get into DFU mode on iPhone 8
Step 1: Connect your iPhone to your Mac or PC with a Lightning to USB cable.
Step 2: Press and release the Volume Up button, press and release the Volume Down button, and press and hold the Side button for 10 seconds until the screen turns black.
Step 3: While still holding the Side button, press and hold the Volume Down button for 5 seconds, and then release the Side button while continuing to hold the Volume Down button for another 10 seconds. The screen should remain black.
Step 4: Launch iTunes, and you should see a message stating that “iTunes has detected an iPhone in recovery mode. You must restore this iPhone before it can be used with iTunes.”
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).
The process for managing recovery and DFU mode has gotten slightly more complicated with the iPhone 8, but it’s still relatively easy to do. Just follow the instructions demonstrated in our video walkthrough, and you’ll be a master in no time.
What do you think about the new methods involved for force restarts, recovery and DFU mode? Sound off in the comments below with your thoughts and opinions.
To learn more about the new iPhone 8, be sure to watch our Top iPhone 8 features video, embedded below:
