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Recovery / DFU Mode Guides

Boot sequences for putting iPhones into Recovery or DFU mode, and Samsung Galaxies into Download or BROM mode. These are the entry points for PhoneToolkit's flashing and unlock recipes.

Backup first. DFU restores and BROM-mode userdata wipes are destructive — every photo, message, contact, and app on the device will be gone. Confirm ownership and customer authorization before any operation.

iPhone 8 and later (Face ID models, iPhone SE 2nd/3rd gen)

Recovery mode
  1. Connect the iPhone to your Mac with a Lightning / USB-C cable
  2. Press and quickly release Volume Up
  3. Press and quickly release Volume Down
  4. Press and hold the Side button until the recovery-mode screen appears (cable + computer icon). Don't release on the Apple logo — keep holding.
DFU mode
  1. Connect the iPhone to your Mac
  2. Press and quickly release Volume Up
  3. Press and quickly release Volume Down
  4. Press and hold the Side button for 10 seconds — screen stays black
  5. Continue holding Side, ALSO press and hold Volume Down for 5 seconds
  6. Release Side button BUT keep holding Volume Down for another 10 seconds
  7. Screen should remain black. macOS Finder / iTunes will report 'iPhone in recovery mode' (it actually means DFU — Apple's UI doesn't distinguish).
If the Apple logo appears at any point, restart the sequence. Verify true DFU by running `irecovery -q` from PhoneToolkit — DFU returns CPID + ECID with no screen output on the device.

iPhone 7 / 7 Plus

Recovery mode
  1. Connect to Mac
  2. Press and hold Side + Volume Down together until the recovery-mode screen appears
DFU mode
  1. Connect to Mac
  2. Press and hold Side + Volume Down together for 8 seconds — screen stays black
  3. Release Side button BUT keep holding Volume Down for another 5 seconds
  4. Screen remains black; Mac detects 'iPhone in recovery mode'

iPhone 6s and earlier (Home button models)

Recovery mode
  1. Connect to Mac
  2. Press and hold Home + Side (or Top) buttons simultaneously
  3. Hold until the recovery-mode screen appears
DFU mode
  1. Connect to Mac
  2. Press and hold Home + Side (or Top) buttons for 8 seconds
  3. Release Side button BUT keep holding Home for another 5 seconds
  4. Screen remains black; Mac detects 'iPhone in recovery mode'

Samsung Galaxy (USB-C — most models from 2017 onward)

Download mode (Odin / Heimdall flashing target)
  1. Power the phone OFF completely (hold Power, tap Power Off, confirm)
  2. Connect the USB cable to the computer BUT NOT the phone yet
  3. Press and hold Volume Up + Volume Down together
  4. While still holding both, plug the USB cable into the phone
  5. When the warning screen appears, release the buttons and press Volume Up to enter Download mode
On Snapdragon US variants the bootloader is normally relocked and signed — Download mode boots but Odin writes are rejected by the firmware (see PhoneToolkit's Odin protocol notes).
Recovery mode (factory reset / sideload)
  1. Power off completely
  2. Press and hold Volume Up + Side (Power) — most modern models
  3. Wait for the Android recovery menu to appear
  4. Use Volume keys to navigate; Power to select
On some Galaxy A-series models the Bixby/Side button is the same; combo timing is the same.

Samsung Galaxy MTK-chipset models (some A0x series, J-series)

BROM (Bootrom) mode — for PhoneToolkit's MTK partition dump
  1. Power the phone OFF completely
  2. Disconnect any cable
  3. Hold Volume Down only (not Up — that's Download mode)
  4. While holding Volume Down, plug the USB cable in
  5. The phone enumerates as a MediaTek preloader device with no screen output — verify via `dmesg | grep -i mediatek` on macOS / Linux
BROM mode is what PhoneToolkit's Phase B v0 MTK BROM unlock targets. Userdata partition can be erased here without firmware authentication.