Why Is My iPhone Attempting Data Recovery?

Encountering the 'Attempting Data Recovery' message on your iPhone can be a concerning experience, especially if you're unsure of why it's happening. This perplexing notification often arises during or after an iOS update or when restoring your device using iTunes.

Understanding the reasons behind why your iPhone is attempting data recovery is essential for effectively addressing and resolving this issue. Let's delve into the potential causes and solutions for this puzzling scenario.

Why Is My iPhone Attempting Data Recovery?

The 'Attempting Data Recovery' message often occurs on an iPhone either during or after an iOS update or when restoring your iPhone via iTunes. This screen indicates that iTunes is attempting to recover data from your device, but it's unable to do so.

Such a situation may arise if the update or restoration process is interrupted or fails due to various reasons, such as insufficient space on the iPhone, the device shutting down during the update, a corrupted update file, or a failed recovery mode update on a computer.

Apple has not officially addressed or provided a solution for this issue. Typically, the data recovery process runs automatically without requiring any user intervention.

However, if you find yourself stuck in the "Attempting data recovery" loop for an extended period, you may try the following steps to resolve the problem and fix the iPhone stuck on the attempting data recovery loop screen.

Will My Data Be Lost During iPhone Attempting Data Recovery?

Unfortunately, there's no definitive answer to this question. However, the good news is that if you have a recent backup — either in iCloud or on your Mac or PC — you can quickly restore your device and be up and running again in just a few hours.

What's more, according to our survey, the vast majority of users who encountered this problem did not report any data loss on your iPhone. Therefore, it's crucial to ensure you have a backup of your data before updating iOS, as a precautionary measure in case something goes wrong.

How to Fix iPhone Stuck on Attempting Data Recovery

Wait for a While

Sometimes, seeing the "Attempting Data Recovery" screen during an update is simply due to the update process taking longer than usual. This delay could be caused by factors such as a weak network connection. To ensure that your device isn't stuck on this screen, press the Home Button and wait. If you're still waiting after an hour, it's time to take more drastic steps.

Force Restart Your iPhone

If your device appears to be stuck on the "Attempting Data Recovery" screen, a force restart may be necessary to end the process quickly. Since other features on the device are inaccessible, a force restart is the only option. Here's how to do it:

For iPhone 8 and newer:

Press and release the Volume Up button, press and release the Volume Down button, and then press and hold the Side (Power) button until the Apple logo appears.

For iPhone 7 or 7 Plus:

Press and hold the Volume Down and Power (Sleep/Wake) buttons simultaneously. Release both buttons when the Apple logo appears.

For iPhone 6, 6S, and SE 1:

Press and hold both the Power (Sleep/Wake) button and the Home Button simultaneously. Release both buttons when the Apple logo appears.

Fix iPhone Stuck Issue with TinyFix

If the issue persists after a force restart and attempting to update the device again, consider using TinyFix. It's a reliable iOS system repair tool that can fix common iOS stuck issues. Here's how to use it:

Step 1: Download and install TinyFix on your computer.

Step 2: Open TinyFix and select "iOS System Repair" from the main screen. Connect the iPhone to the computer.

Step 3: TinyFix will detect the connected device. Click on "Standard Mode"to repair the device without losing data.

Step 4: When prompted to download the latest firmware, click "Download."

Step 5: Once the download is complete, click "Fix Now" and keep the iPhone connected until the repair process is finished. Your iPhone will restart automatically.

Restore Your iPhone in Recovery Mode

Another way to fix iOS stuck issues, especially those caused by an iOS update, is to put the device in recovery mode. Keep in mind that this method may result in the loss of all data on your iPhone. Here's how to do it:

Step 1: Connect your iPhone to the computer.

Step 2: Follow the instructions to put your iPhone in Recovery mode.

For iPhone 8 or newer models, quickly press and release the Volume Up button, then quickly press and release the Volume Down button. Next, press and hold the Side button until the recovery mode screen appears.

For iPhone 7 or 7 Plus, simultaneously press and hold the Side button and Volume Down button until the recovery mode screen appears.

For iPhone 6s or earlier models, press and hold the Side button and Home button simultaneously until the recovery mode screen appears.

Step 3: Open iTunes and once it detects the device, you should see a popup indicating that there is a problem with the connected iPhone. Click on "Update" to allow iTunes to reinstall the iOS without affecting the data on the device.

If "Update" doesn't solve the issue, repeat the steps and then select "Restore." Restoring the iPhone in iTunes will erase all data on the device. But once the process is complete, you can set up the device and restore data from a previous backup.

Is Your iPhone Now Out of Attempting Data Recovery?

Now that your iPhone has been recovered from the attempting data recovery issue using the aforementioned three solutions, your device may have undergone a reset.

To restore your data to the iPhone, select either "Restore from iCloud Backup" or "Restore from iTunes Backup" once the Apps & Data screen appears on your iPhone

If opting for iCloud backup restoration, sign in to your Apple ID and select the latest iCloud backup.

Alternatively, if you have an iTunes or Finder backup, follow these steps:

Step 1: Launch iTunes or Finder and connect your iPhone to a computer previously synced with the device.

Step 2: Select the device icon and click on "Restore Backup."

Step 3: Choose the most recent backup and click "Restore."

Conclusion

We hope the solutions provided above help resolve the "Attempting Data Recovery" screen issue on your iPhone. If none of the solutions above can fix the problem, then you may need to contact Apple Support as the cause of the problem may be trickier than simply a software issue.

You can call Apple Support and explain the problem to a technician or you can make an appointment at your local Apple Store to get more personalized service. Feel free to share your experience in the comments section below.