How To Fix “Attempting Data Recovery” On IPhone

Every new iOS update is something to look forward to, considering its exciting and significant improvements. But it’s not always a smooth process to successfully update your iOS since it sometimes leads to the “Attempting data recovery” error.

When your iPhone fails to complete the update, you’ll also see a message saying that the update failed. Then, your phone might also ask you to press the Home key to restore. This error also usually happens due to an update bug, especially if you’re either updating or backing up using iTunes.

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How to Fix “Attempting Data Recovery” on iPhone?

When you get the data recovery error, the only option is to rely on some of the last-resort methods. For instance, you can perform a hard reset, set your iPhone to recovery mode, or restore backup files. Let’s look at them in detail:

Hard Reset iPhone

Before we get into the more detailed solutions, a simple fix to try is a force restart. This is because sometimes, your phone can encounter such errors due to random glitches. If that is indeed the case, a restart should bring your phone back to life. Then, you can try updating the iOS again.

Here’s how to force restart your iPhone, depending on the model.

On iPhone 8 or newer models

Press and hold the Volume Up key. Next, press and hold down the Volume Down key.
Now, press down the side or the Sleep/Wake key.
Continue the process until you can view the Apple logo on your screen.
Finally, release the Sleep/Wake key.

On iPhone 7

Press and hold the Volume Down key and the Sleep/Wake key at once. Keep doing it until you notice the Apple logo.
Release both keys.

On iPhone 6s

Press and hold down the side key and the Home key at once.
Release both keys after you see the Apple icon.

Put iPhone into Recovery Mode

If you cannot reset your iPhone following the methods above, you can try setting it to Recovery mode. This is a proper and effective troubleshooting technique to restart your phone and bypass common errors.

However, it’s worth mentioning that this method involves wiping all of your existing data. So, we only recommend it if you’ve backed up your data. To check if you’ve successfully turned on the Recovery Mode, look for a laptop logo and the lightning connector logo on your iPhone screen. Once you’re ready to enable this mode, you can follow these steps:

You’ll need a USB lightning cable and a computer. On your PC, open iTunes. Make sure to update it to the latest version.
Connect your iPhone to the PC using the USB lightning cable.
Then, put your phone into recovery mode in this manner:
- On iPhone 8 or later: Press down and release the Volume Up key. Hold down and release the Volume Down key. Press and hold down the side key until you see the Recovery Mode logo.
- On iPhone 7: Press and hold down the Sleep/Wake key and the Volume Down key at once. Keep pressing these keys until you can see the Recovery Mode logo.
- On iPhone 6s or earlier: Hold down the Home key and the side key simultaneously. Keep pressing the keys for ten seconds or until there’s the Recovery Mode logo on your screen.

Restore Data Using iTunes

Once your iPhone is in Recovery mode, you’ll need to revive it by backing up your data from iTunes. In this way, you can get back into your phone and bypass the “Attempting data recovery” error. Here are the exact steps for it:

Make sure your phone is connected to your PC.
Open iTunes and select the device icon.
Click on Summary and view the Backups section.
Select the Restore iPhone option.
Again, click on Restore and Update. Doing so will also install a new version of iOS.
After the process is over, you’ll see that your iPhone has the set-up screen.
Now, you can continue using your phone from the last backup.

Restore iPhone via iCloud Backup

Another way you can restore your iPhone via iCloud backup is when you’re setting up your iPhone. After wiping all your data, your phone will restart from scratch. When you reach the Apps and Data page, you’ll get several options to restore data.