Hard Drive Recovery Associates

Using Recovery Mode With Your iPhone

Using Recovery Mode With Your iPhone

When activated, the Recovery Mode on an iPhone from Apple will delete all content from the device, and is certainly not a great thing to do without absolute certainty. In most cases, data that has been deleted is completely irretrievable and cannot be recovered, even by a data recovery company.

There are several reasons why deleted files on an iPhone cannot be recovered through normal means:

Flash Media Design: iOS devices use NAND flash, a type of non-volatile memory consisting of transistors arranged into a grid. This technology was developed by Flash Media Engineering. In order to store data, transistors are used to hold electrical charges. When data is deleted from flash drives, it is typically removed from the device permanently. A garbage collection process is utilized by NAND flash media in order to improve efficiency and maximize storage space. The data is rendered permanently unrecoverable as a result of this process, which involves clearing the charges from the transistors. When the charge isn’t there anymore, neither is the data.

File Based Encryption: The iPhone encrypts the majority of the user’s files using encryption that is based on the individual file. This means that each file has its own special encryption key. When data is deleted from an iOS device, the encryption key is also removed. This renders the data unusable. There are, however, a few notable exceptions: After an ordinary delete command has been executed on a device running iOS 12 or an earlier version, the user’s photos, videos, internet browsing history, and text messages may still be retrievable. Nevertheless, the Recovery Mode delete command is not like other delete commands; rather, it performs a format operation on the device, bringing it back to its original settings. Calling it a Format would frankly make much more sense, but sadly it is what it is.

Data recovery engineers from Hard Drive Recovery Associates may be able to retrieve metadata from iPhones and other iOS devices after performing a complete reset to the factory settings. For the most part, metadata is utilized in computer forensics investigations to provide a record of phone usage – for most folks this data is going to be useless.

In a nutshell, you shouldn’t use iOS Recovery Mode unless you first created a complete backup of your device before doing so. Before beginning the process, which cannot be undone once it has started, we strongly advise looking over your backup, even breaking it down to file types so that you know exactly what you have.

Before entering Recovery Mode, is it possible to retrieve data from an iPhone?

If your iPhone has stopped responding or if you are unable to get it to boot further than the iOS logo, it still may be possible that you can recover your data. If your computer is able to recognize the device, this step will be much simpler: Apple provides a step-by-step guide for transferring photos and videos captured on iOS devices to a computer running Mac OS X or Microsoft Windows.

If, on the other hand, your iPhone is completely unresponsive, your options will be severely restricted. The recovery of the files requires low-level access to the device’s data storage, which isn’t feasible outside of a professional data recovery laboratory like the one HDRA uses. And don’t bother with data recovery software – it almost never works in this case, and can actually make your data loss permanent.

In most cases, iPhone data recovery tools do not actually access the storage on the iPhone itself. Instead, the software recovers files by pulling them directly from the user’s iCloud Drive. You’ll probably want to save some cash and just download your own files from iCloud.

Unfortunately, I do not have a backup of my iPhone because it is broken. What should I do?

If you are not completely certain that you have a backup of your iPhone, do not put the iPhone into Recovery Mode. If you want to increase your chances of making a full recovery, instead take the following steps:

Collect information regarding the unsuccessful attempt. Is the iPhone able to start up? Is there a response time on the touchscreen? What exactly takes place when you connect it to your computer?

Make sure the device is turned off at all times. Do not spend money on data recovery software if your mobile device runs iOS 13 or a later version; this software will not fix the issue.

Make an effort to compile a list of the most vital file types and types of files.
For instance, if all you require is access to your photos and videos, the information you provide to a data recovery engineer could prove to be extremely helpful.

Collaborate with a data recovery company that has prior experience. Because gaining access to the data will require sophisticated logical strategies and specialized hardware, you will need to locate a provider who has a solid track record.

Hard Drive Recovery Associates is the industry standard when it comes to iPhone data recovery, and our “no data, no charge” guarantee provides you with the peace of mind you need as your case moves forward.