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Regardless of how smooth and flawless iOS claims to be, it isn’t a perfect OS. Several errors can tamper your iPhone experience. And the connect to iTunes logo has irritated iPhone users for years. As with many other errors, your first reaction would be to take the device to an Apple service center, especially if you’re new to the Apple ecosystem.
Well, this doesn’t always have to be the case. The connect to iTunes screen on the iPhone isn’t something that you should panic about. Instead, you can follow different ways to fix a device like this. In this guide, we have covered some such solutions to fix the connect to iTunes error on an iPhone. You’d want to try these options before you decide to visit an Apple support center.
Before we explore these solutions, you should know why your iPhone is stuck on connect to iTunes screen. Doing so will help us get to the most effective solution faster.
Common Reasons Why You Got an iPhone Stuck on Connect to iTunes Screen
While the specific reason varies from device to device, here are some factors that may cause your iPhone to get stuck in a connect to iTunes logo.
iOS System Errors
As we said, iOS isn’t a perfect Operating System. Errors in the iOS system can cause your iPhone to get stuck on the connect to iTunes logo. These errors may have occurred due to settings you have changed or from the iOS system itself. If you came across the error while trying to restart your iPhone or following a random shut-down, you could very well consider internal iOS errors as the culprit.
Corrupt iOS Updates
Did you know that the iOS update process could also get corrupted? Well, Apple takes ample precautions to make sure that your device stays stable while installing the update. Even then, problems with the charger or a battery cell can cause your iOS 13 or iOS 14 update to go wrong. If an update indeed goes wrong, that will cause the error.
Failure in Factory Reset
Resetting an iPhone to the factory settings can help you solve a variety of issues. At the same time, even the simplest error during the process can turn things the other way round. So, if your iPhone faced some kind of issue during factory reset — unexpected battery failure or force reboot, you’ll see the connect to iTunes error on your phone.
Failed Jailbreaking Attempt
While jailbreaking your iPhone opens up many possibilities, it always poses the risk of data/OS corruption. So, if you came across the connect to iTunes screen while trying to jailbreak your iPhone, do not think twice. Something may have gone wrong while the jailbreaking tool was tweaking the iOS system files on your phone — or iPad, for that matter.
Hardware Issues
This is a worst-case scenario, to be honest. Some hardware issues with the iPhone can cause the device to show the Connect to iTunes error. These hardware issues could be very small or detrimental, depending on the device model and your usage patterns. While you can ignore some of these errors and keep using your device, others require expert assistance.
Regardless of why you can try the following methods to fix the iPhone stuck on the iTunes issue.
Top 3 Ways to Fix iPhone Stuck on Connect to iTunes Screen
While you may see a wide variety of methods that claim to fix an iPhone stuck on a connect to iTunes screen, we think these three are your best shots.
1. Force Restart Your iPhone
If a minor software error caused your iPhone to get stuck on the error screen, you could solve it using a force restart. A force restart means you have to use a combination of buttons to restart your iPhone. This is necessary because you may not be able to use your iPhone screen as you usually do.
Depending on the iPhone model that you use, you have to choose the force restart method from below.
iPhone 6s or older
You can force restart your iPhone 6s by pressing and holding the Home button and Wake/Sleep button for a minimum of 10 seconds. You should do this until you see your device reboot and the Apple logo appear on the screen. If successful, your iPhone would boot up normally, getting rid of the iTunes connection screen.
iPhone 7 and 7 Plus
Since iPhone 7/7 Plus doesn’t have a clickable Home button, you have to follow another key combination. In this case, you got to press and hold the Volume Down button and Wake/Sleep button until the Apple logo appears on the screen.
iPhone 8 and later
In iPhone 8, X, XR, 11, and 11 Pro, the process involves multiple steps. First, you have to Quickly Press and Release the Volume Up button and then do the same with the Volume Down button. After this, you have to Press and Hold the Power button until the Apple logo appears.
So, if your iPhone started showing the connect to the iTunes screen all of a sudden, this solution can help you out. If you are still stuck on the iTunes screen, you should try the next solution.
2. One-click Solution to Fix iPhone Stuck on iTunes Screen
There are dedicated iOS repair tools that can help you solve the connect to iTunes errors on any iPhone. You have to find the right tool and use it. The best part here is that you have a high rate of success, and the entire process requires just a few clicks.
Tenorshare ReiBoot is currently one of the best iOS system repair tools in the current market. You can use it to enter and exit Recovery Mode on your iPhone with ease. That is precisely what we want to do to get your device from the connect to iTunes error.
To use this method, you have to download and install Tenorshare ReiBoot on your PC or Mac. Then, you can connect your iPhone using the original accessories. ReiBoot would detect your device and will show you the available options. From this, you have to choose ‘Exit Recovery Mode’ from the available options.
This process may take a few seconds or minutes, depending on the device you have. You will also receive an update from ReiBoot about the Exiting process. As you can see, this is an easy task. The best part is that this does not affect what you’ve stored or installed on your iPhone.
In most cases, ReiBoot can help you solve the connect to iTunes error without reinstalling iOS. But, if it does not work, you have to look at the next option. Read our ReiBoot Review here.
3. Restore iPhone to fix iPhone stuck on iTunes Logo
This is the last method you should try before taking your iPhone to an authorized Apple service center. Here, you will be using iTunes to fix the iPhone stuck on the iTunes logo issue. Given that you have a PC/Mac with a decent internet connection, following this solution won’t be difficult.
One thing you should know is that this solution would erase everything you have stored on your iPhone. So, if you don’t have a full backup of the device, you will have to start everything from the beginning. But, on the bright side, you will have a fresh iOS installation on the device.
The steps you have to follow are as follows.
- You need to have the latest version of iTunes installed on your computer. In the case of Windows PC, you can download iTunes from the official Apple website. If you have a Mac running macOS Mojave or later, iTunes is built into the OS/Finder. In this case, you have to update your Mac to the latest version of macOS, as available. If you are running a version before Mojave, you can update iTunes using the list of apps.
- Once you have set this up, you can connect your stuck iPhone to the computer. Make sure that you use official accessories while doing so. Wait until your computer detects the connected iPhone.
- After this, you should see a message saying that “There’s a problem with the [your device name] that requires it to be updated or restored.” This means your iPhone has some serious problems with regards to the iOS installation.
- Now, you have to select the ‘Update’ option and wait while iTunes does its job. Please do make sure that you have a steady internet connection and power supply. iTunes must be able to download the latest version of iOS and install the same on your iPhone. Also, this process may take several minutes.
- Once the updating process is complete, you would see a prompt on the computer. Your iPhone would soon reboot as it usually does.
So, if you see your iPhone go back to normalcy, it means everything is good to go. You have saved yourself from a visit to Apple service centers.
Conclusion
In most instances, these methods should solve the problem. If your iPhone accidentally turned on the iTunes error screen, the first or second solution will fix it. Plus, you don’t have to worry about data loss. Even in case, an iOS error has appeared, the iTunes method should resolve everything.
If none of the methods we mentioned above work, it means your iPhone has a bigger problem. This may be a hardware error, after all. In that case, it’s better to take your iPhone to the nearest Apple service center — or, at least, talk to Apple support.
If your iPhone is under warranty, you can get the issue fixed at no extra cost. However, if you are out of the warranty coverage, you may have to spend something according to the severity of the error. Even in such a scenario, you will lose every bit of data you have stored on the iPhone.
