How to Enter Recovery Mode on iPad Air (2020 Model)

Using recovery mode on the newest iPad Air (2020 models and later) may be necessary sometimes for troubleshooting purposes. Entering and using Recovery Mode on the newest iPad Air models is a bit different than earlier iPad models however, so if you’re unsure how it works read on to learn how to enter and exit the troubleshooting mode for the device.

Normally, recovery mode is used by more advanced users to troubleshoot serious software-related issues, whether the iPad is stuck in a boot loop, frozen on the Apple logo screen, or if it’s asking you to connect to a computer for whatever reason. This is also sometimes a solution if iTunes or Finder is unable to recognize your connected iPad and the device is simultaneously unresponsive. More often than not, these problems could occur due to a failed software update, amongst various other issues, and are not encountered by most users fortunately. Nonetheless if it happens, you’ll be glad to know how recovery mode works as you might be able to resolve a more serious iPad problem yourself with it.

How to Enter Recovery Mode on iPad Air (2020 Model and Newer)

First and foremost, back up your data to either iCloud or iTunes on the computer. This is to make sure you don’t permanently lose any data in the process. To properly use your iPad Air’s recovery mode, you’ll need the included USB-C cable and a computer with the latest version of iTunes installed on it.

1. First, press and release the Volume Up button on your iPad. Immediately after, press and release the Volume Down button. Now, press and hold the power button. Your device will reboot with the Apple logo on the screen.

   

2. Continue holding the power button even after you see the Apple logo and after a few seconds, your iPad will indicate you to connect it to a computer, as shown below. This is the recovery mode screen.

   

3. Now, connect your iPad to the computer using the USB-C cable and launch iTunes. You’ll receive a pop-up in iTunes indicating that there’s a problem with the iPad and you’ll have the option to either restore or update it. If you’re on a Mac running macOS Catalina or later, you can use Finder instead of iTunes. Although the screenshot below is for an iPhone, this step is identical for all iPads too.

   

There you go. You’ve now learned how to enter recovery mode on your new iPad Air. That wasn’t too hard, was it?

Exiting Recovery Mode on iPad Air 2020

You can manually exit recovery mode if you accidentally entered it and don’t want to update or restore your iPad Air. To do this, simply disconnect your iPad from the computer and keep holding the power button until the recovery mode screen goes away.

Exiting Recovery Mode will return the iPad to whatever the prior state was before it was placed into recovery mode in the first place. For example, if your iPad was stuck on the Apple logo screen, it won’t magically boot up just because you entered and exited recovery mode.

However, if you went with the update or restore route, your iPad should automatically exit recovery mode and boot normally once iTunes or Finder completes the procedure.

If recovery mode doesn’t do the trick, you can go a step further and use DFU mode on the new iPad Air (2020 or later models) as well, which is basically a lower level version of recovery mode.

If you’re interested in learning about recovery mode beyond the new iPad Air, then you can check out how to enter recovery mode on other popular iPad models and even iPhones. Perhaps, you have an older iPad with home button that requires a different procedure.

• How to Enter Recovery Mode on iPad, iPad Air, iPad Mini, Early iPad Pro
• How to Enter Recovery Mode on iPad Pro (2018 & Newer)
• How to Use Recovery Mode on iPhone 11, iPhone 11 Pro, iPhone 11 Pro Max
• How to Enter Recovery Mode on iPhone SE (2020 Model)
• How to Enter Recovery Mode on iPhone 8 & iPhone 8 Plus

We hope you were able to familiarize yourself with the way iPadOS devices like the new iPad Air handles software recovery. Did the recovery mode help you resolve the issues that were affecting your iPad? Do share your personal experiences, tips, suggestions, and valuable opinions in the comments section down below.