My iPhone 7, which I bought about two years ago, has recently started repeatedly restarting and then shutting down.
I eventually upgraded to an iPhone XS, and I'd like to write an article about the things I tried and the solutions I used to recover my data, as a lesson learned.
Things to try first
When an iPhone starts repeatedly restarting indefinitely, it becomes difficult to use it properly.
Therefore, you may need to consider either recovering your device or buying a new one.
However, to do that, you absolutely must back up your data somehow.
If you don't regularly back up your data, you should at least try to do so.
In such cases, first try a forced shutdown by pressing and holding the button.
The operation method seems to differ depending on the iPhone model, but since I had a 7, I had to long-press the volume down button and the power button.
If it still won't restart, leave it alone until the battery is completely drained.
After the power turns off naturally, it may be possible to revive it by recharging it.
What to do if it is temporarily restored
Even if the above method temporarily allows you to operate the device, the same symptoms may reappear soon after.
That was the case for me.
To prepare for such situations, immediately connect your device to a PC with iTunes installed and create a backup.
If you have a backup, you can try restoring from recovery mode, and even if you end up having to buy a new device, you can change models with almost no hassle.
Points to note when backing up with iTunes
It was a mistake I made,When creating a full backup with iTunes, be sure to check the "Encrypt local backup" option.
Otherwise, the most important data you want to back up—such as various device settings, apps, saved passwords, and contacts—will not be saved.
This information is called the "keychain," and if you don't back it up, it will remain on your device.
Incidentally, if you restore from a backup that was saved without checking this box, you may see a message saying "Restoration failed." Apparently, this is because the keychain information is missing.
I recovered my iPhone and reset it to its factory settings without backing up my keychain information.
I was feeling utterly dejected, thinking I had made a huge mistake,Even after the device was reset to its initial state, the keychain information remained on the device.
Therefore, after the device temporarily recovered, I was able to back up the keychain information using iTunes.
Points to note after recovery
Even if you manage to temporarily escape the loop state through a forced shutdown or recovery, don't let your guard down.
This Apple logo loop is said to be caused by firmware corruption due to the battery running out during an OS update, or by battery depletion.
If you recently purchased the iPhone, the former might be the cause.
However, if the problem is a hardware issue such as battery depletion, the same thing will happen again unless you replace the device.
Since iPhones are expensive devices, it might be difficult to replace them immediately.
neverthelessIt is very important to regularly back up your data in preparation for replacing your device.This incident made me realize that once again.
In conclusion, what should you do if you encounter an infinite reboot (Apple logo loop)?
Either force a shutdown or wait until the battery runs out and then restart.
Once the device is somehow restored, I create backup data with recovery or replacement of the device in mind.
If you already have backup data, don't hesitate to recover your device and restore from the backup.
However, be sure to check whether that backup data includes the keychain.
Even if it's not included, if you restore it to the same device, the keychain will remain, so it should be manageable.
However, since the device is likely to have a short lifespan, it is recommended to create a full backup of the data, including the keychain, after recovery.