Can You Recover Deleted WhatsApp Messages? The Options That Work and the Ones That Don’t

Your iPhone that’s stuck on the Apple logo has not lost anything yet. Your phone is stuck in the process of starting and the potential solutions for this issue can range from a simple restart to restoring it to factory settings. Apple also has a recovery screen that gives you two options. The update option reinstalls the software without deleting your data; restore option deletes everything on your phone.

To protect your data when you get your iPhone stuck on the Apple logo, you should follow this order of operations. First, make sure the phone isn’t just taking a long time to update. Second, perform a force restart. Third, connect the iPhone to your computer and continue the update process. Finally, when nothing else works, restore your iPhone. Note: updating doesn’t guarantee that everything you’ve backed up will be restored — it depends on what was backed up in the first place. Therefore, each step listed above has a level of risk associated with it, which is why it is important to check to see if your iPhone is actually stuck at all.

Is It Actually Stuck, or Just Updating? (The 1-Hour Rule)

An Apple logo with a progress bar signifies that your phone is functioning properly. Apple’s iOS 13 or later operating system allows the logo and progress bar to remain visible for over an hour when restoring or transferring data from another device. Apple considers the phone as having stopped functioning only when the progress bar has not moved for at least an hour.

The progress bar could also appear to be frozen, though it is functioning properly. Apple states that the progression of the progress bar [may move slowly or appear static] and how long it takes to complete depends on the number of files involved and the type of action taking place. The progress bar may fill up and then restart, depending on the number of files involved in the process. When updating over Wi-Fi, Apple recommends keeping your device connected to a charging source so that it does not run out of power during the update. Apple also reminds users that pressing any button during an update will keep the update process going, even if you see a message that states updating.

The one-hour rule only applies to situations where a progress bar is visible. A situation where the Apple logo appears without a progress bar and remains displayed for minutes or an extended period indicates a higher likelihood of having to restore through Recovery mode, as it does not fit the one-hour rule and might need recovery mode. Another pattern is a logo that continues to flicker and on and off, as was indicated in the previous section.

A quick decision path before you press anything

1. Bar visible and moving, or it moved within the last hour: leave the phone on power and don’t press any buttons.
2. Bar hasn’t moved for a full hour after a restore or migration: Apple’s stuck-logo page goes straight to Recovery Mode and Update (Step 2). If the phone stops responding completely, Apple’s progress-bar page points to a force restart (Step 1).
3. Apple logo with no bar for several minutes: start with a force restart (Step 1).
4. The force restart didn’t get you past the logo: connect to a computer, enter Recovery Mode and choose Update (Step 2).
5. Update failed, or the phone went into Recovery Mode on its own during an update: you’ve reached the Restore decision (Step 3). Check what your backups cover before you click anything.
6. The logo flashes on and off, the loop happens only while charging, a button is broken, or the phone looks damaged: read the hidden-causes section and consider service.

The decision path included above is a guide for using this resource. It is based on the information presented, including hundreds of thousands of successful restorations and changes to devices, as well as a variety of data associated with each recovery option. The decision path does not constitute an Apple procedure that is available to the public.

Step 1: Force Restart Your Specific iPhone Model (No Data Loss)

Force restarting a frozen iPhone manually resets the device using buttons, not erasing anything from memory. Each model has different button combinations to restart the phone, and by holding them at the same time will lead to recovery mode instead of restarting the phone.

The chart displays a force restart per model group, and the recovery mode sequence for step two will be needed as reference in the second column of the chart. Information on these button combos were taken directly from the unresponsive iPhone page on apple and the recovery mode page.

The main difference between the two columns of your model is when you need to release the button. Hence, it is essential to know your model before attempting to use this to force restart your iPhone. Apple also advises that it might take longer than 10 seconds of continuously holding the button down before seeing the iPhone logo appear. It also states that if nothing happens after an hour of charging, you should try again, or if you see the battery symbol, you should charge it for around 30 minutes to an hour before proceeding to restart the phone.

As soon as your phone arrives back to you, please make sure to back it up before any other actions are taken, such as trying to run any updates or delete files. There are two types of backups that Apple suggests via either iCloud and computer backups. For WhatsApp chats on iPhones, they will require their own unique chat backup from Settings > Chats > Chat Backup, unless you choose to rely on your phone’s iCloud backup for those types of chats.

The order of buttons mentioned above was derived from Apple’s official support pages as verified on 29 September 2026, and they were not tested on a physical iPhone for the purposes of this guide. If the images you see do not match with those in the order given above, please go to Apple’s website for your specific phone model.

Step 2: Use Recovery Mode to “Update” iOS (Saves Your Data)

The Recovery Mode page is an important start-up screen because it allows a computer to reinstall the mobile operating system (iOS) for an iPhone that has had difficulty starting. When the computer shows an option to Update or Restore the software/factory settings of the mobile device, Apple states that an Update will reinstall the operating system and keeps your personal data, while a Restore will wipe all of the data from the phone. Because updating does have lower risk than restoring, it is generally the preferred option; however, Apple does not guarantee to work every time.

What you need

You need a computer and a USB cable. Apple suggests the phone’s original cable. On a Mac running macOS Catalina 10.15 or later, you’ll use Finder. Older Macs on macOS Mojave or earlier use iTunes. On a Windows PC, use the latest Apple Devices app, or iTunes if you don’t have it, according to Apple.

The steps

Apple’s recovery mode page sets out this order:

1. Update the computer first: the latest macOS on a Mac, or the latest Apple Devices app on a PC.
2. Connect the iPhone to the computer with the USB cable.
3. Open Finder on a Mac, or the Apple Devices app on a PC.
4. Put the iPhone into Recovery Mode using the right-hand column of the table above, holding until “Connect to computer” appears.
5. Find your iPhone on the computer. When the Update or Restore message appears, click Update, not Restore.
6. Keep the phone connected until it finishes. If the download takes more than 15 minutes, the phone may leave the “Connect to computer” screen. Let the download finish, then put the phone back into Recovery Mode.

Apple has indicated that it recommends attempting to Update first due to the way it has specified the procedure. By performing an Update, the user has an opportunity to replace the system software that caused the device to stop functioning without deleting any of their personal information.

If the computer shows error 9, 4005, 4013 or 4014, Apple says the phone or computer lost the connection during the update or restore. The fix is to update the computer, force restart the phone, reconnect it and click Update again. If the error keeps coming back, try another cable, then another computer.

The Recovery Mode page on the Apple website only mentions the use of Finder, the Apple Device app and iTunes. There is no mention of any paid “iOS repair” software in this section. Any claims made by third-party repair services regarding not losing data during repairs have not been endorsed by Apple.

If a different screen appears

Apple’s Recovery Assistant option is available to some iPhones. Tapping on the ‘Continue’ button starts the recovery process which requires Wi-Fi and may take several minutes. The page does not mention anything about preserving your data during this process. Apple also offers to let you send diagnostic logs to them, but this is an optional feature and they warn you that these logs may include your name, serial number, and file names. You cannot use Wi-Fi networks that require you to log in via a web page.

The newer iPhone 15 Pro and later models listed by Apple have the ability to restore with a nearby device. This is done by using another unlocked iPhone or iPad that has iOS 18 or later installed. Although Apple refers to this as a restore process, it does not clarify whether it retains any of your data, so treat it with caution similar to Step 3 in the process. MacRumors reports a new recovery screen feature for iOS 27, but there is currently no documentation from Apple as to what types of options these will provide for your data. Therefore, until that information becomes available, the only documented method listed by Apple is the Computer Update path.

Step 3: The “Restore” Option (When You Accept Data Loss)

This procedure will restore iOS and erase all of the data on your iPhone. Apple has stated that you should attempt to update your iPhone first, if you haven’t tried updating yet, but if the update process fails or if you have lost everything except your iCloud backups or other forms of storage, then you must proceed to a Restore.

Before you click it, work out what will actually come back. An iCloud backup includes the data on the phone that doesn’t already sync to iCloud. Items like iCloud Photos and messages synced with iCloud come back through iCloud itself, not the backup. WhatsApp restores chats only from the last successful backup. Photos or chats that were only ever on the phone won’t be in any of these. If Update has failed and that data matters to you, stop here and decide before you click. Apple also notes that you might need service if recovery mode can’t update or restore the phone.

There is a specific exception noted by Apple that allows you to restore a phone that has been placed in recovery mode during an iOS update. Apple recommends restoring the phone to the state it was in prior to the update and restoring it from a backup. These specific exceptions do not suggest that you bypass the Update step in other situations. Only guides that say there is no other option will use the DFU mode for restoring an iPhone; Vivid Repairs, a UK shop, specifically mentions erasing everything when mentioning DFU mode in their guides. None of the guides at Apple that describe Recovery mode include the use of DFU mode.

When you restore a phone, retrieving data is a separate step in the setup process. During Apple’s restore from a computer backup process, you sign in with your Apple account, and then you choose which backup to use based on both the date and size. For an encrypted computer backup, you must also enter the password for that backup. Your applications, photos and all other types of files may continue to restore for hours or even days while on Wi-Fi and charging.

Hidden Causes: Full Storage and Battery Boot Loops

Full storage and an old battery appear together frequently in many different reports of people describing their device as being stuck in a logo loop, and while both are referenced by Apple for some of the reasons why this may happen, Apple means both of them to be much more specific than just a possible cause for the stuck logo. Apple states that you need sufficient storage available to perform the update as well as that an old battery can cause unexpected device shutdowns. Apple does not indicate that these are causes for an Apple logo boot loop, hence it is better to view these as potential causes than actual diagnoses.

When the phone was nearly full

Apple’s update support page mentions that you must have enough free storage on your device in order to download and install your update. Fixes for most devices shown in Apple’s Update support page are available in the user’s Settings app (Settings app is not accessible for devices that are stuck on a logo). In one case where a user identified their issue with a stuck logo on a device, the issue seems to have started due to insufficient flash storage being available for the iOS system update. In their post, a Reddit user on Reddit’s iPhone 13 Pro Max forum identified that their iPhone 13 Pro Max “has only like 200 Mb of available space, it won’t update,” and that the Apple logo was turning on and off repeatedly. This poster waited over 24 hours before attempting to run the Update through the Apple Device application (on their PC) since their device was unable to complete connection to Finder (on their Mac), and they stated that “it worked on the first try and did not lose any data.” While this one example doesn’t prove that an update will work on a full device, it does indicate how the update has a good chance of working before performing the reset of your device to erase all user data. After your device can boot up again, back it up immediately, then create more free space.

When the battery may be involved

Apple explains that an ageing battery can struggle to deliver peak power. As the battery ages, its internal resistance rises, so its voltage drops further under load. When the voltage gets too low, the iPhone shuts itself down to protect its parts. Apple adds that low charge and cold weather make this more likely. From that mechanism, it’s reasonable to suspect the battery if a phone keeps dying while starting up. But Apple doesn’t confirm it causes logo loops, and Battery Health can only be checked from Settings on a phone that works. The practical step is Apple’s advice to charge for an hour and try again. Vivid Repairs says a loop that happens only while plugged in and stops when unplugged points to charging hardware, not software. That’s the repair shop’s view, not Apple’s.

Apple further states that battery repairs should only be performed by a trained technician. In its safety manual, Apple specifies that if the device or battery appears damaged in any way, such as being swollen, cracked or too hot to touch, it should be stop using the device. Moreover, if you have difficulty distinguishing between a software issue and a failing battery, refer to our article on diagnosing a device that is continuously rebooting.

Before You Change Anything

A locked-up Apple logo may not mean that you have lost your images or text conversations — these items are only lost when you select the Restore option. You should wait for a progress bar to finish moving before selecting the Restart option by pressing the correct combination of buttons for your device. When the computer gives you the choice of using an Update or a Restore, you should always try to use the Update option first. If you choose to restore your phone without checking your backups, any data that is stored only on your device will be permanently lost.

Frequently Asked Questions

If a phone is stuck on the Apple logo, do I need my computer to fix it? The forced restart does not require a computer, and many newer iPhones also allow users to use the Recovery Assistant over Wi-Fi, as opposed to using a computer with the Finder, Apple Devices app, or iTunes, as recommended by Apple for updating an iPhone and preserving user data.

Is my data deleted if I use the Recovery Assistant? The Recovery Assistant webpage does not state if the Recovery Assistant will delete data. However, it states that if the iPhone is operating the latest version of iOS and that the issue continues, the next step would be a Recovery Mode restore, which will result in deleting all data from the iPhone.

How do I recover my photos after doing a Restore on my iPhone, if I have never backed up? You will only be able to recover photos if they have been saved on another service, such as iCloud Photos. In addition, if you are restoring from an Apple backup, your phone will only contain the data that the backup contained, and you will not be able to recover any content that was saved only on the phone.

Will my WhatsApp conversations return after I restore my iPhone? Your WhatsApp conversations will only restore to the extent of your most recent successful backup, to iCloud, or to that which has been backed up to the iPhone. WhatsApp will restore the conversations when you set your device up with the same phone number and iCloud account.

What if I cannot enter Recovery Mode on my iPhone because the buttons do not work? If a button does not work or is stuck, Apple recommends taking the iPhone to an Apple Repair Centre for service.