Your iPad is stuck in a boot loop because of a software glitch, a corrupted update, or a hardware issue after a drop. The good news is that most boot loops are fixable using built-in Apple tools like Recovery Mode or Finder/iTunes. Follow these simple steps to regain control of your device quickly and stress-free.
Hello there! I’m Shoukhin, and if your iPad is cycling endlessly—showing the Apple logo, then turning off, then showing the logo again—you’re in the right place. This feeling of watching your expensive device go nowhere is truly frustrating.
It’s like watching the same two seconds of a cartoon over and over!
The great news is that this “boot loop” is almost always a signal that your iPad’s software needs a little gentle nudging back onto the right track. We aren’t going to dive into intimidating code or complex settings.
We will walk through easy, proven steps that solve the vast majority of these problems. Get ready to turn that spinning Apple logo into a functioning home screen again! Let’s break down exactly why this happens and how we fix it, one simple step at a time.
What Is an iPad Boot Loop and Why Does It Happen?
When your iPad tries to start up, it runs a quick check of all its systems. If everything is good, you see the Apple logo for a moment, and then your home screen appears. A boot loop is when this process gets stuck.
Your iPad shows the logo, fails to load the main operating system (iOS/iPadOS), and tries again, repeating the cycle endlessly. It’s stuck in a frustrating software traffic jam.
The Three Main Culprits
Understanding why this happens makes fixing it much easier. Usually, the cause falls into one of these three friendly categories:
- Software Glitches: This is the most common reason. Sometimes, a recent app installation or a botched iOS update leaves a file corrupted, confusing the startup process.
- Low Battery Issues: If your battery dies completely while updating or installing a large file, the system might not shut down cleanly, causing errors when it tries to restart next time.
- Hardware Trouble: While less common for a pure boot loop, sometimes a physical shock (like dropping your iPad) can damage internal components in a way that only shows up during the startup sequence.
Don’t worry if you don’t know which one it is! Our troubleshooting steps will start with the easiest, software-focused fixes first, which solves about 90% of these situations.
Preliminary Checks: The Quick Fixes
Before we jump into more serious troubleshooting, let’s try the simplest things first. These quick checks often clear minor hiccups without needing complex steps.
1. Check the Battery and Charge It
A battery that is critically low or completely dead can sometimes prevent a proper startup.
- Plug It In: Connect your iPad to its original charger and a wall outlet you know works.
- Wait Patiently: Leave it charging for at least 30 minutes. Don’t try to turn it on during this time.
- Restart Attempt: After 30 minutes, see if your iPad restarts normally.
Sometimes, just giving the battery enough juice to complete the startup sequence is all it takes.
2. Force Restart Your iPad
A forced restart is different from just pressing the power button; it clears the temporary memory (RAM) without touching your personal data. The exact method depends on whether your iPad has a Home button.
Find your model below and follow the steps precisely:
| iPad Type | Action Sequence (Repeat Until Success) |
|---|---|
| iPads with a Home Button (e.g., iPad 9th gen, older Air/Mini) | Press and hold both the Top (or Side) button AND the Home button simultaneously. Keep holding both until the Apple logo appears. |
| iPads Without a Home Button (Most modern models, iPad Pro/Air/Mini 6) | Step 1: Quickly press and release the Volume Up button. Step 2: Quickly press and release the Volume Down button. Step 3: Press and hold the Top button (Power button). Keep holding until the Apple logo appears. |
If the Apple logo appears and then disappears, immediately repeat the sequence. If the forced restart works, congratulations! You might be back in business. If it stays stuck after several attempts, we need to escalate our efforts.
The Major Solution: Using Recovery Mode
If simple restarts fail, the next step is putting your iPad into Recovery Mode. This is Apple’s built-in safe mode that allows you to connect the iPad to a computer and force it to update or restore the operating system without wiping your data (though restoration is a final option).
Warning: Recovery Mode requires a computer (Mac or PC) and the latest version of iTunes (on PC) or Finder (on Mac).
What You Will Need
Before starting, gather these essentials:
- A working Mac (running macOS Catalina or later) or a PC with iTunes installed.
- The actual USB cable that came with your iPad, or a reliable, known-good cable.
- Patience! This process can take some time depending on your internet speed.
Step-by-Step Guide: Entering Recovery Mode
The process for entering Recovery Mode is almost identical to the Force Restart, but you keep holding the final button until the computer detects the device.
First, connect your iPad to your computer. Then, use the same button combination as the Force Restart, but keep holding the final button (Top/Side) even after the Apple logo disappears. You must continue holding until you see the Recovery Mode screen on your iPad.
This screen looks different; it shows a computer icon and a cable icon, pointing toward each other.
Once you see this icon on your iPad screen, your computer will recognize it. Because you are using the computer’s software (Finder or iTunes), your iPad will no longer display the repeating, stuck Apple logo. Instead, your computer will present you with two very important options:
Option 1: Update (The Preferred First Try)
This option is fantastic because it attempts to reinstall the latest version of iPadOS without erasing any of your personal files, photos, or data. It only overwrites the operating system files that are likely corrupted.
- When the pop-up appears on your computer, choose Update.
- Your computer will download the necessary iPadOS firmware and attempt to install it.
- If this succeeds, your iPad should reboot normally and be fixed!
Option 2: Restore (The Last Resort)
If the Update fails, or if your iPad immediately jumps back into the boot loop after the update attempt, you must choose Restore.
Crucial Note: Restoring your iPad will completely erase everything on it—apps, settings, photos, everything. Think of it as giving your operating system a complete factory reset.
- If you use iCloud or iTunes backups, you can restore your data after the restore is complete.
- Choose Restore on your computer.
- Follow the on-screen instructions. This takes longer as it downloads a fresh copy of the software.
If your iPad successfully restores and boots up, it will be in its factory new state. You can then follow Apple’s on-screen setup guide. If you backed up recently, you can get all your files back.
What if Recovery Mode Fails? DFU Mode Explained
Sometimes, even Recovery Mode can’t communicate properly because the boot sequence error is deeper than a simple software glitch. When this happens, we move to the deep clean: Device Firmware Update (DFU) mode.
DFU mode is deeper than Recovery Mode. It allows the computer to completely bypass the current iPad operating system and communicate directly with the iPad’s low-level software, which handles the update loading.
Why use DFU? If your iPad is stuck in a boot loop even while connected in Recovery Mode, DFU mode forces a clean slate installation that often resolves persistent software issues.
Entering DFU Mode Requires Precision
Entering DFU mode is precise and requires exact timing. The steps depend entirely on your model again. Remember, throughout this process, keep the iPad connected to the computer running Finder/iTunes.
If successful, your iPad screen will remain completely black. This means it’s working—the computer sees it, but iPadOS hasn’t started yet.
DFU Steps for iPads Without a Home Button
- Press and hold the Top button for about 10 seconds (just like the start of a force restart).
- While still holding the Top button, press and hold the Volume Down button. Hold both buttons for exactly 5 seconds.
- Release the Top button, but immediately KEEP holding the Volume Down button for another 10 seconds.
If you see the Apple logo or the Recovery Mode screen, it failed. Start over immediately. If the screen stays completely black, you are successfully in DFU mode!
DFU Steps for iPads with a Home Button
- Press and hold the Top (or Side) button AND the Home button for 10 seconds.
- Release the Top button, but KEEP holding the Home button for another 5 seconds.
Once the computer detects the connection in DFU mode, Finder/iTunes will state that it has detected an iPad in recovery mode, and you must choose Restore. This is the only option available from DFU mode, and it guarantees a complete, fresh copy of iPadOS is installed.
For more detailed visual guides on these specific button presses from Apple directly, you can always check Apple’s official support documentation on how to put your device into Recovery Mode.
Exploring Software vs. Hardware Causes
If even a full DFU restore doesn’t fix the boot loop, we need to consider whether the problem lies deeper than just the operating system.
Software Corruption That Survives Restore
This is incredibly rare, but occasionally, severe corruption in specific system security chips or bootloaders can resist even a DFU restore. If the DFU process itself consistently fails or your iPad immediately gets stuck again after a fresh DFU restore, it points strongly toward a physical problem.
When Is It a Hardware Issue?
A hardware issue often manifests alongside or after a physical event. Ask yourself these questions:
- Did this start happening right after I dropped the iPad?
- Did I spill any liquid on it recently?
- Does the screen respond oddly (flickering black, distorted colors) just before it loops?
If you suspect physical damage, forcing software fixes like DFU mode will not help and might waste time. A hardware issue usually involves a failed battery connection, a damaged logic board component, or screen damage affecting the internal signals required to boot up.
Potential Hardware Indicators
| Symptom | Likely Cause |
|---|---|
| Stuck on Apple Logo accompanied by intense heat. | Logic board component short-circuiting or battery failure. |
| Stuck in loop consistently after a drop, regardless of attempts. | Internal connector or component shift. |
| Screen flickers or shows lines before the Apple logo appears. | Display connector or screen damage. |
If hardware is the likely culprit, the next steps involve professional assistance, as opening an iPad without specialized tools and knowledge can cause further damage.
What to Do After a Successful Restore
Congratulations! If one of the above steps, especially the DFU Restore, got you past the boot loop, you’ve successfully navigated a stressful tech crisis. Here’s how to secure your future experience:
Setting Up and Restoring Your Backup
When the iPad boots up for the first time after a Restore, it will greet you with the “Hello” setup screen.
- Go Through Initial Setup: Select your language and connect to Wi-Fi.
- Restore Option: When prompted, choose to restore from your most recent iCloud backup or a computer backup you made previously.
- Monitor Installation: Allow the iPad to restore your data. This can take time, depending on how much data you have.
It is vital that you keep the iPad connected to power and Wi-Fi during this restoration process to prevent a recurrence of the boot loop due to a sudden power loss.
Preventing Future Boot Loops
Once you are back up and running smoothly, take a few mindful steps to keep things stable:
- Update Over Wi-Fi: When installing major iPadOS updates, only do so when you have a strong, stable Wi-Fi connection and the battery is charged above 50% (ideally plugged in).
- Keep Apps Updated: Regularly check the App Store for updates. Outdated apps can sometimes cause instability when interacting with a new iPadOS version.
- Monitor Storage: If your storage is completely full, the system struggles to operate smoothly. Try to keep at least 5-10 GB of free space.
You can check this under Settings > General > iPad Storage. - Avoid Unofficial Software: Never attempt to “jailbreak” or install unofficial firmware, as this drastically increases the chance of system corruption leading to a boot loop.
Seeking Professional Help
If you have attempted the Recovery Mode Update, the Recovery Mode Restore, AND the DFU Restore, and your iPad still enters a boot loop, it is time to call in the experts. Pushing further with DIY methods risks damaging the device further.
When to Contact Apple Support
Schedule an appointment at an Apple Store Genius Bar or contact an Apple Authorized Service Provider. Explain clearly that you have already performed a DFU Restore without success.
When you contact them, be prepared to tell them:
- The exact model of your iPad.
- What happened immediately before the loop started (e.g., “I was halfway through installing iPadOS 17.5”).
- The troubleshooting steps you have already taken (Recovery Mode and DFU successful/failed attempts).
They have advanced diagnostic tools that can determine if the boot failure is due to a faulty storage chip (SSD), a damaged memory module, or another logic board component that requires professional micro-soldering or parts replacement. If your device is under warranty or AppleCare+, this repair might be covered.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Q1: Will I lose my data if I fix the boot loop?
A: Not necessarily! If you use the Update option in Recovery Mode, your data is usually safe. If you have to use the Restore option (or DFU mode), yes, all data will be erased. This is why having a recent backup is so important!
Q2: How long does the Recovery Mode Update typically take?
A: This depends heavily on your internet speed, as macOS or iTunes needs to download the entire iPadOS file (often several gigabytes). It can take anywhere from 20 minutes to over an
