iPhone: Understanding the "Restore Needed" message
Symptoms
In some cases, iPhone may not show up in iTunes under Devices while displaying the following error message:
Products Affected
iPhone, iPhone 3G
Resolution
If iPhone displays the Restore Needed message, try these tips.
- Turn iPhone off and turn it on again to see if that clears the message from the screen.
Press and hold the Sleep/Wake button on top of iPhone for a few seconds until a red slider appears, and then slide the slider to turn off the iPhone. To turn the device back on, press and hold the Sleep/Wake button until the Apple logo appears. - If the message still appears, charge iPhone for at least 30 minutes and then turn iPhone off and back on again. For additional information about charging iPhone, see "iPhone and iPod touch: Charging the battery."
- If the issue is still not resolved, then this error message indicates that iPhone's software needs to be restored using iTunes. For additional information about restoring, see "Backing Up, updating, and restoring your iPhone and iPod touch software."
Additional Information
If your iPhone does not show up in iTunes under Devices and does not display the "Restore Needed" message, please see the following links for assistance:
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