FoneTool Unlocker Help Documents

Q: Why FoneTool Unlocker fails to recognize iPhone/iPad/iPod Touch correctly?

A: Please follow the steps below to troubleshoot and resolve the issue:

1. Disconnect and reconnect your iOS device to the computer using the USB cable.

2. Make sure the USB cable is not damaged. If possible, try using another Apple-certified original cable for the connection.

3. Ensure that the USB port on your computer is functioning properly. Try connecting the device to another USB port.

4. If your iOS device is locked, please keep the screen unlocked during the connection and operation process.

5. After connecting your iOS device to the computer, make sure the necessary drivers are properly installed and enabled.

To check the driver status, go to: This PC →Manage →Device Manager →Universal Serial Bus controllers, look for the following drivers:

Apple Mobile Device USB Composite Device

Apple Mobile Device USB Device

If the drivers are missing, disabled, or malfunctioning, try updating or reinstalling them manually.

6. If the drivers appear to be normal but the software still cannot detect your iOS device, use the "Repair Driver" option in the software menu to check and fix possible driver issues automatically.

7. If your iOS device and drivers are functioning properly but the software still fails to recognize the device, it might be blocked by antivirus or security software. Please ensure the software is not being restricted, or add it to the white list in your security or antivirus software and try again.

Q: What are Recovery Mode and DFU Mode?

A: The Recovery Mode and DFU Mode are special interactive modes that iOS devices can enter when performing system upgrades or downgrades.

Recovery Mode is used for standard iOS updates or restores. It's useful when your device is stuck, unresponsive, or has minor system issues.

DFU Mode (Device Firmware Update) allows deeper system-level access to reinstall or downgrade firmware. It's typically used when the device is bricked, can't boot, or can't be recognized even in Recovery Mode.

Q: How to Enter Recovery Mode/DFU Mode on iOS device?

A：Enter Recovery Mode:

1. iPhones with Face ID (iPhone 8 and later):

Press and quickly release the Volume Up button, then press and quickly release the Volume Down button.

Next, press and hold the Side (Power) button until you see the Recovery Mode screen (showing a cable or iTunes logo).

2. iPhone 7 / iPhone 7 Plus:

Press and hold both the Side (Power) button and the Volume Down button simultaneously.

Keep holding until the Recovery Mode screen appears (showing a cable or iTunes logo).

iPhones with a Home button (iPhone 6s and earlier):

Press and hold both the Home button and the Side (Power) button simultaneously.

Keep holding until the Recovery Mode screen appears (showing a cable or iTunes logo).

3. iPhone 6s and earlier (with Home button):

Press and hold both the Home button and the Power button.

Keep holding until you see the Recovery Mode screen.

Enter DFU Mode:

iPhones with Face ID (iPhone 8 and later):

Press and quickly release the Volume Up button, then press and quickly release the Volume Down button.

Next, press and hold the Side (Power) button for about 10 seconds until the screen turns black.

Once the screen is black, immediately press and hold both the Power and Volume Down buttons for 5 seconds, then release only the Power button while continuing to hold the Volume Down button for about 5 more seconds.

If the screen stays completely black, your device is now in DFU Mode.

2. iPhone 7 / iPhone 7 Plus:

Press and hold both the Power and Volume Down buttons for about 5-8 seconds.

Then release only the Power button while continuing to hold the Volume Down button for about 10 seconds.

If the screen remains black, your device is in DFU Mode.

3. iPhones with a Home button (iPhone 6s and earlier):

Press and hold both the Home and Power buttons for about 5-8 seconds.

Then release only the Power button while continuing to hold the Home button for about 10 seconds.

If the screen stays black, your device has successfully entered DFU Mode.

Q: What is iOS system firmware?

A: IOS system firmware, in simple terms, refers to the "operating system" of iOS devices such as iPhone and iPad. The firmware usually exists in. ipsw format, and users can download the corresponding version of the firmware for system installation.

Q: After remove screen password, the iOS device still says “This device is locked. Enter the Apple ID and password to activate.” What does this mean?

A: If your iPhone was signed in to an Apple ID and enabled the "Find My iPhone"before, the device will require you to enter the same Apple ID and password to activate it after removing screen password. This is an Apple security measure (Activation Lock) to prevent unauthorized use of the device.

If you can't remember the Apple ID and password, you can't unlock the iOS device.

Q: After removing the Apple ID, the setup screen shows "This device is locked. Enter the Apple ID and password to activate".

A: If your iPhone was signed in to an Apple ID and had "Find My iPhone enabled"before removing the Apple ID, the device will still require the same Apple ID and password to activate it after removal. This is an Apple security measure (Activation Lock) to prevent unauthorized use of the device.

For iPhones running iOS 13 or later, if a screen passcode was set before removing the Apple ID, you can also use that screen passcode to activate the device instead of entering the Apple ID credentials.

Q: When removing Apple ID, FoneTool Unlocker require: Activate the iOS device before proceeding.

A: You need to access the Home screen of your iOS device before using FoneTool Unlocker to remove the Apple ID. When this message appears, please check whether the iOS device was previously signed in to an Apple ID and had “Find My iPhone” enabled.

If so, after removing the screen passcode, the device will require you to enter the same Apple ID and password to activate it. This is part of Apple's Activation Lock security feature, which prevents unauthorized use of lost or stolen devices.

FoneTool Unlocker cannot remove Apple ID if the device is currently in Activation Lock status. You must first activate the device by entering the Apple ID credentials before proceeding.

Q: How to solve the error message "Device recovery protocol error, Unsupported device or firmware."?

A: This issue often occurs due to a temporary problem with Apple's verification server, which prevents the flashing or restore process from completing. You can try one of the following solutions:

Select a different iOS firmware version and retry.

Wait for a few days and try again after Apple’s server returns to normal.

Q: After removing the Screen Time passcode, why are you still prompted that the app usage time is limited and asked to enter the Screen Time passcode?

A: This issue may occur if the Apple ID currently signed in is under parental supervision. When the supervised Apple ID has Screen Time restrictions set by a guardian, these restrictions will automatically sync back to the device once it connects to the internet-even after the Screen Time passcode has been removed locally.

To resolve this situation, you can:

Check the Family Sharing / Parental Controls settings under the Apple ID account and have the guardian modify or disable the Screen Time limits from their device.

Alternatively, sign out of the supervised Apple ID, then remove or reset Screen Time settings again.