Apple has introduced a new "Recovery" recovery mode in iOS 27. The interface and operating logic are closer to the Mac's recovery environment. Users can perform system diagnosis, software updates, device erasure and recovery operations directly on the iPhone without first using a computer. This feature has been confirmed in testing and experience content, and it is generally believed to be an important system upgrade added by Apple to improve the self-rescue capability of the iPhone.
The way to enter this mode is also relatively clear: first turn off the iPhone, then turn it on and keep pressing the power button. The screen will first prompt "Continue holding for recovery...". If you let go midway, the entry process will fail. After a few seconds, the device will display "Loading recovery options..." again, and then enter the reading interface. After the progress bar is completed, the user can see the Recovery recovery mode main page. The interface may be in English by default when you first enter it, but you can switch to the Chinese interface through the globe icon in the upper left corner.
In this new mode, iPhone offers several core features, including Recovery Assistant, Software Updates, Diagnostic Mode, Erase All Content and Settings, and Recovery Mode itself. The options displayed by different models may be slightly different, and some devices may not even display the "Software Update" entry. This means that Apple is gradually integrating some system maintenance operations that used to rely on external computers into the recovery environment of the device itself.
In addition to basic recovery capabilities, iOS 27 also adds a "nearby device recovery" feature, allowing an Apple device that supports this feature to assist another failed iPhone to complete the recovery. When the user long presses the power button on the recovery interface, a menu will pop up, providing options for nearby device recovery, restart, shutdown, and cancellation. However, not all models support this recovery method. Once you enter this process, an animation of two iPhones approaching each other will appear on the screen. After entering the official recovery state, if there is another device running the same system version around, you can help it complete system reinstallation or repair.
The range of devices currently known to support this feature is mainly concentrated in newer iPhone and iPad models, including iPhone 15 Pro series, iPhone 16 series, iPhone 16e, iPhone 17 series and iPhone Air; for iPad, it covers some models such as iPad Pro, iPad Air, iPad mini and iPad (A16). This also shows that Apple is prioritizing opening up more advanced device recovery capabilities to new hardware to ensure the stability and compatibility of the recovery process.
From a practical point of view, this feature is particularly important for users who experience update failures, stuck on the Apple logo, abnormal system restarts, or failure to boot normally. Compared with the past, when you had to connect a Mac or Windows computer to repair the device, the recovery mode of iOS 27 gives iPhone and iPad a more independent means of self-rescue, and also makes the system maintenance process closer to the recovery experience of Apple's own Mac. Since this feature is still in the testing or early release stage, Apple may continue to adjust the details later, but it is already regarded as one of the most practical new changes in iOS 27.