iPhone NAND Recovery
iPhone Stuck in DFU: NAND & Storage Recovery
DFU mode means the CPU is alive but cannot find an operating system to load. The NAND storage chip still holds your photos, messages, and apps. The phone just lost its ability to communicate with that chip. We fix the communication path at the board level so the phone boots and your data becomes accessible again.
What DFU Mode Means for Your Data
DFU stands for Device Firmware Update. When an iPhone enters DFU mode, the CPU powers on and draws roughly 60mA on the power supply, but it cannot locate a valid operating system on the NAND storage chip. The phone drops into DFU automatically as a fallback state. iTunes or Finder detects the device, but the screen stays black.
The NAND chip itself is almost always intact in this scenario. All photos, messages, contacts, and app data remain on the chip. The phone simply cannot read the data because something broke the communication path between the CPU and the storage. The cause is usually a loose resistor, a shorted power rail, or a physical disconnect at the solder pads underneath the NAND.
DFU mode is distinct from a dead phone that will not turn on (no current draw at all) and from a boot loop (where the phone finds the OS but crashes during startup). Each presentation points to a different failure and a different repair path.
NAND Area Resistors and Loose Components
The most commonly overlooked failure point on a DFU iPhone is the cluster of small resistors near the NAND chip. These surface-mount components handle data communication between the CPU and NAND. They are 0201-sized or smaller: roughly 0.6mm x 0.3mm. At that scale, the solder joints are fragile.
Three things knock them loose. Drop impact is the most common; the shock fractures solder joints on components near the NAND. Thermal stress during shield removal is another; inexperienced repair shops overheat the area while removing EMI shields, reflowing or cracking nearby components. Liquid damage is the third; corrosion eats through the tiny solder joints and weakens them until the resistor detaches or loses continuity.
Diagnostic priority: Check that the NAND has its power voltages present, and replace the NAND area resistors before declaring a phone unrecoverable. This single step resolves a large portion of DFU cases with all user data intact.
When a missing or cracked resistor is the cause, replacing it restores full communication between CPU and NAND. The phone boots normally. No data is lost because the NAND was never damaged; the data bus was just interrupted. This is a 15-minute repair under the microscope with a microsoldering station, but finding the specific broken component requires board-level diagnostic skill and the right schematics.
PP3V0_NAND Power Rail Diagnostics
The PP3V0_NAND rail provides 3.0 volts to the NAND storage chip. Without this rail, the NAND has no power and the CPU cannot read or write to storage. A short on this rail is one of the more common board-level failures that causes DFU mode.
On iPhone 8, a shorted PP3V0_NAND causes the PMIC (power management IC) to heat up. The phone draws excessive current and either stays in DFU or fails to boot entirely. On iPhone X, the short often appears near the edge of the NAND chip where the rail routes close to other components.
Isolating the Short
The diagnostic process: pull the NAND chip from the board and re-check diode mode readings on the PP3V0_NAND rail. If the short disappears when the NAND is removed, the NAND itself has an internal short. If the short remains with the NAND removed, a capacitor or other component on the rail is the culprit. This distinction determines whether the NAND can be reused or needs replacement.
Additional NAND Power Rails
iPhone 11 and later models add PP0V9_NAND and PP1V8_NAND rails. A short on any of these produces similar symptoms: DFU mode, Error 4014, or failure during restore. Each rail needs individual diode mode testing. The PP1V8_NAND rail on iPhone 11 runs near the SIM reader area and is prone to liquid damage corrosion if water enters through the SIM tray.
Update vs. Restore: The Critical Distinction
Never restore a DFU phone that has important data. A restore erases all user data: photos, messages, contacts, app data, everything. This action is irreversible. If someone at a repair shop tells you to restore, and your data matters, stop and get a second opinion.
When iTunes or Finder detects a phone in DFU or Recovery mode, it offers two options: Update and Restore. These do fundamentally different things.
- Update reinstalls the iOS operating system while preserving all user data. Photos, messages, contacts, and apps remain on the device.
- Restore wipes the device completely, then installs a fresh copy of iOS. All user data is permanently deleted.
For any DFU phone where data matters: attempt an Update first. 3uTools also offers a "preserve user data" option that functions similarly. If the update fails, the error code returned by iTunes is diagnostic information. Error 9, Error 4014, or a progress bar that stalls at a specific percentage each point to a different hardware failure. Write down the error code before doing anything else.
If the update succeeds, the phone boots with all data present. If it fails, the error code tells us which hardware subsystem is broken, and we diagnose from there. Either way, the data remains on the NAND because an update never erases it.
Error Codes That Point to NAND
Each iTunes error code maps to a specific hardware failure. These are the codes that indicate a NAND or NAND-adjacent problem.
Error 9 / Error 35
These errors indicate the device disconnected during the restore or update process. On iPhone 7, Error 9 is sometimes caused by a single resistor next to the NAND chip that cracked or came loose. The data line drops mid-transfer and iTunes throws Error 9. Replacing the resistor resolves it. On other models, Error 9 can mean the NAND needs full replacement.
Error 4014: "NAND Not Detected"
Common on iPhone 11. The system cannot see the NAND chip at all. This is usually caused by ripped pads underneath the NAND, not a dead chip. The solder pads that connect NAND to the PCB tear away from the board, severing the physical connection. Requires pulling the NAND, inspecting the pad field, and running micro-jumper wires to reconnect the broken traces.
Restore Fails at Exactly 19%
On iPhone 8, a restore that stalls or fails at 19% means the system detected no NAND or no EEPROM. On iPhone 8, the EEPROM is contained within the Trinity IC, not as a separate chip. A failed Trinity IC produces this exact symptom. If the Trinity IC is fine, the NAND itself is the issue.
Progress Bar Stuck at 0%
The NAND may be readable but not writable. iTunes can see the chip and begins the process, but cannot write any data to it. This points to a partial NAND failure or a write-protect condition on the storage.
Error 4013 is usually not NAND. On Face ID models, Error 4013 is caused by the ear speaker flex cable in the vast majority of cases, not the NAND chip. See our Error 4013 page for details on that specific failure.
iPhone 11 Ripped Pad Pattern
iPhone 11 has a specific failure pattern that shows up repeatedly. The phone enters DFU mode or throws Error 4014 during an update attempt. Diagnostics show no communication with NAND. When the NAND chip is pulled from the board and the pad field is inspected under the microscope, a row of pads is ripped clean off the PCB.
The pads tear because of the mechanical stress on the NAND during drops or during board flexion inside the housing. The traces that connected those pads to the rest of the board are severed. The NAND chip itself is undamaged; it is simply disconnected.
The repair involves running micro-jumper wires from the remaining trace stubs to the NAND pads, bypassing the damaged area. This is precise work under magnification; each wire is thinner than a human hair. Once the connections are rebuilt, the NAND is resoldered to the board and the phone boots with all data present. This repair is not possible at shops without board-level microsoldering capability, which is why many iPhone 11 phones with Error 4014 get declared dead prematurely.
NAND Programming and Compatibility
When the original NAND chip is dead (internal short, physically cracked die, or unrecoverable wear), a replacement NAND must be programmed with the device's serial number, WiFi MAC address, and Bluetooth MAC address before the phone will activate. Without this programming step, iOS refuses to complete setup.
Tooling
The JC P11F (also known as JC Pro1000S with the P11F module) is the correct programmer for iPhone 8 through iPhone 11 NAND. The iRepair P10 does not support iPhone 8, X, or 11 NAND programming despite marketing claims. Using the wrong programmer results in a non-functional device. A DCSD cable can read NAND data without desoldering the chip, which preserves the original data for backup before any swap.
Donor Compatibility
iPhone 8, 8 Plus, X, XS, XS Max, 11, 11 Pro, and SE (2nd generation) all use the same NAND type and are cross-compatible as donors. A NAND pulled from a working iPhone 8 can be programmed and installed on an iPhone 11 board, or vice versa. This wide compatibility makes donor sourcing straightforward.
NAND replacement does not recover existing data. NAND is encrypted by the Secure Enclave on the original CPU. A new NAND chip starts empty. NAND replacement restores phone function for cases where the user has an iCloud backup. For data recovery from the original NAND, we must repair the original board.
Our Diagnostic Process
Every NAND-related case follows the same systematic diagnostic path. We do not guess, and we do not skip steps.
- Identify the presentation. DFU mode, Recovery mode, specific iTunes error code, or no power at all. Each starting point narrows the possible failures. A phone that will not turn on at all has different root causes than one sitting in DFU.
- Check NAND power rails. Diode mode readings on PP3V0_NAND, PP0V9_NAND, and PP1V8_NAND (model-dependent). A shorted rail gets traced and repaired before proceeding.
- Check and replace NAND area resistors. Visual inspection under the microscope for cracked, missing, or tombstoned components. Replace any suspect resistors. This step alone resolves a large percentage of DFU cases.
- Attempt an update, never a restore. If power rails are good and resistors are intact, we connect to iTunes or 3uTools and attempt an iOS update. The result tells us whether NAND communication is restored or what remains broken.
- Check NAND with a programmer. If the update fails, we connect a JC P11F or JC-P7 programmer to read the NAND directly. This confirms whether the chip responds and whether data is intact.
- Pull NAND and inspect pads. For iPhone 11 and similar models, if the programmer cannot see the NAND, we desolder the chip and inspect the PCB pad field for ripped or cracked pads. Micro-jumper wire repair reconnects severed traces.
Pricing
Contact us or ship your device for a free evaluation. If we cannot recover your data, you pay nothing.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you recover data from a phone stuck in DFU?
iTunes says 'Update' but I'm afraid it will erase my data
My phone was working then went to DFU after a drop
What does Error 4014 mean?
Someone already tried to restore my phone. Is the data gone?
How much does NAND recovery cost?
Can you just move my NAND to another phone?
iPhone stuck in DFU mode?
The storage chip usually still has your data. Free evaluation, no data no fee.