How to Fix iPhone Black Screen – What to do when iPhone will not Turn On

Are you stuck with an expensive paperweight and looking for a way to fix iPhone black screen of death? Here’s a guide on why your iPhone will not turn on sometimes and how you can get a solution to this grave issue the easy way.

Back in the year 2007 when the first iPhone was unveiled, it was an iconic moment in the history of technology. Not only did Apple’s first true smartphone set the standard for all smartphones that came after it, but it was also the epitome of design and build quality in a world of mobile phones that was still struggling with the concept of using premium materials. Year after year, the iPhone has continued to progress in terms of build quality, but it is a piece of technology at the end, which makes it prone to faltering sometimes.

How to Fix iPhone Black Screen of Death

One of the most common issues that iPhone users have been complaining about for years now is when the phone seemingly goes dark. The display stops working at times, making the entire phone unresponsive, and this unfortunate phenomenon is termed as the “iPhone Black Screen of Death”. The error does not affect a large portion of the iPhone user base, but it is definitely a common one, which cannot be singled out based on a specific issue.

When the iPhone screen will not turn on at all, it is effectively rendered useless, which is why finding a solution to this issue is vital. Since there is no specific reason behind why the display of your Apple iPhone would go blank by itself, we’ve done the research to understand what reasons could cause such an adverse effect and practiced methods that could help fix it. If you’ve also been plagued by this problem and want to find a way to make your iPhone fully functional again, here’s what you need to do:

Solution No. 1: Force Reboot the iPhone

“Have you tried turning it off and then on again?” may seem like such as cliché when it comes to fixing issues with computers and gadgets, but it is by far the most effective way of troubleshooting the common errors that plague tech devices. With the iPhone as well, you need to begin by considering the fact that maybe all your smartphone needs is a quick reboot and the black screen of death could be resolved in an instant. While you may not be able to see the “Slide to Power Off” option, but you can use the physical buttons to perform a hard reset on your iPhone.

iPhone X/XR/XS – Press the Volume Up button first, followed quickly by the Volume Down button, and then press and hold the Power button until you feel the iPhone vibrate.

iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus – Press the Volume Up button first, followed quickly by the Volume Down button, and then press and hold the Power button until you feel the iPhone vibrate.

iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus – Press and hold the Power button and the Volume Down button simultaneously until you see the screen turn on or feel the phone vibrate.

Older iPhone Models – Press the Power button and the Home button simultaneously for around 10 seconds until you feel the phone vibrate or can see the display turn on.

Under most common circumstances, the display of the iPhone should boot up within 10 seconds of you pressing and holding the right combination of buttons. However, if the above step does not seem to work for you, move on to the next solution.

Solution No. 2 – Factory Reset the iPhone

If you are stuck on the iPhone black screen of death after a mishap while installing an iOS update on the devices are, chances are that the issue is most likely related directly to the software. Under such circumstances, the most straightforward thing to do is perform a factory reset on your iPhone. However, you must remember that proceeding with this action will wipe your device of all data, which seems like a necessary evil since there isn’t much you can do with an iPhone that won’t turn on.

1. On your Windows or Mac computer, make sure that you have the latest version of iTunes program installed.
2. Take the iPhone that suffers from the black screen issue and connect it to the computer using the lightning USB cable.
3. Under certain circumstances, the iPhone may get detected by iTunes in Recovery Mode, alerting you to Restore the device.
4. If the iPhone is not automatically recognized, use the combination of buttons highlighted in Solution No. 1 to make the device detectable by iTunes.
5. Go ahead with the “Restore” option and continue on the computer screen to begin the process of recovering your iPhone and the salvageable data files on it.

If the iPhone get detected as usual when you connect it to the computer, or doesn’t get detected at all, there may be an underlying issue with the hardware components of the device. Although rare, hardware issues on iPhone are not unheard of, and you may be among the tiny majority who might be suffering due to a faltering iPhone.

Solution No. 3 – Inspect the Battery

While you may suspect the culprit to be the display when it comes to the problem when the iPhone will not turn on right away, the real issue could be related to the battery. Whether your smartphone is out of juice and won’t charge due to the faulty charging cable, or if there’s an issue with the battery of the iPhone, there may be a way to fix the black screen on iPhone through the following methods:

• Replace the lightning cable and the power adapter through which you’re trying to charge the iPhone. If either the lightning cable or the charger adapter are faulty, this could prevent the phone from being charged, thus resulting in an iPhone that simply doesn’t seem to turn on.
• The physical health of the battery may be affected due to long-term usage or a hardware defect with the iPhone. In such cases, the phone will simply fail to turn on, and the only solution left that you can try out is having the battery replaced by a trained professional.

Solution No. 4 – Display Issue

If none of the above solutions that have been mentioned are able to help you understand how to fix iPhone black screen of death issue, then there’s a fair chance that the problem lies with the display hardware, rather than the software. For instance, if you are able to hear notification sounds and vibrations upon pressing the buttons on your iPhone, but the iPhone will not turn on, then it is most likely an issue with the display screen.

If you have recently dropped your iPhone or it has come in contact with moisture or water directly, then it could lead to an issue with the display screen panel. The hardware damage would most likely need a repair or replacement of parts, which needs to be handled by a trained professional. So if you end up with an iPhone that seems to work in general, yet the display screen seems to be dead, then taking the iPhone to a service and repair center near you is your best bet.

Final Words

Despite the meteoric rise of Android smartphones in capturing the mobile market across the globe, Apple has continued to hold a large chunk of the premium smartphone market with the iPhone for more than a decade now. The iPhone may pack premium build quality and powerful specs, but it is a piece of technology after all, and is prone to malfunctioning just like most tech gadgets do time to time.

We’ve compiled a list of solutions on how to fix iPhone black screen issue so that you don’t have to go through the trouble of browsing through forums for finding a quick fix. However, if you do end up finding a solution to the problem of iPhone blank display that seems to work better than the list of fixes we’ve provided, be sure to mention it in the comments section right down below, so that we can verify and add it to this guide for everyone to benefit from.