iPhone not turning on, iPhone dead: what to do? Here are the solutions

Your iPhone does not turn on, does not respond to commands, is unstable and no sign of life? A short time ago the phone worked and now you find yourself with a dead iPhone? Do not despair and keep calm, it could be an annoying software problem solved in a few steps that I’ll explain within this article that today has managed to help thousands of readers in need.

In recent months I have received numerous e-mails from some readers in which I was desperately asking for a solution to repair a dead iPhone 6 or iPhone 7 that does not turn on or any other model. For this reason, continuing to receive these requests, I decided to write a complete guide with a unique strategy useful for restoring an iPhone that has stopped working, is stuck and seems to be completely dead.

Fortunately, all Apple portable devices use the iOS operating system, so the solutions shown in this guide are valid for all iPhone and iPad models!

iPhone does not turn on: what to do?

This is undoubtedly the first question that all users have in possession of an iPhone that does not show signs of life and the first thing that comes to mind is how to recover archived photos and videos, messages and all other data: before worrying about this phase to be observed only if the iPhone is broken and not restored, we see some valid and working solutions.

The procedures indicated in this guide have been tested to solve the following cases:

  • iPhone does not turn on
  • the device does not respond to commands (touchscreen and buttons)
  • the phone gives signs of life even if in charge and connected to a power source
  • black screen
  • screen locked with the apple logo
  • iPhone locked on the shutdown screen

iPhone does not come on anymore: solutions

All the procedures explained below do not require any technical preparation so I suggest you carefully read the suggested suggestions to try to revive your dead device.

Simple restart

IOS devices, as well as Macs, can solve most problems with a simple reboot. To do this, keep the ON/OFF button pressed for 10 seconds until the slide is requested to switch it off. Keep the device turned off for a few seconds and turn it back on normally. In some cases it may be necessary to try restarting several times to be able to reactivate the device.

Use of the wall power supply

Localization, push notifications, 3G internet and GPS are functions that require more energy to the iPhone, therefore the simultaneous use of these features inevitably leads to a rapid depletion of the device battery; moreover some environmental situations could favor a fast discharge of the battery as well as damage the device itself: for example the excessive heat or cold.

If your iPhone is dead, do not give up hope of reusing the iDevice: use the 30-pin USB-charging or Lightning-USB charging cable to connect it to the supplied wall charger; it may take up to 30 minutes to reactivate a completely discharged battery. If the charging process starts correctly, wait until it is 100% complete before re-using the iPhone and then disable the services (push, localization, multitasking) that you do not consider important. I remind you that you must always use only the original Apple cable and power supply.

A good alternative to this procedure is to use an iPad charger that offers energy at a double amperage and therefore, in exceptional cases, could help to lift a device that no longer shows signs of life for an exhausted battery.

Clean the charging connector

Another solution often working to fix an iPhone that overheats, does not show signs of life or has the screen stuck on the apple is to clean the charging connector. By carrying the device in a pocket or bag, dust and dirt may accumulate in the 30-pin or Lightning charging socket causing small short-circuits or poor conduction of the charger; then helping yourself with a flashlight, check in the charging connector that there is no dust or dirt and helping with a paper clip, remove any impurities paying attention not to damage the contacts. This procedure is very often the first performed in Apple Stores when a customer has a device that does not work properly.

Hard reset or forced restart

Forced reboot is a procedure suggested almost always in the first instance, but I will report it only after performing the previous steps to make sure the device has working accessories and the clean charging connector. This solution provides the reboot of the iPhone forcibly through a combination of keys that varies depending on the model in use: I invite you to read the guide on how to hard reset on iPhone safely to know the correct procedure for your model.

The forced reboot does not involve the loss of data and you can run it without using the computer every time you notice that the iPhone does not work well, does not turn on, is slow, cellular data not activated and many other inconvenient situations.

Connecting to iTunes (PC/Mac)

If the first procedure did not help, maybe you need a Mac or PC with the latest version of iTunes installed. For example, if the iPhone does not turn on follow these instructions: open iTunes and connect the device to your computer with a USB-cable or Lightning-USB cable, even in this case it may take several minutes for the recognition: have a little patience and if the iPhone is recognized, leave it connected to the computer until the charge is complete. Often this solution is decisive for many users but make sure that the cable used and the USB ports of the computer are working.