In this guide we want to help you to solve the problem of iPhone white screen that appears permanently, using the methods of hard reset, recovery and DFU mode.
If your iPhone suddenly shows a bright and empty display, it may suffer from the dreaded white screen. Do not worry, this can be solved, just follow our guide and we hope your device will resurface once again.
iPhones are extremely reliable devices, but even the best ones can encounter problems sometimes. One of the most feared problems is the so-called “white screen iPhone”, which turns the display of your expensive smartphone into something more than a desk lamp, emitting only white light. In a previous guide we also saw how to fix iPhone black screen.
In many cases it’s not as bad to have iPhone white screen as it might seem, and it can be solved with a little procedure. If you have this problem, below we show you some ways to resurrect your iPhone and free it from the risk of an apparent death.
What is the problem with the iPhone white screen?
There are two main culprits when it comes to this particular problem of white screen iPhone: software or hardware. Now, we know that virtually all problems fall into one of these two fields, but it is also known that the white screen is caused by both, which can make the diagnoses a little more problematic.
From the software point of view, users often experience the iPhone white screen problem if they have tried to install an update, or have tried to jailbreak their phone.
A failed installation, due to a corrupt file or something wrong during the process, can easily lead to this condition. But this is actually the best scenario, since it is not difficult to correct it.
The other suspect is a hardware problem, which normally occurs after the phone has suffered impact damage. In this case it can only be solved by the user in some cases, and if you have unplugged the LCD cable inside the unit, you must take it to the Apple Store and have it repaired.
1. Resolve with a reset of your iPhone
The first thing to try in the case of iPhone white screen is simply the restoration of the device. To do this, you must simultaneously hold down both the Home button and the On/Off button until the Apple logo appears.
Now you can let it go, and I hope you’ll see the normal Home screen again after restarting the iPhone.
Those who have an iPhone 7 or 7 Plus will have to use a different combination, as the Home button uses software rather than mechanical switches. In this case you will have to press and hold the On/Off button and the Volume down button at the same time, until the Apple logo appears.
Switching to the iPhone X, which has no home button at all, Apple has changed the procedure again. This time you’ll have to do some finger dance to make things work.
Briefly press the Volume Up key, and then move to Volume Down for the same amount of time. Hold and release the On/Off button on the right side of the device. Hold this for about 10 seconds until you see the screen turn black. Now you can release the On/Off button and your iPhone should reboot.
2. Use Recovery mode with iTunes
If restoring your iPhone does not solve the problem, you can always try using iTunes to reinstall iOS.
To do this, first you need to update iTunes on your Mac or PC to the latest version. Then, close iTunes and connect iPhone to Mac or PC using the Lightning charging cable.
Launch iTunes once again and then use the button combinations listed in the previous section to reboot your iPhone.
When your iPhone starts to reboot, you should see a message on your Mac/PC indicating that there is a problem with your device and that you need to restore or update it. Click Update and iTunes will attempt to reinstall iOS leaving the user’s data intact.
3. Use DFU mode with iTunes
If none of the above options gave you any results, you can try to access the device firmware update mode (DFU). This differs from the recovery mode as it does not allow the iPhone to boot its bootloader or iOS, but is still able to communicate with iTunes.
Using this technique, you can restore the iPhone to its original settings, and then use iCloud or iTunes backups to reload data.
Entering DFU mode is quite risky, and there’s a good chance you’ll be wrong. But proceeding carefully, in the end you should be able to fix iOS.
If you have an iPhone 8, 8 Plus or X, the method is as follows:
First, connect the iPhone to the PC/Mac using the Lightning cable, then start iTunes. Now, briefly press the Volume Up button, do the same with the Volume Down button, then press and hold the On/Off button on the right side of the iPhone until the screen turns black.
Press and hold the On/Off button, and now press and hold the Volume Down button again. Count up to five, then release the On/Off button, but hold down the Volume Down button for another ten seconds or so. The screen should be black, so if you see the Apple logo appear at any time, it means you accidentally entered recovery mode.
On your PC/Mac you should see a message from iTunes that says it has detected an iPhone in recovery mode and that gives you the ability to restore the iPhone. Click on this and hopefully you will have a fully functional system at the end of the process.
To exit DFU mode, simply use the combination of buttons for your device that you normally use to put it into recovery mode.
It’s time to take a trip to the Apple store
If after all these attempts you still can not make your iPhone work, you seem to have a hardware problem. While you can find several guides to correct them online, we recommend that you book an appointment at the Apple Store, at least to understand what’s wrong.
We hope it’s not a fatal mistake, but if it does, check out the latest phone available while you’re there, because you might be forced to buy another one.