Troubleshooting Guide: iPhone Won't Turn On

If your iPhone refuses to turn on, don't panic. There are several steps you can take to diagnose and potentially fix the issue. Follow these troubleshooting steps to get your iPhone up and running again.

 

Table of Contents

    • Check the Battery Level
    • Force Restart Your iPhone
    • Inspect the Charging Cable and Port
    • Update or Restore via Recovery Mode

 

Check the Battery Level

Before jumping to conclusions, make sure your iPhone's battery isn't completely drained:

    • Connect your iPhone to a charger and leave it for about 15–30 minutes.
        • Connect your iPhone to a known working charger using a different cable (if possible).
        • Ensure the charger is plugged into a power source.
        • Wait for a few minutes to see if your iPhone displays a charging icon.
    • If your iPhone turns on, the issue was likely a depleted battery.

 

Force Restart Your iPhone

A force restart can help resolve minor software glitches:

    • For iPhone 8 and later:
      1. Quickly press and release the Volume Up button.
      2. Quickly press and release the Volume Down button.
      3. Press and hold the Side button until the Apple logo appears.
    • For iPhone 7 and 7 Plus:
      1. Press and hold the Volume Down and Sleep/Wake buttons until the Apple logo appears.
    • For iPhone 6s and earlier:
      1. Press and hold the Home and Sleep/Wake buttons until the Apple logo appears.

 

Inspect the Charging Cable and Port

A faulty charging cable or port can prevent your iPhone from turning on:

    1. Examine the charging cable for any signs of fraying or damage.
    2. Check the charging port on your iPhone for debris or dirt.
    3. If necessary, gently clean the port using a soft brush or compressed air.

 

Update or Restore via Recovery Mode

If the above steps don't work, you can try updating or restoring your iPhone using recovery mode:

    1. Connect your iPhone to your computer and open iTunes (on macOS Catalina and later, use Finder).
    2. Force restart your iPhone as described earlier.
    3. Keep holding the button until the recovery mode screen (iTunes or Finder logo and lightning cable) appears.
    4. Choose "Update" to reinstall the iOS without erasing data. If that doesn't work, choose "Restore," which erases all data but can resolve more serious issues.

 

If none of these steps bring your iPhone back to life, there may be a hardware issue. Contact Apple Support or visit an authorized service center for assistance.