iPhone Won't Turn On? Try These Solutions!

"My iPhone won't turn on and I cannot figure out the real reason for this problem. It suddenly stopped working after my son played it all night. Is there any method to fix my iPhone to the nomral status? Please help, I need to work with it urgently."

Sounds similar? Well, this is not a rare problem since many people have encountered it frequently. Most of the users will consider purchasing a new one when their iPhone can't start as usual. If the situation is serious enough, it may be true. But in fact, there are many ways to fix it before giving up your iPhone. In this guide, we'll show you how to fix iPhone won't turn on, and then you can get it back to the normal state.

Why Won't My iPhone Turn On?

Don't know why won't your iPhone turn on? Here are the possible reasons that results in the issue.

1. Battery Issues (Drain or Overheating)

If the battery is completely drained, your iPhone may show a black screen and won't respond. Sometimes overheating or system freezing can also make it appear "dead."

You may notice that your iPhone screen is black, and the device does not respond unless it is connected to a charger.

2. Physical Damage

Drops or strong impacts can damage internal components, preventing the device from turning on.

You may find that your iPhone has a cracked screen or visible damage, and it stops responding after being dropped.

3. Water Damage (Liquid Exposure)

Although iPhones are water-resistant, prolonged exposure to water can still damage internal circuits.

You may notice that your iPhone stops working after being exposed to water, or the screen becomes flickering or black.

4. Failed Software Update or System Crash

An interrupted or failed iOS update may cause the system to crash, making the iPhone unable to boot.

You may see that your iPhone is stuck on the Apple logo, enters a reboot loop, or shows a black screen after an update.

Video Guide: Fix iPhone Won't Turn On

iPhone not turning on or stuck on a black screen? Watch this step-by-step video tutorial to see exactly how to fix it quickly and easily.

8 Solutions to Fix iPhone 16/17 Won't Turn On

Now that you've learned the possible causes and watched the video demonstration, it's time to take action. Below are 8 practical and proven solutions to fix an iPhone 16/17 that won't turn on. Start with the simplest solutions and work your way down until your device powers back on.

Solution 1: Charge Your iPhone

Make sure the battery of your iPhone is charged enough to run it. If the battery of your device is completely drained, you may not see the battery charging image for a few minutes. If the display is blank when inserted, wait a moment to see if the icon appears.

• Step 1. Pick up your iPhone and plug in the USB cable to charge it for 15-30 minutes.
• Step 2. Check if the charging icon appears on the screen after a few minutes.
• Step 3. If the screen remains black, try using another USB cable and charger. Once charged, press and hold the power button to turn on your iPhone.
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Solution 2: Check the Charging Port and Cable

If you charge your iPhone for a while and still fail to turn it on, you need to check the charging port and charging cable of your iPhone. If the charging port is blocked by dust or debris, the cable may not connect properly, so no power is delivered to the device. Similarly, a damaged or non-certified cable or adapter may fail to charge the iPhone.

• Step 1. Use a soft brush to clean the dirt and dust in the charging port.
• Step 2. Try another USB cable or adapter to charge your iPhone.
• Step 3. You are suggested to use official or certified accessories to charge your device, or you may meet some errors on it.
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Solution 3: Hard Reset Your iPhone

If your iPhone displays a black screen or cannot be turned on, you may need to force reboot your iPhone. Hard reset your iPhone doesn't erase the content on the device. You can force reboot it even if the screen is blank or the button is not responding. Simply follow the steps below to do.

• On iPhone 6S or earlier models: Press and hold the Home button and the Top button or the Side button for at least seconds until you see the Apple logo.
• On iPhone 7 or 7 Plus: Press and hold the Side button and the Volume Down button for at least 10 seconds until you see the Apple logo.
• On iPhone 8 or newer models: Press and release the Volume Up button. Then press and release the Volume Down button. Finally, press and hold the Side button until you see the Apple logo.

Solution 4: Fix System Errors Using A Professional Tool

If your iPhone fails to turn on due to system errors, you can try using a professional iOS repair tool such as TunesKit iOS System Recovery to fix this with highest success rate. The best thing is that you will never worry about the loss of the data on your device while using the program to fix your iPhone won't turn on.

TunesKit iOS System Recovery is an iOS utility specifically designed to fix 150+ various iOS system issues including iPhone keeps turning off, stuck on Apple logo, stuck in recovery mode, DFU mode, headphone mode, black screen, iOS update failure, and more. Besides, it also works well for iPad and iPod touch. Besides, if you want to reset your device, enter/exit the Recovery mode, or upgrade/downgrade the system, TunesKit can help you finish them.

Step 1 Connect your iPhone to the computer

Download and install TunesKit iOS System Recovery on your computer and then open it. Next, use an original USB cord to connect your iPhone with the computer. You'll find that your iPhone will be detected by the computer. Select the iOS System Repair button, and click the Start button to continue.

Step 2 Choose a mode

Now select the Standard Repair mode to move on. This mode can fix iPhone won't switch on and keep your data intact.

Step 3 Download and verify the firmware package

Then, you need to check the device information of your iPhone, and then click the Download button to begin downloading the right firmware package for your iPhone.

Step 4 Start fixing iPhone 16/17 won't turn on

Once the download is done, then click on the Start Standard Repair button to let TunesKit repair your system issue immediately. Wait a while until the process comes to an end. Don't disconnect your device to the computer during the process. Check your iPhone to see whether it works well.

Solution 5: Restore the iPhone to Factory Settings

Sometimes, the best bets that can the fix the issue of your iPhone 16/17 won't turn on is to restore your device to factory settings, which means to erase all data and settings on your iPhone. Of course, it would be best if you have recently backed up your device to iTunes. Restoring factory settings can solve many problems. Normally, you only need to so it on Settings, but if your iPhone cannot turn on, then you may try the following method.

• Step 1. Launch iTunes and connect your device to the computer with a USB cable.
• Step 2. Click the iPhone icon in the interface of iTunes and then tap on the Restore iPhone... option.
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• Step 3. You'll see a message popping up asking if you want to backup your iPhone, confirm it since you're going to wipe your device.
• Step 4. Click Restore button if you get ready to restore your iPhone and then wait for a while until it restarts.
• Step 5. Now your iPhone will appear as a totally new one as the first time you saw it. You can restore it from the backup to get your data back.

Solution 6: Put the iPhone into DFU Mode

In some cases, such as after jailbreaking it or when you try to install an iOS update that doesn't have enough battery life, your iPhone may not boot up, if you are having these issues, try putting your iPhone in DFU mode according to the following instructions.

• Step 1. Connect your iPhone to a computer and open iTunes (or Finder if you are on macOS Catalina or later).
• Step 2. Perform the DFU button sequence: quickly press Volume Up, then Volume Down, and then hold the Side button until the screen goes black. As soon as it turns black, hold both the Side and Volume Down buttons for five seconds, then release the Side button while continuing to hold Volume Down for ten more seconds.
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• Step 3. Look at your computer screen for a prompt indicating that a device has been detected in recovery mode, and then select the option to "Restore iPhone."
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Solution 7: Check for Hardware or Liquid Damage

If liquid damages your device, your iPhone may fail to turn on possibly. iPhone has built-in Liquid Contact Indicators (LCIs) that will show whether the device has been in contact with water or a liquid containing water. The indicator's color is normally white or silver, but when it contacts water or a liquid containing water, it will turn fully red.

• Step 1. Remove your iPhone from its case and use a flashlight to inspect the Liquid Contact Indicator (LCI), which is located inside the SIM card tray slot on most modern iPhones.
• Step 2. Look closely at the indicator's color. If it remains white or silver, your phone is likely safe from liquid, but if it has turned completely red, water has definitely breached the internal casing of the device.
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• Step 3. Examine the exterior of the phone for severe physical trauma, looking for things like a heavily shattered screen, a bent chassis, or visible damage to the charging port.

Solution 8: Contact Apple Support

After trying all of these methods above and you find that your iPhone won't turn on or charge, then the problem may be too serious to fix it yourself. At this time, you need to contact the Apple Support to make an appointment. The technical staffs will fix your problem eventually. In addition, it's wise to check the warranty status of the device you are using before you go as it could save money on maintenance costs.

Tips to Avoid the iPhone Won't Turn On Problem

After trying those solutions, you would possibly restore your iPhone to the normal status. However, in order to prevent it from happening next time, you could do the following things.

• Don't launch too many applications on your device at the same time.
• Don't try to jailbreak your device unless it is necessary.
• Update your device to the latest operating system.
• Install applications from the Apple store and update them to the latest version.
• Avoid opening suspicious websites or installing illegal applications on your device.

FAQs About iPhone Won't Turn On

Once your iPhone won't turn on, you would have a vast amount of questions that want to ask. Here we've collected those frequently asked questions. Also, we'll make the reply to them.

The Bottom Line

What to do if your iPhone won't turn on? Don't panic! You need to identify whether the issue is caused by software or hardware problem. Then you can go to use the solutions introduced in the article to restore your iPhone. Among all solutions, TunesKit iOS System Recovery offers an efficient, reliable way. With it, you can solve more than 50 types of iOS system issues while keeping the data on your device.