Won't turn onHighiPhone won't turn on
What this error means
This means your iPhone is not starting up normally, so the screen stays black, frozen on the Apple logo, or completely unresponsive when you press the power buttons. It can happen after the battery runs down, a software crash, or a problem with charging or hardware.
Common causes
- 1The battery is fully drained
- 2The charging cable, adapter, or charging port is not working properly
- 3iOS has frozen during startup
- 4A recent update or app crash prevented normal startup
- 5Hardware damage from a drop, liquid, or battery failure
How to fix it
- Charge your iPhone with a known-good cable and power adapter, then leave it connected for at least 30 minutes. If possible, try a different outlet, cable, and charger.
- Check the charging port for lint or debris. If you see anything blocking the port, gently remove it without using anything sharp or metal.
- Try a force restart. On many iPhone models, quickly press and release the volume up button, quickly press and release the volume down button, then press and hold the side button until you see the Apple logo.
- If the screen stays black, connect your iPhone to a computer and check whether it is detected. If it is, use Finder on macOS or iTunes on Windows to look for an update before choosing restore.
- If an update is offered, try updating first. This can fix startup problems without erasing your data.
- If the iPhone still will not start, put it into recovery mode and choose the update option first. Use restore only if updating does not work and you are prepared to erase the device.
- If none of these steps help, contact Apple Support or a trusted repair provider, especially if the phone was dropped, got wet, or shows signs of battery swelling.
Recommended fixes
Force restart your iPhone
A force restart safely reboots a frozen iPhone without erasing data.
- Press and quickly release Volume Up.
- Press and quickly release Volume Down.
- Press and hold the Side button until the Apple logo appears, then release.
(iPhone 7: hold Volume Down + Side together. iPhone 6s or earlier: hold Home + Side together.)
Charge your iPhone for 30 minutes
- Connect your iPhone to a wall charger with a known-good cable.
- Wait at least 30 minutes — a deeply drained battery can take a while to show the charging screen.
- If the charging screen never appears, try a different cable, adapter, and outlet.
Update iOS
- Open Settings > General > Software Update.
- Install any available update.
- Keep the iPhone connected to Wi-Fi and power during the update.
Update or restore in recovery mode
- Connect your iPhone to a computer using Finder (macOS) or the Apple Devices app / iTunes (Windows).
- Force restart the iPhone, but keep holding the Side button until the recovery-mode (cable-to-computer) screen appears.
- Choose Update first to reinstall iOS without erasing data. Use Restore only as a last resort — it erases the device.
Contact Quickfix support
If the issue persists after trying these steps, reach out so we can help.
Visit the contact page and include your scan report code.
When to seek help
Seek professional help right away if your iPhone gets unusually hot, smells burnt, shows a swollen screen or back cover, was exposed to water, or still will not turn on after charging and a force restart. Hardware damage, battery failure, or liquid damage may need repair.
Need more help?
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