iPhone Won't Turn On? 6 Fixes to Try Right Now

You press the side button. Nothing. You hold it down. Still nothing. Your iPhone is just a black brick. Before you panic and assume the worst, work through this list. Nine times out of ten, your iPhone isn't broken. It's just stuck.

1. Force restart the right way for your model

The button combination is different depending on which iPhone you have. Picking the wrong one does nothing.

iPhone 8 and newer (X, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, SE 2nd/3rd Gen):

1. Press and quickly release Volume Up
2. Press and quickly release Volume Down
3. Press and hold the Side button for about 10 to 15 seconds
4. Keep holding until you see the Apple logo

iPhone 7 and 7 Plus:

1. Press and hold Volume Down + Side button together
2. Keep holding until the Apple logo appears

iPhone 6s and earlier (including SE 1st Gen):

1. Press and hold Home button + Side (or Top) button together
2. Keep holding until the Apple logo appears

2. Plug it in and wait a full hour

If your battery is completely drained, the iPhone won't show any signs of life for the first 5 to 10 minutes of charging. Most people give up too soon.

• Use an Apple-certified Lightning or USB-C cable (cheap cables fail)
• Plug into a wall outlet, not a computer USB port (more power)
• Let it sit for a full hour before trying to wake it
• If you see a "low battery" lightning bolt icon, just keep waiting

3. Try a different cable, charger, or outlet

This sounds basic, but it's the cause in maybe 15% of cases I see. Lightning cables wear out from the inside, especially near the ports. Test with:

• A different cable (borrow one if you can)
• A different wall outlet
• A wireless charger or MagSafe if you have one (especially helpful with some recent battery firmware issues)

4. Inspect the charging port

The Lightning or USB-C port is a magnet for lint, pocket dust, and crumbs. A blocked port can stop charging completely.

Use a flashlight to look inside. If you see anything packed in there, very gently scrape it out with a wooden toothpick (never metal). Don't poke too hard. Then try charging again.

5. Connect to a computer and try recovery mode

If your iPhone shows signs of life (Apple logo, but then dies, or boot loop), recovery mode lets you update or restore iOS without losing data in most cases.

1. Connect your iPhone to a Mac or PC with a cable
2. On a Mac, open Finder. On a Windows PC, open iTunes (or Apple Devices app on Windows 11).
3. Force restart the iPhone using the steps in Step 1, but keep holding even after you see the Apple logo. Hold until you see the recovery mode screen (a laptop icon with a cable).
4. On the computer, you'll see a prompt asking to Update or Restore. Pick Update first. This keeps your data.
5. If Update doesn't work, you can try Restore, but that erases the phone. Use that as a last resort.

6. If nothing's working, it's a hardware issue

If you've gone through all of the above and your iPhone is still completely dead, the issue is likely:

• Battery failure (especially if your phone is more than 3 years old)
• Charging circuit damage (often from water or impact)
• Display failure (the phone might actually be on, but the screen is broken. Try a force restart and see if you hear sounds or feel a vibration)
• Logic board damage (rare but possible)

At this point you have three options:

1. Make a Genius Bar appointment at your nearest Apple Store. Free diagnostics. Battery replacement runs $69 to $99.
2. Visit an Apple Authorized Service Provider (often faster than the Apple Store)
3. If your iPhone is more than 4 years old, the cost of major repair often gets close to upgrading. Weigh it.

Video walkthrough

Video by iDeviceHelp on YouTube