You try to use your iPhone only to be met by a black screen with nothing on it. Thinking that the device has run out of power, you plug it into a power source, but even after charging for a few hours, the screen remains black. This is a problem often referred to as the iPhone Black Screen of Death and it can mean that you are unable to use your device completely.
This problem is actually very common and it can happen for several reasons, including;
- Problems with the hardware components on the device.
- Issues with the software running on the device.
- A broken or liquid damaged device.
- Incompatible or problematic apps.
- A very low battery.
Even though it may seem like the device cannot be fixed, there are several solutions that you can try to solve the problem and get your device working normally again. A hardware issue may require that you have a professional technician repair the device, but if there is no visible physical damage to the device, you can try the following troubleshooting solutions to fix it.
1. Force Restart the Device While Charging
Connect the iPhone to a charger and let it charge for a few minutes before trying to turn it on. If the screen remains black, then the issue may not be a low battery and you need to force restart the device. Here’s how to do that;
iPhone 8 and later: Press and let go of the Volume Up Button, press and let go of the Volume Down button, and then press and hold the Side button. Release the Side button when the Apple Logo appears.
iPhone 7, 7 Plus, and iPod Touch (7th Generation): Press and hold both the Volume Down and the Side button. Release the buttons when the Apple Logo appears on the screen.
A force restart doesn’t affect the data on your device. Its memory unit will remain intact. But if a force restart doesn’t solve the problem, then the software on your device may be corrupt. In this case, using FoneGeek iOS System Recovery or restoring the device in iTunes may work.
2. Update and Restore iPhone with iTunes
iTunes remains one of the best ways to manage your iOS device and may therefore be useful in helping you resolve some of these issues. The following steps show you how to use iTunes to restore your iPhone;
Step 1: Connect the iPhone to the computer using the device’s lightning cable. Open iTunes if it doesn’t automatically open and wait for iTunes to recognize the connected device.
Step 2: Click on the “Summary” tab and then select “Back up Now” to create a backup of all the data on your iPhone.
Step 3: Click “Check for Update” to allow iTunes to update the device to the latest version of iOS.
Step 4: If the update doesn’t work or if an update is not available, click on “Restore iPhone.” This will erase all the data on the iPhone, but you can restore all the data from the backup you created in step 2 above.
There are several things to keep in mind if you choose to use iTunes to restore the iPhone. These include;
- Sometimes iTunes fails to recognize the connected device
- Although it may work, it can be difficult to determine the updating or restoring progress. Once the process starts, you have no choice but to wait until it is completed.
- The whole process can take a lot of hours to complete.
- iTunes has been known to be buggy and full of errors. You may end up having to deal with the errors rather than repair your device.
3. Use Advanced Tool – FoneGeek iOS System Recovery
The iPhone Screen Black Screen of death is an indication that there is a problem with your iOS system. The best solution to fix this problem without causing damage to the device or the data on it is FoneGeek iOS System Recovery.
This is a good solution for the most common iOS system issues that may affect your iOS device including recovery mode, the Apple logo, problematic apps, black/white screen, and more. It can even allow you to resolve all iOS issues by reinstalling the firmware after completely erasing the device.
The following simple steps show you how to use this tool to repair the device;
Step 1: Install and then open the FoneGeek iOS System Recovery on to your computer. Use a USB or Lightning cable to connect the iPhone to the computer. In the main window, click on “Standard Mode.”
Step 2: In the next step, you need to enter DFU or Recovery mode on your screen. Just follow the on-screen instructions to put your iPhone in recovery mode.
Step 3: The program will now detect the connected device and you will be prompted to download the latest firmware for your device. Click “Download” to initiate the download process.
Step 4: Once the download is complete, click on “Start to Fix” and the program will immediately begin resolving the program.
Advantages of Standard Repair;
- You can repair the device without losing the data on your device and therefore you don’t need to create a backup.
- The whole process can take just a few minutes.
- FoneGeek iOS System Recovery has a simple user interface, meaning that you can fix your technical knowledge.
Conclusion
There are a lot of reasons why your device’s screen may be black and unresponsive. The common solutions to this problem as we have seen above are a force restart, updating or restoring the device in recovery mode, or using a professional repair tool like FoneGeek iOS System Recovery. This third-party solution is the most useful solution particularly if you don’t want to lose the data on your device. But if the problem persists even after trying the solutions above, you may want to contact Apple Support for further assistance or check for hardware damage that may need to be fixed.