Your iPhone is working all fine and dandy and one day it just shuts down unexpectedly and stops booting after that? There can be a number of reasons why this could have happened. If you ever find yourself stuck with an iPhone that’s not booting, here’s what you should do.
There can be a multitude of factors that could have led to your iPhone from shutting down abruptly and not booting thereafter. If its an old iPhone, the battery could be the cause. Similarly, if you spilled liquid on your iPhone then it could be the reason behind the device not working anymore. I have also seen iPhones that have suddenly stopped booting for no clear reason whatsoever. Whatever the reason might be, below are some solutions to help you restart your iPhone if it won’t turn on or boot up.
What to Do When Your iPhone Won’t Turn On or Boot Up
1. Connect iPhone to PC
It is possible that you can be stuck in a situation where your iPhone has a faulty power button and it shuts down unexpectedly. In such cases, you can try to connect your iPhone to a PC and wait for a few seconds or minutes for it to boot. In most cases, if your iPhone has enough charge, it should boot automatically into iOS. If not, try the step mentioned below.
This is also a good way of knowing if your iPhone is actually dead or if its display has just stopped working. If its the latter, the device will still be detected by your PC.
2. Force Restart iPhone
If your iPhone is not booting even after pressing the power button, you can try force restarting it to see if that helps. Depending on which iPhone you have, the steps to force restart your iPhone will be different.
On iPhone 8 and newer iPhones without a home button, you need to press the Volume up button followed by the Volume down button and then quickly press and hold the Side button until you see the Apple logo to force restart your iPhone.
➤ How to Force Restart iPhone 8 or later
On iPhone 7, you need to press and hold the Lock/Wake (Side) button and the Volume down button for a few seconds until you see the Apple logo to force restart your iPhone.
➤ How to Force Restart iPhone 7, iPhone 7 Plus
On iPhone 6s or older, you need to press and hold the Lock/Wake button and the Home button for a few seconds until you see the Apple logo to force restart your iPhone.
➤ How to Force Restart iPhone 6s or older
3. Charge It!
Ok, this is a simple one. If your iPhone has suddenly stopped booting and the above measures were in vain, you should put your device on charge. Do not try to immediately boot it after putting it on charge. Instead, let it charge for at least 10-15 minutes and then try to power it on. If you have a relatively old iPhone with a weak battery, it is possible that the battery is no longer capable of holding a charge after a certain threshold. In case your iPhone boots after being on charge for around 20-30 minutes, it is recommended you get its battery replaced since it can no longer hold a charge properly.
Alternatively, if your iPhone shuts down unexpectedly while being charged, you should remove it from the charger and let it idle for a few minutes and then try booting it again.
4. Dry Out Your Wet iPhone
If your iPhone shuts down unexpectedly after a liquid spill or after falling in a bucket of water and refuses to boot after that, your only choice is to put it in a bag of rice or in a box filled with silica gel packets for a few hours to drain all the moisture. Recent iPhones are IP67/8 certified meaning they are dust and water-resistant to a certain extent. However, older iPhones do not carry any such rating and any kind of liquid spill can be damaging for them. As a precautionary measure, your iPhone will automatically shut down in case of a major liquid spill. In such cases, instead of trying to boot your iPhone again and again, you should put it in a bag of rice or in a bag with silica gel for a few hours so that it absorbs all the moisture. Do this after drying your iPhone using a cloth though.
Another option is to blow it dry using a hairdryer. You should also try getting all water out from the ports of the iPhone before putting it on charge otherwise the device could malfunction. You should then try booting your iPhone again and if that does not work, your only option is to take it to your nearest repair shop.
5. Take It to Service Center
If none of the above steps worked in reviving your iPhone, the only option you now have left is to take it to your nearest Apple service center. If your device is in warranty, you can take it to an Apple store or an authorized Apple service center to get it repaired. Since the device will be in warranty, Apple will repair or replace it for free.
If your device is not in warranty though, I will recommend that you take it to a third-party service center first as they can likely repair your iPhone at a far lower price than Apple. However, do this only if there’s a reputed third-party repair shop for Apple products in your area. Otherwise, if you don’t mind spending some additional money for peace of mind, authorized Apple service centers are still going to be your best bet.
If any of the above methods help in bringing your dead iPhone back to life, do drop a comment and let us know about it!
