How to Fix It When Your iPhone Screen Went Black

A black iPhone screen can be scary. One moment you’re using your phone normally, and the next moment – nothing. The phone is completely dead, and the screen has nothing on it or is black and does not respond to your touch. What should you do? Don’t panic! This is a fairly common issue, and there are several ways to fix it.

What Causes a Black iPhone Screen?

Before looking into the solutions, let’s first understand what causes this to happen. Your iPhone screen can turn black for many reasons:

• Software freezes/crashes
• Battery completely drained
• Display hardware issues
• Water damage
• Physical damage from drops
• Overheating problems
• iOS update problems

The good news is that most black screen issues that are easily resolved without visiting a repair shop.

Quick Checks Before You Start

Check if Your iPhone is Really Off

In some circumstances, your iPhone is not really broken, it might just be:

• The battery is dead
• The brightness is all the way down
• The do not disturb mode is on, and the brightness is all the way down

You can try these four quick steps:

1. Plug your phone into a charger for 15 minutes
2. Press the button on the side of the phone to see if anything appears
3. Listen for sounds and vibrations to see if your phone is actually on or not
4. Try to see if anything appears on the phone when plugged into the charger in the above scenarios.

Solution 1: Force Restart Your iPhone

This is the best fix for the black screen issue. The steps will vary based on your iPhone model:

For iPhone 8 and Up Models:

1. Quickly press and release the volume-up button
2. Quickly press and release the volume down button
3. Press and hold the side button until you see the Apple logo.

For an iPhone 7 and 7 Plus:

1. Press and hold both the volume down button and the side button
2. Keep holding until you see the Apple logo.

For iPhone 6s and older:

1. Press and hold both the Home button and the top (or side) button
2. Continue holding until you see the Apple logo.

When your iPhone has restarted completely, in can take 2-3 minutes.

Solution 2: Charge Your iPhone Properly

A fully drained battery could cause a black screen. Here’s how to charge the battery properly:

• Make sure you are using the original Apple charger or an authentically certified charging cable like Ugreen.
• Make sure that the charger is being plugged into a outlet wall rather than a computer USB port. 
• Make sure that the battery is charging for at least half an hour before switching it back on.
• Make sure you check the screen for a charging symbol.

If you’re still not seeing any charging indicators after trying this for at least thirty minutes, you should try a different charger or cable.

Solution 3: Check Your Screen Brightness

It is possible that the screen is working, but the brightness has been turned all the way down:

1. Try adjusting brightness by swiping down from the top right corner
2. Locate the brightness slider and slide it to the right
3. If you can access your iPhone, you can also go to Settings > Display & Brightness

Solution 4: Use Recovery Mode

When the much more basic solutions in this guide are not working, it’s time to attempt putting your iPhone into recovery mode:

1. Connect your iPhone to the computer running iTunes, or Finder on a Mac.
2. Use the force restart procedure of your iPhone model, but don’t let go.
3. Continue to hold the buttons until you see the Recovery Mode screen.
4. After you get it into Recovery Mode, there will be an option to either update or restore. Choose “Update” first and see if it solved the problem without erasing data.
5. If that doesn’t work, restore (this will erase data).

Solution 5: DFU Mode (Advanced Users Only)

DFU (Device Firmware Update) is a more advanced option than recovery mode, as it reinstalls the entire operating system on the iPhone:

• In this mode, you erase all data on the iPhone and completely reinstall the operating system.
• This is the last possible option if the above three solutions do not work.
• Unless you have a backup, don’t attempt this unless you want to likely lose all data.
• Unless you are a professional, again consider having someone else try this.

Hardware-Related Solutions

Check for Physical Damage

You will want to look for these signs of hardware problems:

• Cracks on the screen
• Water damage indicators
• Dents or bends in the phone body
• Loose connections

If you see physical damage, you’ll likely need professional help.

Overheating Issues

If your iPhone got extremely hot right before the screen went black:

• Let it cool down in a cool dry place.
• If applicable, remove the case.
• Don’t put it in the refrigerator or freezer.
• Wait at least 30 minutes for it to cool before attempting to use it again.

When to Seek Professional Help

If none of the above methods work, your iPhone has physical damage, your iPhone is still under warranty, you’re not confident in trying advanced methods or the problem is recurring, it’s time to contact Apple Support or visit an Apple Store.

If your iPhone is getting older, consider getting it professionally repaired because the cost of repairs may not be worth it.

Important Tips

To avoid black screen problems in the future:

• Keep your iOS system updated to the latest version
• Avoid using your iPhone when the battery is below 20%, and try to charge it up to 95% instead of 100%
• Use a case and screen protector
• Don’t expose your iPhone to high or low temperatures
• Regularly restart your phone once a week
• Keep some free storage space on your device

Final Thoughts

It can be very frustrating when your iPhone screen went black, but it can usually be resolved. Be sure to try the easy things first—force restarting your iPhone and making sure it is plugged in. Most times, these easy steps will solve your black iPhone screen issue.

Always remember to back up your iPhone regularly, so if you need to restore your iPhone, you’ll have important data backed up, at least in iCloud. If you ever think you might be touching the wrong button and you are unsure of trying something, remember you can always get help from someone who might know more than you, and you may avoid breaking it further.

The most important thing is to remain calm and go through step by step, and you’ll have everything working again, in most cases, only minutes!