The Black Screen Issue on an iPhone becomes entirely unresponsive. You might receive alerts and feel vibrations, but interacting with your phone will be impossible.
While physical damage is often the cause, system glitches can also be to blame. Before jumping to conclusions, try these solutions first.
Restart Your iPhone Forcefully
When facing the Black Screen Issue on an iPhone, the initial step is to perform a force restart. Unlike a regular reboot, this method is beneficial if you cannot shut down your iPhone in the usual manner.
To force restart your iPhone, you’ll need to perform a sequence of button presses that may take a few attempts due to the quick timing required. First, press and release the Volume Up button. Next, do the same with the Volume Down button. Finally, press and hold down your iPhone’s Side button until you see the Apple logo appear on the screen.
Restore Your iPhone Using Apple Devices or Finder
If your iPhone still doesn’t reboot after attempting a force restart, you may need to perform a factory reset. This can be accomplished using the Apple Devices app on Windows or Finder on macOS.
Using the Apple Devices app or Finder to restore your iPhone will erase all data and return it to factory settings. Therefore, ensure you have a recent backup to avoid losing any information.
Please be aware that this method is effective only if you’ve previously connected your iPhone to Apple Devices or Finder. The first time you connect your iPhone to a computer, an alert will appear on both your iPhone and the computer, asking you to trust the device.
Since you can’t select “Trust” on an iPhone with a black screen, you’ll need to perform a hard reset using the recovery or DFU mode. We’ll go over those steps later.
In addition, these steps can only be followed if Find My is disabled on your iPhone. If it’s not, you’ll receive an alert prompting you to turn off Find My during the process. You’ll then need to disable this feature from iCloud and remotely erase your iPhone.
Once you meet the requirements outlined above, you’re ready to proceed. Just connect your iPhone to your PC or Mac using a USB cable. Open the Apple Devices app or Finder and follow these steps:
Under the Locations section in the sidebar, select [Your Name]’s iPhone. If you’re using Apple devices, you can skip this step.
Go to the General tab and select Restore iPhone on the right side.
If you’re asked to back up your settings before restoring your iPhone, select Back Up.
After that, select Restore when the confirmation pop-up appears.
The process might take a few minutes to finish, so please be patient. Once it’s complete, you can restore your iPhone from a backup.
Factory Reset Your iPhone Using Recovery Mode
Recovery mode is a built-in feature by Apple that enables you to factory reset your device and reinstall the latest iOS version when your iPhone becomes fully unresponsive.
To enter recovery mode on your iPhone, connect it to your computer and open Apple Devices or Finder. Then, press and release a specific combination of buttons in the correct sequence.
Quickly press and release the Volume Up button, then do the same with the Volume Down button. Finally, press and hold down the Side button until you see the Recovery Mode screen appear.
The Apple Devices app or Finder will now display a pop-up message indicating that an iPhone in recovery mode has been detected, giving you the option to either Update or Restore your device.
Bring Your iPhone to Apple
If all else fails, the black screen of death is probably caused by physical damage or other hardware problems. In this situation, you should reach out to Apple Support or visit a nearby Apple Store or an Authorized Service Provider. Scheduling an appointment at a Genius Bar in an Apple Store is straightforward.
Keep in mind that Apple’s standard one-year warranty does not include coverage for screen damage replacements or repairs. Therefore, if you haven’t invested in an AppleCare+ extended warranty plan, you’ll need to pay a fee to have your iPhone serviced.
Even though the black screen of death on an iPhone might be alarming, it’s advisable to attempt some software fixes before consulting a professional, particularly if your device hasn’t suffered any physical damage. On the other hand, if there are hardware problems involved, you will need to reach out to Apple or another service provider for expert help.