If iPhone Is Black or Frozen, Do Not Restore First
When an iPhone screen goes black, the worst first reaction is to restore it immediately.
Many cases are only a system freeze, empty battery, charger issue, or cable issue. Recovery mode is for more serious cases such as failed updates, an Apple logo that will not progress, the Connect to computer screen, or repeated Recovery Assistant loops.
The order should be: force restart, charge, check hardware and apps, then consider recovery mode.
First, force restart
The button sequence depends on model:
- iPhone 8 or later, including newer iPhone SE: press and quickly release volume up, press and quickly release volume down, then hold the side button until the Apple logo appears.
- iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus: hold the side button and volume down button until the Apple logo appears.
- iPhone 6s or earlier: hold the Home button and side or top button until the Apple logo appears.
Apple notes that the Apple logo may take longer than 10 seconds to appear.
Do not give up after two seconds, and do not press random button combinations.
Then check charging
If force restart does nothing, charge first.
Apple suggests charging for one hour if the iPhone will not turn on. If the low-charge battery appears, check the hardware and continue charging for 30 minutes or until it starts.
Also check:
- Whether the cable works.
- Whether the power adapter works.
- Whether the port has dust or liquid.
- Whether another trusted cable and adapter behave differently.
If the issue is only battery depletion, restoring the phone adds unnecessary risk.
Then consider recovery mode
Recovery mode fits more serious system problems:
- The Apple logo stays for minutes with no progress bar.
- The computer does not recognize the device or says it is in recovery mode.
- The Connect to computer screen appears.
- The device repeatedly starts Recovery Assistant.
Prepare a computer first. Use Finder on Mac, or the Apple Devices app or iTunes on Windows.
When recovery mode appears on the computer, choose Update first when available. Update tries to reinstall the system without erasing data. Restore reinstalls iOS and erases the device.
If Update is available, do not choose Restore first. Without a backup, Restore is a data risk.
When service is smarter
Stop troubleshooting and consider service if:
- A button is broken and recovery mode cannot be used.
- The device cannot update or restore.
- Charging and force restart do nothing.
- The device was dropped, exposed to liquid, or heats abnormally.
- The screen is black but sound or vibration works, suggesting display hardware.
More restoring will not fix every hardware problem.
Scope
This article checks steps against Apple Support’s If your iPhone won’t turn on or the screen is black and If you can’t update or restore your iPhone or iPod touch pages. Model and software details can vary. Use Apple’s current support pages as the final reference.