Bringing your iPhone back to life: Solutions for black screen of death

Force restart your iPhone

The first thing to do when facing the black screen of death is to perform a force restart on your iPhone. This is different from a regular restart and is helpful if your iPhone cannot be turned off using the standard method.

To force restart, you need to press a series of buttons in a specific sequence. Press and quickly release the Volume Up button. Repeat the same with the Volume Down button. Then, press and hold the Side button on the iPhone until the Apple logo appears.

Restore iPhone using Apple devices or Finder

If your iPhone does not restart even after attempting a force restart, you will need to reset it to factory settings. This can be done using the Apple Devices app on Windows or Finder on macOS.

Restoring the iPhone through Apple Devices or Finder will erase all data and return the device to its factory settings. Therefore, to avoid data loss, use this method only if you have a recent backup.

Note that this method works only if you have previously connected the iPhone to Apple Devices or Finder. When you first connect the iPhone to a computer, a trust prompt appears on both the iPhone and the computer.

If your iPhone screen is black, you won't be able to tap Trust. In this case, you will have to hard reset the iPhone using recovery or DFU Mode.

In addition, you can only perform these steps if the Find My feature is disabled. Otherwise, a message will appear asking you to turn off Find My. You'll need to disable this feature via iCloud and erase the iPhone remotely.

If you have met the necessary conditions, you can proceed. Connect the iPhone to a PC or Mac using a USB cable. Launch the Apple Devices app or Finder and follow these steps:

• Click on [Your Name] 's iPhone in the list under the Locations header. If you're using Apple Devices, skip this step.
• Head to the General tab and click Restore iPhone on the right.
• When prompted to back up your settings before restoring your iPhone, click Back Up.
• Next, click Restore when you get a confirmation pop-up.

The process may take a few minutes. After completion, you will be able to restore your iPhone from the backup.

Use recovery mode to reset iPhone to factory settings

Recovery Mode is a built-in Apple system that allows you to reset the device to factory settings and reinstall the latest version of iOS if your iPhone has stopped responding entirely.

To enter recovery mode, follow a specific button sequence on the device in the indicated order while connecting the iPhone to a computer and launching the Apple Devices app or Finder:

• Press and quickly release the Volume Up button.
• Then, do the same with the Volume Down button.
• Finally, hold the Side button until the Recovery Mode screen appears.

After this, a message will appear in the Apple Devices app or Finder stating that an iPhone in Recovery Mode has been detected. You will have the option to update or restore the device.

Use recovery mode to reset your iPhone to factory settings (photo: MakeUseOf)

Contact Apple support

If none of the methods work, the black screen is most likely caused by physical damage or other hardware issues. In this case, you must contact Apple Support or visit the nearest service center.

Keep in mind that Apple's standard one-year warranty does not cover screen replacement or repair for physical damage. Therefore, you'll have to pay for the service if you don't have an extended AppleCare+ warranty plan.

Although the black screen of death on an iPhone can be concerning, it's worth trying several software recovery methods before seeking professional help, especially if your device hasn't suffered any physical damage.

However, professional assistance or a third-party service center will be necessary if there are hardware issues.

Read also our material on how to stop spam and annoying calls on iPhone with the help of secret settings.