There are a few potential reasons why your iPhone may have suddenly gone black or blank unexpectedly. The most common causes include a crashed app, the iPhone overheating and shutting down, the battery being completely depleted, a faulty power button, or a software glitch.
Quick Fixes to Try
Here are some quick things you can try to get your iPhone screen back on:
- Press and hold the power/side button and home button together for at least 10 seconds to force restart your iPhone.
- Plug your iPhone into a charger to give the battery a boost if it’s fully depleted.
- Hard reset your iPhone by pressing and quickly releasing the volume up button, then pressing and quickly releasing the volume down button, then press and hold the side button until the Apple logo appears.
- Check for any software updates and install the latest iOS version.
- Toggle airplane mode on and off to refresh the network connection.
- Connect your iPhone to a computer and force restart it through iTunes.
Overheating Shut Down
One of the most common reasons an iPhone may go black is due to overheating. iPhones are designed to shut themselves down when they reach dangerously high temperatures, as a safety precaution. This causes the screen to suddenly go black and prevents the phone from being used until it cools off.
An iPhone can overheat from normal intensive use, especially if used out in direct sunlight on a hot day. But more commonly, overheating is caused by a rogue app or software glitch putting too much strain on the iPhone’s processor. The only solution is to let the iPhone cool itself down, then try restarting it. Avoid using the problematic app that may have caused the issue.
Crashed App
Similarly, a crashed iOS app can also cause your iPhone to appear with a black or frozen screen. Apps sometimes become unresponsive and hang, requiring you to forcibly close them. If you can’t swipe up to close an app, your iPhone may freeze up with a black screen.
Try pressing and holding the side button to bring up the “slide to power off” prompt. This should give you the ability to close the crashed app. Alternatively, you can force restart the iPhone to reload the operating system and apps. Check app reviews to see if others have reported crashes.
Dead Battery
The most obvious culprit for an iPhone going black is a fully depleted battery. As the battery level drops below 5%, the iPhone will turn itself off to avoid further battery drain. The screen goes black right before the battery dies completely.
Connect your iPhone to a charger cable and let it charge for at least 10-15 minutes. This should provide enough juice to turn the iPhone back on. If your iPhone is more than 2-3 years old, the battery capacity may be worn out, requiring a battery replacement.
Maximize Battery Life
To avoid having your iPhone go black from a dead battery, follow these tips:
- Close apps you aren’t using to avoid battery drain.
- Turn off Background App Refresh for apps that don’t need constant updates.
- Disable energy-intensive features like Bluetooth when not needed.
- Turn on Low Power Mode to prolong battery life.
- Avoid exposing your iPhone to extreme hot or cold temperatures.
- Replace the battery if your iPhone can’t hold a charge.
Faulty Power Button
If your iPhone’s power/side button is damaged or defective, it could be the reason your screen goes black. The power button is used to wake and sleep the iPhone, as well as for force restarts.
Check if your power button is:
- Stuck in the pressed down position
- Unresponsive or hard to press
- Only working intermittently
Any of these symptoms indicate a hardware problem with the button itself. You’ll need to get the power button repaired or replaced. As a temporary workaround, you can use AssistiveTouch to perform power button functions on-screen.
Software Glitch
In rare cases, a software glitch or bug could cause an iPhone screen to go black. A recent iOS update may introduce a conflict, apps can freeze in the background, or important system processes may crash.
First try force restarting your iPhone and see if the problem persists. Update to the latest iOS version in case a software patch was released. If it continues, you may need to factory reset the iPhone to wipe out any corrupted data.
As a last resort, you can contact Apple support and have them run a remote diagnostic test. They may be able to pinpoint any system-level software bugs causing the issue.
Hardware Failure
Sever hardware failures can also result in a blank or black screen. Potential components that could be malfunctioning include:
- Display/Screen
- Logic Board
- Power Management IC
- Baseband IC
- NAND Memory
If you’ve tried all other troubleshooting steps and your iPhone still has a black screen, it likely has an internal hardware issue. You’ll need to contact a repair shop to have the iPhone opened up and inspected. In some cases, the repair cost may approach the cost of replacing the iPhone entirely.
How to Prevent iPhone Black Screen
While a black screen can happen unexpectedly, you can take steps to prevent some of the common causes:
- Close unused apps to avoid crashes.
- Avoid extreme temperatures to prevent overheating.
- Update to latest iOS version for stability fixes.
- Use a case to protect the iPhone from drops.
- Be careful with water exposure around phone.
- Monitor battery health and replace battery as needed.
With careful use and maintenance, you can minimize the chances of your iPhone exhibiting a black screen. But sometimes issues are unavoidable. If you do experience a black screen, run through the troubleshooting tips outlined here to get your iPhone working again.
When to Take Your iPhone to Repair Shop
Most common causes of an iPhone black screen can be fixed by the owner at home. But in some cases, you’ll need to take it in for professional repair:
- Power button is physically broken or damaged
- Battery needs to be replaced and you don’t feel comfortable doing it yourself
- iPhone was exposed to liquid or other physical damage
- You’ve tried all troubleshooting steps and iPhone still won’t turn on
- iPhone is out of warranty and too expensive for a full unit replacement
Apple Stores and Apple Authorized Service Providers can perform warranty repairs and charge for out-of-warranty fixes. Many third party repair shops offer cheaper iPhone screen and battery replacements.
Before visiting a repair shop, be sure to backup your iPhone to iCloud or a computer in case anything gets erased. Make sure to remove any passcode lock as well.
When to Replace Your iPhone
If your iPhone is more than 2-3 years old, the cost of repairing some issues like a defective battery or screen may exceed the value of the device. In that case, it makes more sense to put that money towards a new iPhone.
Consider replacing your iPhone if:
- It’s out of warranty and repairs will be expensive
- The device is damaged beyond practical repair
- You were already thinking about upgrading to a new iPhone
- It does not support the latest iOS software updates
- The battery life has degraded significantly
You can still trade in an old or damaged iPhone to Apple or other retailers and get some credit towards a new model. Be sure to backup your data and wipe the iPhone before trading it in.
Data Recovery Options
If your iPhone is experiencing a black screen but you haven’t been able to backup your data, there are still some options to recover photos, messages, and other personal content:
- Use iTunes or Finder backups – Connect iPhone to computer to see if it detects the device and can access old backups
- iCloud backup – You may be able to recover some iCloud data depending on when it was last backed up
- iCloud photo library – Check iCloud.com to see if any photos were synced there automatically
- iTunes/Finder sync – Any music, videos, or data synced to the computer may still be accessible
- Professional data recovery service – They can attempt to repair phone and extract data
If no backups exist or professional recovery isn’t practical, your options are limited for retrieving data off an iPhone with a black, unresponsive screen unfortunately.
Conclusion
An iPhone that suddenly goes black and stops working can be alarming and frustrating. But in many cases, it’s an issue that can be fixed with some basic troubleshooting steps. Give your iPhone some time to cool off, recharge the battery, update the software, or force restart it.
Hardware problems like a faulty power button require professional repair. And if the iPhone is too old, replacing the device may end up being your best option after attempting to recover your data. Back up your iPhone regularly to avoid losing important photos, messages, notes, and other personal information.