How to fix iPhone Black Screen of Death
⚡ Fast fix
- Charge your iPhone first. Asurion recommends connecting it to a working charger for up to an hour to rule out a drained battery.
- Try a force restart. The right button combination can clear a software freeze without erasing your data.
- Still seeing black? If your phone vibrates or makes sounds, the display itself may be damaged.
- Stop guessing. Visit a nearby uBreakiFix® by Asurion for help diagnosing the problem.
Your iPhone® does everything—until it doesn’t. If your iPhone screen suddenly goes black but your phone still vibrates or makes noise, you might be dealing with the dreaded “black screen of death.” It’s a common issue we see in our 700+ nationwide stores. Despite its ominous name, there is hope—here's what you need to know about bringing your phone back to life.
What exactly is the "black screen of death" and why does it happen?
Most gadgets have their own version of a major crash—like the “blue screen of death” on PCs or the “red ring of death” on game consoles. For iPhones, it’s the dreaded black screen: your phone seems alive (it vibrates or makes sounds), but the screen stays blank and won’t respond. Basically, it's like having a phone-shaped paperweight.
It feels like a big deal, but don’t worry—these issues are often fixable. At Asurion, our experts help troubleshoot and repair iPhones every single day—so if your screen suddenly goes dark, we know what to check and how to walk you through it.
Black screen of death troubleshooting tips
Most often, a black screen of death issue can happen from damage to the screen during a bad drop or accident. If the components connecting the screen to the motherboard are damaged, the phone screen may become unresponsive. But the black screen of death can also happen because of software issues in the device. Problems with an iOS upgrade or downgrade can potentially cause the issue, as well as complications from attempting to jailbreak or modify the firmware on your own.
No matter how the black screen of death on your iPhone occurred, there are a few troubleshooting methods you can try to fix it or at least prevent the issue from permanently affecting the data or photos stored on your phone.
1. Make sure your battery isn’t dead
Asurion recommends starting with the simplest fix: your phone might just be out of power. A completely drained battery can look a lot like the black screen of death.
Plug your iPhone into a working charger and let it charge for up to an hour. If the Apple logo appears, give the phone time to start normally. If the screen stays black but your phone vibrates or makes sounds, the display itself might be the problem.
2. Try a force restart
Yes, the old “turn it off and back on again” trick actually works. A force restart can clear a software freeze without erasing your data. The steps depend on your iPhone model:
iPhone 8 or newer:
- Quickly press and release the Volume Up button.
- Quickly press and release the Volume Down button.
- Press and hold the Side button until the Apple logo appears, then release it.
iPhone 7 and 7 Plus:
- Press and hold the Side and Volume Down buttons together.
- Release both buttons when the Apple logo appears.
If the screen comes back, you're good to go. If not, our guide to fixing a frozen iPhone has more troubleshooting advice.
3. Use recovery mode
If your iPhone still won't wake up and you've ruled out a dead battery, recovery mode may help when the problem is caused by iOS software.
Recovery mode lets you connect your phone to a computer and attempt to reinstall iOS. If your iPhone is still vibrating or making sounds despite a black display, we'd recommend having the screen checked before attempting recovery. A hardware problem won't be fixed by reinstalling software.
Connect your iPhone to a computer using a compatible cable. On a Mac with macOS Catalina or later, open Finder. On a Windows PC, open the Apple Devices app. Then follow the steps for your iPhone model:
iPhone 8 or newer:
- Connect your iPhone to the computer.
- Quickly press and release Volume Up, then Volume Down.
- Press and hold the Side button. Keep holding it past the Apple logo until the recovery mode screen appears.
iPhone 7 and 7 Plus:
- Connect your iPhone to the computer.
- Press and hold the Side and Volume Down buttons together.
- Keep holding until the recovery mode screen appears.
Once your computer recognizes the iPhone in recovery mode, you'll see two options:
- Update: Attempts to reinstall iOS without erasing your personal data. We'd try this first if you're troubleshooting a software issue.
- Restore: Erases the iPhone and reinstalls iOS. Only choose this if you're prepared to lose data that hasn't been backed up.
If the software download takes longer than 15 minutes and your iPhone exits recovery mode, let the download finish, then repeat the steps to enter recovery mode.
If you have a backup available, you can use our guide to restoring your iPhone from a backup after the recovery process.
4. Consider a factory reset as a last resort
Still stuck with a black screen? A factory reset may help with serious software problems, but it won't fix a broken display, damaged battery, or other hardware failure.
A factory reset erases everything on your iPhone, including data that hasn't been backed up. If your phone is still making sounds or vibrating, we'd have the display checked before taking this step.
If you've ruled out hardware problems and are ready to proceed, follow our guide on how to factory reset your iPhone.
If you've tried these steps and still need a little help, we're right around the corner. Schedule a repair at the nearest uBreakiFix® by Asurion store and our certified experts can get your device back up and running as soon as the same day.
FAQ
What causes the black screen of death on iPhone?
It’s usually caused by software crashes, battery failures, or screen hardware issues.
Will a force restart delete my data?
No. A force restart simply reboots the phone—it doesn’t erase anything.
What if the Apple logo shows up but nothing else happens?
This may indicate a boot loop or deeper software problem. Try connecting your phone to a computer and using recovery mode.
How can I tell if my screen is damaged?
If your phone vibrates, plays sounds, or responds to Siri but the screen stays black, the display may be broken. An iPhone repair expert can help you figure it out.
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