How to Fix iPhone X Black Screen of Death After iOS 13 Update

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If your iPhone X suddenly won’t turn on and shows a black screen after installing iOS 13, you’re probably dealing with the dreaded “black screen of death.” Don’t panic just yet — it’s often caused by a software issue rather than hardware damage. This guide walks you through all the ways to bring your iPhone X back to life, without heading straight to the repair shop.

Force Restart Your iPhone X

A force restart is the first (and sometimes only) fix you need. It can clear out minor glitches from the update.

  1. Quickly press and release the Volume Up button.
  2. Quickly press and release the Volume Down button.
  3. Press and hold the Side button until the Apple logo appears.

If your phone turns back on — great! Go ahead and update your apps to prevent this from happening again:

  1. Open the App Store.
  2. Tap the profile icon in the top-right.
  3. Scroll down to Available Updates.
  4. Tap Update All.

Restart your phone after updating to make sure everything loads fresh.

Use Recovery Mode to Reinstall iOS

If a force restart doesn’t work, the update might’ve seriously messed with iOS. Time to use Recovery Mode and reinstall the system without deleting your data.

What you’ll need:

  • A Mac or Windows PC with the latest iTunes installed
  • A Lightning cable

Steps:

  1. Connect your iPhone X to the computer.
  2. Quickly press and release the Volume Up button.
  3. Quickly press and release the Volume Down button.
  4. Hold the Side button until the recovery mode screen appears (do not release when the Apple logo shows up).
  5. On your computer, choose Update (not Restore) when prompted.

Let your computer finish downloading and reinstalling iOS. Don’t unplug your phone until the process is done.

Try a DFU Mode Restore (If Recovery Mode Fails)

DFU (Device Firmware Update) mode is your last software-level option. This process rewrites the firmware and system software completely.

⚠️ Only use DFU mode if you’re sure your iPhone hasn’t suffered physical or water damage.

Here’s how to do it:

  1. Connect your iPhone X to your computer.
  2. Open iTunes (or Finder on macOS Catalina and later).
  3. Quickly press and release Volume Up, then Volume Down.
  4. Hold the Side button until the screen goes black.
  5. Once it’s black, hold the Volume Down button (while still holding the Side button).
  6. After 5 seconds, release the Side button but keep holding Volume Down until iTunes or Finder detects your iPhone.

If successful, your iPhone screen will stay black and iTunes/Finder will prompt you to restore. Follow the on-screen instructions.

To exit DFU mode if you change your mind:

  • Force restart the device using the same Volume Up > Volume Down > Hold Side Button steps.

Still Stuck on a Black Screen?

If none of these steps revive your iPhone X, the problem may be hardware-related — especially if there was any impact or liquid exposure. At that point, your best move is to visit an Apple Store or authorized repair center for diagnostics.

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