Couldn’t get to use your iPhone 7 because it’s stuck on black screen for some reason? If you’re here for this same reason, then this post is for you. Feel free to refer to this troubleshooting guide and deal with the dreaded iPhone 7 black screen issue before taking a trip to a Genius bar.
Seldom will you hear of a new Apple device that succumbs to performance issues at an earlier phase. Nonetheless, such instances are inevitable and therefore can happen regardless of how powerful and sturdy the phone was originally built. Tackled in this post is one of these relevant issues transpiring on the iPhone 7. Read on to learn how to deal with black screen issue on your iPhone.
But before anything else, if you have another issue with your phone, drop by our troubleshooting page as we have already addressed hundreds of issues reported by the owners. Odds are that there are already existing solutions on our website or at least, there are similar problems we already fixed. So, try to find ones that are similar or related to your problem. If you need further assistance, however, feel free to contact us by filling up our iPhone issues questionnaire.
What causes black screen issue on your iPhone 7?
There are three possible reasons as to why your iPhone gets stuck on black screen. First is that your iPhone has ran out of power completely and so it shuts down. Second is that it still running but showing black screen because the system has encountered fatal error, crashed and gets stuck. Third and worst possible reason is that your iPhone screen or other display component is damaged. If the hardware is to blame, then what your iPhone needs is service. Otherwise, you can try some tweaks to solve the problem and fix your iPhone on your end. Highlighted below are the possible solutions.
First solution: Force restart your iPhone.
If this is the first time you encountered the black screen issue on your iPhone 7, then it could just be due to some random app crashes or corrupt data that halts the operating system. Random system errors like this are usually rectified by performing a forced restart on the phone. A forced restart works similar to that of a soft reset in terms of resolving minor system glitches. The only difference is how they’re carried out. In iPhone 7 and 7 Plus models, a forced restart is done this way:
- Press and hold the Volume Down button and the Power (Sleep/Wake) button simultaneously and then release both buttons with the Apple logo appears.
If the phone is able to boot up to the Home screen after a forced restart, try to determine the culprit to prevent the problem from coming back.
The first thing you should check is its memory status and make sure that it still has ample of available storage space to allocate new apps and processes. Black screen issue is also among the symptoms of low memory and other memory-related problems on the phone. This is usually the case if you’re fond of downloading heavy apps without deleting old contents. If the available memory space is too low, then you will need to free up space by deleting old and unwanted apps and files from your device.
If the symptom started after installing a new app, then you may have to consider deleting that app. If it started to act up after customizing your iPhone settings, then you may have to revert the recent changes you’ve made or reset all settings on your iPhone 7 to erase all customized settings and restore the original values and options.
ALSO READ: Apple iPhone 7 Overheating Issue: Why does my iPhone 7 get very hot? [Troubleshooting Guide]
Second solution: Charge your phone then force restart.
Another thing that you need to rule out is power drain. It’s possible that your iPhone 7 encountered rapid battery drain and so it ran out of power. In that case, it wouldn’t be able to power up unless it’s recharged. That said, get your iPhone charger and allow your iPhone to charge. While the phone is charging, do a forced restart. In normal circumstance, your device should be able to boot up from a forced restart for as long as it has accumulated enough power.
That said, press and hold the Volume Down button and the Power (Sleep/Wake) button simultaneously and then release both buttons with the Apple logo appears. Do that while your iPhone is charging.
Third solution: Restore your iPhone in iTunes via recovery mode.
If your phone remains stuck on black screen but it’s able to charge, you can use iTunes to restore the phone’s operating system. To get this done, you will need to use a computer either Windows or Mac that has the latest version of iTunes software installed. The computer must also be connected to the Internet so it will be able to access the Apple server when iTunes attempt to install the latest iOS version for your iPhone. Once you have the equipment ready, connect your iPhone to the computer using the original USB cable or Lightning cable. Then proceed with these steps to enter recovery mode on your iPhone 7:
- Press and hold the Side/Power button and Volume Down button simultaneously and then release both buttons when the Recovery Mode screen shows up. Do not release the buttons when the Apple logo appears because you will need to put your device in a recovery state.
- When iTunes prompt you to Update or Restore your iPhone, you can try updating first. To do so, click Update so that iTunes will attempt to install the latest firmware on your iPhone without deleting its data. Otherwise, click Restore to erase your device and restore it from a previous iOS backup.
The entire restore process could take several minutes. Just follow the onscreen instructions to complete the system restore process.
Do not disconnect your iPhone from the computer unless it’s finished to prevent corrupting the operating system.
Fourth solution: Restore your iPhone in DFU mode.
The deepest type of iOS restore you can do on your iPhone if it remains stuck on black screen is the so-called DFU mode restore. DFU or Device Firmware Update mode is an iOS state where it allows iTunes to access and syncs with your phone even without activating the boot loader. This makes it possible for a corrupt iOS to be repaired and restored through iTunes. Again, you will need to use a computer that has the latest iTunes software installed to get started. Once you’re all set, connect your iPhone to the computer via USB cable or Lightning cable. Then continue with these steps to put your iPhone 7 in DFU mode:
- Connect your iPhone to the computer via USB cable.
- While the device is connected, hold down both the Side button and Volume Down button simultaneously for 8 seconds.
- After the elapsed time, release the Side button but keep holding down the Volume Down button.
Note: If you’ve held the Side button for too long, you will likely see the Apple logo instead of a black screen. Should that happens, then you will need to start all over.
If the screen turns completely black after releasing the Side button, that denotes that your iPhone has successfully entered DFU mode and is all set for restore in iTunes.
Follow the rest of the on-screen prompts to restore your iPhone 7 from a previous backup through iTunes.
Fifth solution: Repair your iPhone software using iTunes alternatives.
There are some system issues that are tough enough for iTunes to deal with but may still be rectifiable by other tools. Hence if your iPhone 7 black screen issue persists even after a DFU mode restore attempt, you may opt to try any of the alternative iOS repair tools for iPhone 7 such as Tenorshare ReiBoot, Dr. Fone-Repair software, FonePaw iOS system recovery, and iMyFone iOS System recovery, to name some.
You can download and install any of these tools on your computer just like what you did with iTunes. Once you’ve installed your preferred software, connect your iPhone to the computer via USB cable, open the software on your computer, then wait until it syncs with your iOS device. If it’s able to sync with your iPhone, you can use the given commands and controls to start repairing your iPhone system.
These tools are generally designed to cater the needs of both novice and tenure iOS users, thus they’re expected to have a simple and user-friendly interface. That said, it should be very easy to use.
Still having black screen issue on your iPhone 7?
The above solutions are usually ample to fix an iPhone that’s stuck on black screen due to fatal system crashes. But if the black screen issue persists on your iPhone 7 after exhausting all possible solutions, at this point your remaining option would be to take your device to an Apple-authorized service center. Your iPhone 7 might have obtained some sort of hardware from previous incidents of dropping or liquid exposure and the black screen issue is the associated symptom. Should this be the case, your iPhone needs service.
I hope that we’ve been able to help you fix the problem with your device. We would appreciate it if you helped us spread the word so please share this post if you found it helpful. Thank you so much for reading!