Black screen of death is one of the most dreaded problems any smartphone owner could encounter. It usually occurs among the many symptoms of performance issues tied to low storage, data corruption, bad updates and worst, hardware damage. Tackled in this post is a relevant issue on the Apple iPhone 5c smartphone that’s stuck on black screen of death. Read on to find out what to do to get your iPhone back to life before rushing to a service center.
Troubleshooting an iPhone 5c stuck on black screen
As explained earlier, black screen of death can be due to either software issues or hardware damage. To eliminate the former factors, I’ve mapped some of the most recommended solutions and applicable workarounds for you to refer to. Feel free to try these methods, whenever you wish to troubleshoot your iPhone 5c that’s stuck on black screen of death.
First solution: Force restart your iPhone 5c
Software-related display issues, particularly those that are depicted by stuck displays that are suddenly transpiring on a device may be due to some random firmware crashes. If this is what occurs to your iPhone 5c, then performing a forced restart will likely get it back up and running smoothly again. If you haven’t already, then follow these steps to force restart your iPhone 5c:
- Press and hold the Home button and the Sleep/Wake button simultaneously for about 10 seconds.
- Release both buttons when the Apple logo appears.
It could take longer then 10 seconds for the Apple logo to show up especially if the black screen was inflicted by a firmware crash on your device. With that said, just wait a little longer before releasing the buttons.
If your iPhone managed to boot up after a forced restart, install all pending updates for your apps and iOS. Doing so will help eliminate outdated apps and unstable operating system from the underlying causes. To check and install pending app updates on your iPhone 5c, simply follow these steps:
- Tap to open the App Store from your Home screen.
- From the App Store screen, scroll down to the bottom then tap the Updates tab. Doing so will open a new screen containing a list of apps with pending updates.
- To update individual apps, tap the Update button next to the name of an app.
- To update all apps at once, tap the Update All button on the upper-right side.
To check and download an iOS update wirelessly, refer to these steps:
- Tap Settings from your Home screen.
- Scroll to and tap General.
- Tap Software Update.
Reboot your iPhone after installing updates to clear and refresh its memory cache and to implement the new system changes.
If the problem started after installing a new app, delete the suspected app from your phone instead.
Aside from installing updates, performing a reset on all settings can also help prevent the black screen of death from recurring, especially if it’s triggered by incorrect settings configuration/customization on the phone. This reset does not affect any saved data on your iPhone storage so you won’t lose any important data from doing so. Here’s how it’s done:
- From the Home screen, tap on Settings.
- Tap General.
- Scroll to and tap on Reset.
- Select the option to Reset all settings.
- Enter your device passcode if prompted.
- Then tap to confirm that you want to reset all settings on your iPhone.
After the reset, you will need to re-enable necessary features, particularly those that are disabled by default for you to use them again on your phone.
Second solution: Charge your iPhone then force restart
Another possible reason as to why your iPhone got stuck on black screen is because it has totally run out of battery. This is usually the case if your iPhone is experiencing rapid battery draining. Thus, your device will remain dead unless it’s recharged.
With that said, plug your iPhone into its charger and allow it to charge for at least 30 minutes. That should be enough time for your device to obtain sufficient power to turn back on again.
If your iPhone isn’t showing the charging indicator when it’s plugged into the charger, do a forced restart while it’s charging. Doing so forces any bad apps and process to quit and the system to shutdown.
If your iPhone is still not charging, then you have to deal with no charging problem first because it might be the main reason why your phone remains stuck on black screen of death.
ALSO READ: How to fix the iPhone XS Max black screen of death issue
Third solution: Erase and restore factory defaults through iTunes
Your next option if none of the previous procedures worked is a full system reset. This is often necessary if complex system errors are halting your iPhone 5c from working properly. If you wish to proceed, don’t forget to back up all your important files from your device so you’d still be able to recover them afterwards. And since your iPhone is stuck, a factory reset through settings won’t be possible. Thus you will need to use iTunes on a Windows or Mac computer to carry this out. Once you’ve got the equipment ready, follow these steps:
- Turn off your iPhone, if necessary.
- On your computer, launch iTunes. Make sure you are using the latest version of iTunes software.
- While your phone is turned off, connect it to the computer using the supplied USB cable/Lightning cable.
- Wait for iTunes to prompt a message saying that there’s a problem with your iPhone and that it needs to be updated or restored.
- Click Restore to continue.
- Click Restore and Update to prompt iTunes to start erasing and restoring your iPhone.
Your iPhone will restart automatically after the phone is restored to its factory default settings. Be sure to keep your iPhone connected after it restarts and wait for it to sync with the computer. When the sync process is finished, you can disconnect your iPhone.
Fourth solution: Restore iOS to fix your iPhone 5c that’s stuck on black screen (DFU mode)
Restoring the iPhone through DFU mode is often needed to deal with fatal system errors that caused the device to malfunction. This can be considered as a last resort all else failed to solve the problem and your iPhone 5c remains stuck on black screen of death. But before your proceed, make sure that your iPhone doesn’t have any sort of physical or liquid damage. Performing a DFU mode restore on an iPhone with hardware damage could end up bricking the device. If you wish to proceed and take the risks, then you may refer to these steps to put your iPhone 5c in DFU mode and then repair and restore iOS through iTunes:
- Turn off your phone, if it isn’t already.
- While it’s off, connect it to the computer using the Apple-supplied USB cable/Lightning cable.
- Then press and hold the Home button and Power button simultaneously for about 8 seconds.
- After 8 seconds, release Power button but keep holding down the Home button until the iTunes prompt saying that it has detected an iPhone in recovery mode appears.
- Release the Home button as soon as you see the message prompt.
By then you can use iTunes commands to start restoring your device.
Fifth solution: Use iTunes alternatives to fix your iPhone 5c that’s stuck on black screen
Non-Apple software developers also have created their own versions of iTunes software. These tools were programmed to repair iOS devices that succumb to major system issues. Like iTunes, these tools can be downloaded on a compatible computer. Once you have it installed on your computer, you can connect your iPhone and start using the software to manage and repair iOS. You may opt to use these tools if iTunes couldn’t fix your iPhone 5c that’s stuck on black screen.
Among the most powerful iOS repair and recovery tools for your iPhone are Joyoshare UltFix, Dr. Fone – Repair, Tenorshare ReiBoot, FonePaw iOS System Recovery, and PhoneRescue for iOS. These tools are arguably among the best iPhone repair software that can help repair a wide range of problems including an iPhone that’s stuck in recovery, Apple logo, black screen and the like.
Is your iPhone 5c still stuck on black screen of death
Your iPhone might have acquired some physical or liquid damage from previous incidents of accidental drops or liquid exposure. Hence, being stuck on black screen is most likely a symptom of hardware damage on your iPhone. To clear this out, take your device to the nearest Apple-authorized service center and ask a technician to scrutinize your iPhone for any indications of hardware damage. If hardware damage is present, then your iPhone needs service.
You can also contact your carrier to ask for other options like getting an upgrade to later iPhone models. Perhaps this is already the right time to get a hold of and experience the latest iOS platform with advanced user interface.
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