iPhone 6 Won’t Turn On? Here’s What to Do

If your iPhone 6 suddenly won’t power on, don’t stress just yet. Whether it’s a drained battery, a system crash, or something more serious, there are several proven fixes you can try to bring it back to life. Follow these steps before heading to the Apple Store.


Force Restart Your iPhone

Start with a force restart—it’s quick and often fixes minor glitches.

Here’s how:

  1. Press and hold the Sleep/Wake (power) button and the Home button at the same time.
  2. Keep holding both buttons for at least 10 seconds, until the Apple logo appears.

If your phone was frozen or had a minor software crash, this should wake it up.


Plug It In and Charge

If a force restart doesn’t work, your iPhone might just be completely out of battery.

Steps to follow:

  1. Plug your iPhone into a wall charger using an Apple-certified cable and adapter.
  2. Let it charge for at least 30 minutes—sometimes it takes a while to show signs of life.
  3. Try turning it on by pressing the Sleep/Wake button.

Tips:

  • Avoid charging via laptop USB ports.
  • If nothing happens, try using a different charging cable, adapter, and outlet.
  • Clean the Lightning port gently—dust or debris can block the connection.

Check for Physical or Water Damage

If your iPhone has been dropped or exposed to water recently, it could be a hardware issue.

What to look for:

  • Cracks, dents, or scratches on the body or screen.
  • Open the SIM tray and check the Liquid Contact Indicator—if it’s red, your phone has water damage.
  • If damage is visible, it’s best to skip software troubleshooting and go straight to Apple Support.

Try Recovery Mode

If your iPhone turns on briefly (e.g., flashing the Apple logo) but won’t boot up, Recovery Mode might help.

How to use Recovery Mode:

  1. Connect your iPhone to your computer with a USB cable.
  2. Press and hold both the Sleep/Wake and Home buttons until the Recovery Mode screen appears.
  3. On your computer, open iTunes or Finder (macOS Catalina and later).
  4. When prompted, choose Update to reinstall iOS without erasing data.

This can fix major software issues without wiping your iPhone.


Use DFU Mode as a Last Resort

DFU (Device Firmware Update) mode goes deeper than Recovery Mode. Use it if all else fails.

Steps to enter DFU Mode:

  1. Connect your iPhone to your computer with a USB cable.
  2. Hold the Sleep/Wake and Home buttons together for 10 seconds.
  3. Release the Sleep/Wake button but keep holding the Home button for another 15 seconds.
  4. Your screen should stay black, but your computer will detect a device in DFU mode.
  5. In iTunes or Finder, click Restore.

Warning: This erases all data and installs a fresh version of iOS. Only use DFU mode if you’re out of other options.


Still No Luck? Contact Apple Support

If your iPhone 6 still won’t turn on after trying all the steps above, it’s time to let the pros take over. It’s likely a hardware issue—maybe a faulty battery, motherboard, or internal connection.

What to do:

  • Visit Apple Support.
  • Schedule an appointment at the nearest Apple Store.
  • If your phone is under warranty or you have AppleCare+, repairs might be free or discounted.

8 thoughts on “iPhone 6 Won’t Turn On? Here’s What to Do”

  1. My iphone 6 wont turn on or do anything when I tried a hard reset and Ive been charging it. It will do not anything. PLEASE HELP!

  2. My iphone 6 blacked out while I was downloading 14 apps simultaneously. I’ve tried rebooting but nothing works. When connected via USB it shows on pc that it’s connected but when u open device it’s empty. Through iTunes it requires passcode on phone but i can’t put pass code since it’s black screen. When u call it rings on the other end but doesn’t respond on the iphone. What is the problem. Software or hardware. Idk

  3. Connect to iTunes. Use the “Configure Universal Access” button in the summary pane to turn the accessibility features off.

  4. my I phone 6 will not turn on. I have charged it, rebot it several times, plugged it into my computer to see if I could start it that way. Nothing seems to work at this time. It started when I was in Ireland last week Sept.8th or 9th. I did take pictures several times and then try to use it again nothing!!! I did have it charged all night and again try to rebot. Nothing!!
    Help please!!!

  5. Hi there…
    My iPhone seems dead. Have charged few hours and trying to turn it on as per troubleshooting instructions and even not with iTunes support.
    Is there any magic way to make my phone start and can be recovered?.
    Your usual cooperation will be highly appreciated.
    Regards
    JaVeD

  6. Same problem as everyone else. iPhone 6 just went black and none of the mentioned fixes work including ITunes. It won’t show up or do anything. Any more suggestions would be great. Thanks

  7. My iPhone is ringing and calling people but I just can not see the screen and it would not let me power it off. Help !!!

  8. I let my phone battery drain to 1% then no charge from any cord from any out let. Nothing but black. Doesn’t work hooked up to computer. I got this phone from Walmart in November 2017, I haven’t used one full phone card on this phone. Can I get it replaced?

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