Display issues have plagued several owners of #Apple’s smartphones including those with the iPhone 6s (#iPhone 6s). Among the most common complaints is on blue screen, otherwise known as, the blue screen of death (BSOD), which is accompanied by infinite reboots.
Complaints on iPhone blue screen have started to populate the web since the era of iPhone 5. And responding to the growing number of affected users, Apple has rolled out a fix patch in a form of iOS firmware update. However, that has failed to put an end to the problem, as more owners of later iPhone variants including iPhone 6, 6 Plus, 6s, and 6s Plus have also reported similar display issue manifested by blue screen and infinite reboots on their respective handsets.
This post tackles an issue on blue screen or blue screen of death problem with the iPhone 6s variant. Learn what causes this problem to occur on your iPhone and what needs to be done to fix it. Below are pertinent problem statements from two iPhone 6s owners who have relayed to us this problem.
Problem Statement: “The iPhone 6s screen is blue. I tried restarting and updating it but it didn’t work. No sudden rebooting has occurred.”
Related Problem: “I dropped my phone earlier but it had a case on and it was not physically damaged but it will not turn on. I try to hold the power button and home button to restart it but it just goes from a black screen to a dark bluish screen. Whenever I plug it in it vibrates still. I am not sure what else to do.”
Possible Causes
Minor cases of blue screen problem on the iPhone 6s are sometimes software-related. Among the common culprits include the following:
- Software bugs or faulty apps – bad or corrupt apps can also affect the overall performance of your phone. Aside from inflicting problem on blue screen, these apps can also cause your phone to become sluggish or unresponsive.
- Apps Overload/Multi-tasking – this happens when you open or use multiple applications at the same time. Just like a computer, the iPhone’s processor may not able to accommodate all requests and processes simultaneously.
- Memory overflow – it’s relevant to the prior cause (apps overload). When you open or run several applications at the same time, your phone’s memory could overflow. And as a result, device issues like BOD may arise.
Majority of display issues like blue screen are tied to a faulty hardware, particularly on certain components within the motherboard that are connected to your iPhone’s screen. There are two known causes of screen damages resulting to blue screen problem on your iPhone. And these are as follow:
- Long screw damage – this is a common culprit. It happens when you place the wrong (longer than the original) screw into the screw holes on any of the motherboard components especially the LCD shield plate. Putting the wrong screw can damage the IC tracks underneath the screw hole. It’s an unwanted outcome after a screen repair with non-Apple technicians.
- Hardware (phone) damage – blue screen of death can also be an indication of a damaged iPhone, making it a costly unusable device.
Recommended Solutions and Workarounds
After determining the possible causes, we came up with the following methods you can use to fix blue screen problem on your iPhone 6s. These are potential solutions to BOD problems on iPhone 6s, comprising of Apple-recommended solutions as well as user-defined tricks and fixes shared over pertinent forums and websites. If you haven’t yet tried any of these methods and that you’re certain your iPhone’s blue screen problem is software-related, I strongly suggest giving it a try this time. These methods have done wonders to other iPhone users who have encountered the same problem on the display.
Important Note: Before you begin performing any of the subsequent solutions, I strongly suggest restarting your iPhone. A soft reset often helps in fixing various issues with iPhones and other iDevices.
Step 1. Force your iPhone to restart. To force restart an unresponsive iPhone, just press and hold the Sleep/Wake and Home buttons simultaneously for at least ten seconds until you see the Apple logo. This has helped fixed the same problem with some lucky users.
Step 2. Restore your iPhone in Recovery Mode
Booting into recovery mode is a highly recommended method to use, if something goes wrong with your iPhone and that you need to restore it. In case you need help with the process, here’s how to enter recovery mode on your iPhone 6s and perform iPhone system restore:
- Connect the USB cable to your computer but not to the iPhone.
- Power off your iPhone by pressing and holding the Power button for a few seconds until the slider shows up.
- Slide the slider to Power Off the device.
- Wait for the iPhone to turn off completely. Alternatively, you can press and hold the Power and Home buttons simultaneously. When the phone turns off, release both buttons.
- While pressing and holding the Home button down, connect the USB cable to your iPhone. The device should turn on.
- Keep holding the Home button until the Connect to iTunes screen appears. Release the Home button when that screen shows up.
- You should then see an iTunes prompt telling that your device is in recovery mode and that you need to restore it.
- Follow the onscreen instructions to proceed with iPhone restore/update. It could take longer for your iPhone to complete the restore so just wait patiently.
If the blue screen reoccurs after the restore, it’s most likely an indication of hardware damage. The iPhone’s motherboard or some components might be damaged and therefore requires repair.
Step 3. Use reliable freeware for iPhone system update and/or restore. There are several tools you can use to restore your iPhone if the usual procedure (recovery mode-restore) won’t work. These tools are available through the App Store, with versions compatible for Windows and Mac computer. This is by far deemed the easiest way to fix iPhone problems like this.
Step 4. Put your iPhone in DFU mode. If the problem happens after an update, try to put your iPhone in DFU mode and restore it via iTunes on a computer. You can also put your iPhone in DFU mode if Recovery Mode doesn’t work.
Here’s how to put your iPhone 6s in DFU mode:
- Plug in your iPhone into your computer (Mac or Windows PC).
- Open iTunes. Make sure you are using the latest version of iTunes on your computer.
- Power off your iPhone once it’s recognized by iTunes
- Hold down the Power button for 3 seconds.
- Hold down the Home without releasing the Power button for 10 seconds.
- Release the Power button after 10 seconds while continue holding the Home button until you see a popup message from iTunes saying your device is recognized as being in recovery mode. You should now have a black screen on your iPhone, an indication that you’re already in DFU Mode and you can start restoring or updating your device whenever you’re all set.
Step 5. Disable iCloud syncing for faulty iWork Apps.
If the blue screen problem occurs while attempting to use iWork apps and then the phone reboots, try to turn off the Wi-Fi calling feature. Some users who have experienced the same problem on their iPhones have shared this method as working solution. However, this is just a temporary fix.
Step 6. Use one app at a time. Close all apps that are not in use.
Step 7. Disable or remove faulty applications. If the blue screen appears after downloading, installing, or using certain applications, try to disable or uninstall the app. Otherwise, update the faulty apps instead.
Step 8. Update your iPhone iOS firmware. Others suggest updating the iPhone iOS to the latest version. Should this be a software bug that is acknowledged by Apple, then it’s typically addressed by a new software update containing fix patch.
Step 9. Hard reset your iPhone. This should be your last resort. Please note that a hard reset will erase your iPhone and restore it to factory defaults state. That said, be sure to back up all your important contents including contacts, data, apps, and settings on the phone beforehand. After the reset, you may need to reactivate the SIM card through iTunes.
Steps to hard reset your iPhone 6s:
- Power off the iPhone completely.
- Plug in the USB cable and then hold the Home key while connecting your iPhone to iTunes.
- On your computer, click OK when prompted with the “iTunes has detected the iPhone in recovery mode”
- Click on Restore iPhone…
- Next, click on Restore and Update.
- Wait for iTunes to complete the iPhone restore.
When the iPhone restore is done, test your device and see if the problem is already fixed.
Step 10. Contact your carrier or Apple Support. If the problem persists even after completing all the aforesaid workarounds, then you should contact your carrier or Apple Support, to escalate the issue. You may also opt to set an appointment with an Apple Genius nearby for hardware check and/or service. There’s a bigger chance that a damaged component is causing you this trouble and that needs to be addressed first for iPhone to get back up and running without any more flaws.
Engage with us
Need help with other issues on your iPhone 6s or any iOS device? If you do, then feel free to fill up this form found in our troubleshooting page. Be sure to provide us with more significant details for us to be able to properly diagnose the problem and come up with more efficient solutions and recommendations for you to try on. Our response to your issues will be in a form of post published in our iPhone troubleshooting pages. You may also browse for recommended solutions and workarounds to other device issues we’ve previously addressed on the same page.