iPhone 6s Stuck on Blank Screen After iOS 13 Update? Here’s How to Fix It

Is your iPhone 6s suddenly stuck on a black or blank screen after updating to iOS 13? You’re not alone. This post-update problem is more common than you’d think — but in many cases, it’s fixable at home with a few key troubleshooting steps.

If your screen shows no signs of physical damage and you suspect it’s software-related, try these proven solutions before heading to the Genius Bar.

🔄 First Fix: Force Restart Your iPhone 6s

Start with a hard reboot — it’s simple and effective for temporary glitches.

How to force restart:

Press and hold the Home button and the Sleep/Wake (Side) button at the same time.
Keep holding both until the Apple logo appears, then release.

If your iPhone reboots normally — great! Now move on to additional steps to keep it stable.

🧹 Clean Up Storage and Update Apps

Low storage and outdated apps can trigger boot issues, especially after a major update like iOS 13.

To check and manage storage:

Go to Settings > General > iPhone Storage
Delete old files, offload unused apps, and clear messages or media you don’t need.

To update apps:

Open the App Store
Tap your profile icon (top-right)
Scroll to Available Updates
Tap Update All

Then restart your phone again.

🛠 Reset All Settings

If you can boot your phone but still experience display issues or instability, reset settings without erasing your data.

To reset all settings:

Go to Settings > General > Reset
Tap Reset All Settings
Enter your passcode and confirm

This restores system defaults like Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and Display without touching your files.

🔧 Still Stuck? Try Recovery Mode Restore

If your phone is still stuck on a black screen and unresponsive, try putting it in Recovery Mode and restoring via iTunes.

Connect your iPhone to a computer via Lightning cable
Launch iTunes (or Finder on macOS Catalina and later)
Force restart the phone:
- Press and hold the Home and Power buttons until the Recovery Mode screen appears (not just the Apple logo)
When prompted, choose Update to reinstall iOS without erasing data
If Update fails, choose Restore to fully reset your device (this will erase your data unless you have a backup)

🖥 Advanced: DFU Mode Restore

For deeply corrupted iOS firmware, you’ll need to use DFU mode — Device Firmware Update.

Steps:

Connect iPhone to computer and open iTunes/Finder
Press and hold Power + Home for 8 seconds
Release Power, but keep holding Home until iTunes detects your iPhone in recovery mode (screen should remain black)
Restore your iPhone in iTunes

🧰 Still No Luck? Try iOS Repair Tools

If iTunes fails or you want to preserve data during restore, try third-party tools like:

ReiBoot by Tenorshare
PhoneRescue for iOS
Dr.Fone Repair
FonePaw iOS System Recovery

These apps often include recovery modes that can fix iOS without wiping data.

🛠 If All Else Fails: Time for Service

If your iPhone 6s remains stuck on a blank screen after trying all of the above, hardware damage might be the cause — possibly a failing display, battery issue, or logic board fault.

Book a Genius Bar appointment at Apple
Visit an authorized repair center
If your device is old and out of warranty, consider a trade-in or upgrade

If you’re seeing the black screen after iOS 13, don’t panic — try the above in order and you’ll likely have your iPhone back up and running in no time.