If your iPhone 7 Plus is stuck on a black screen and won’t turn on — even when it seems to have power — don’t panic. It’s often caused by a system crash, bad update, or corrupted data. And yes, you can fix it in many cases without a trip to the Apple Store.
Here’s a list of proven fixes to try before you seek professional repair.
1. Force Restart Your iPhone 7 Plus
This is the first thing you should try. It doesn’t erase your data — it just forcefully refreshes the system.
- Press and hold Power (Side) + Volume Down buttons at the same time.
- Hold for 10–20 seconds, until the Apple logo appears.
If it reboots normally, great — you’re back in action. If not, move on to the next fix.
2. Try a Standard iTunes Restore
If your phone is still black but recognized by iTunes, you can restore it to factory settings.
Here’s how:
- Connect your iPhone to your computer using a Lightning cable.
- Open iTunes (or Finder on a Mac with Catalina or later).
- If iTunes detects your phone, click Restore iPhone.
- Follow the onscreen steps to reset and reinstall iOS.
If iTunes doesn’t recognize your phone at all, try Recovery Mode next.
3. Restore Your iPhone in Recovery Mode
This option lets you update or restore your phone even if the screen is unresponsive.
Steps:
- Connect your iPhone to your computer.
- Force restart:
- Press and hold Power + Volume Down until you see the Connect to iTunes screen.
- iTunes or Finder will ask if you want to Update or Restore.
- Try Update first (it reinstalls iOS without erasing data).
- If that fails, repeat the process and select Restore.
4. DFU Mode Restore (Deep-Level Reset)
This is the most complete restore method you can do at home — useful when nothing else works. But it will erase everything, so only use it if you’re out of options.
Important:
If your phone has liquid damage, don’t use DFU mode. It could cause permanent failure during the restore.
How to enter DFU mode:
- Connect your iPhone to your computer and open iTunes.
- Press and hold the Power button for 3 seconds.
- While still holding Power, press and hold the Volume Down button.
- Hold both for 10 seconds.
- If you see the Apple logo, start over — you held too long.
- Release Power, but keep holding Volume Down for another 5 seconds.
- If the screen stays black and iTunes says it detected a device in recovery, you’re in DFU mode.
Now click Restore iPhone in iTunes and follow the prompts.
Still Stuck? It Might Be Hardware
If none of these methods work, it’s time to consider a physical issue — such as:
- A failed battery
- Logic board damage
- Screen connector issues
At this point, it’s best to contact Apple Support or visit a repair center.