How to fix an Apple iPhone 7 that won’t turn on [Troubleshooting Guide]

I did my own research on this issue, talked with a few people who encountered the same problem, scoured online forums looking for some clues as to why the problem occurs and it seems like there were quite a few owners who experienced this and majority of them were actually able to bring their devices back to life.

Therefore, if your new iPhone 7 won’t turn on, it might be just a glitch, a battery drain issue, or anything not really serious. In this post, I will guide you on how to troubleshoot your phone that refuses to turn back on.

For those who have other issues, however, make sure you drop by our iPhone 7 troubleshooting page for we support this device and we provide free support to our readers. You can always contact us by completing our iPhone issues questionnaire and providing us with sufficient information about your problem.

Troubleshooting iPhone 7 that won’t turn on

If an iPhone won’t turn on without apparent reason, there’s a big chance that it’s actually just a minor issue with the firmware. However, if the device suffered physical or liquid damage, you may need help from an Apple tech. But try to go through the steps below as they may be able to help you bring your iPhone 7 back to life…

Step 1: Verify it’s not just a simple system crash

There are times when the iOS crashes without precedent and it’s during these times that the device freezes. Owners who are not used to it or haven’t encountered such a problem before may tend to be panicky even if there’s no reason to. The funny thing is that when they bring their phone to the store, it would only take a minute in the hands of a technician before the phone boots up again and they’re like “OMG! How did you do that?” This is how technicians fix this kind of problem…

1. Press and hold the Volume Down button and the Power key (sleep/wake button) together for 15 to 20 seconds.
2. If there’s enough battery left to power the device on, the white Apple logo will appear.
3. When this happens, release both keys and wait until the device reboots completely.

This is what you call Soft Reset. It’s hardwired in the phone so when the appropriate keys are pressed and held, the phone should restart. However, if it’s still not responding after that, then you need to do the next step.

Step 2: Make sure your iPhone 7 has sufficient battery to power up its components

Perhaps the reason why your phone turned off, won’t turn back on and respond to the soft reset method is because there’s not enough battery left. So, at this point, you need to plug your phone in to charge for at least 10 minutes.

Plugging the charger in will charge your phone but the other thing we want to know is whether your iPhone 7 responds when it detects current flows through the circuits. If it remains unresponsive, then there’s a chance the battery or some of its components are damaged. Or, it may be just a charging issue, so here’s what you need to do next…

• Physically check the cable for breakage
• Look into the port on your charger for lint, debris or corrosion that may prevent charging
• Try to check the pins to see if one of them is bent
• Check the charging port of your phone for debris and corrosion
• Try using a different charger

RELATED POST: How to fix an Apple iPhone 7 that won’t charge [Troubleshooting Guide]

Step 3: Check for physical and liquid damage

First off, it’s your phone so no one would know more about why this thing occurs or what caused it other than you. So, if your phone fell or got dipped in water–even if it has IP67 rating–then it might be suffering from physical or liquid damage.

As to the physical damage, you can actually tell if that’s the case because it will leave a dent or crack on the outside. The liquid damage, on the other hand, is a bit more complicated but if there was an instance that the phone got dipped in water and started acting crazy, then that might be it!

The IP67 rating is actually more of an insurance that your device may not suffer from liquid damage if got dipped in water for a short period of time. But then again, water or any liquid for that matter is unpredictable so there’s always a chance the device may suffer from liquid damage.

Step 4: Call Apple tech support or make an appointment with a tech

As far as troubleshooting is concerned, steps 1 to 3 are all you need to do or try. If the iPhone still won’t turn on after that, then it’s Apple technician’s job to fix the problem.

So, go to the Apple Store and consult with a tech after all, they can recommend a replacement should the problem is beyond economical repair for as long as it wasn’t physical or liquid damage that messed the phone up.

You may also call Apple’s tech support hotline if you still want to do further troubleshooting but please note that the problem isn’t just any app or firmware problem but a power issue–the device isn’t turning on. So, you may not be able to do the troubleshooting methods tech support may want you to do.

I hope that this troubleshooting guide can help you troubleshoot a problem with your iPhone SE. We recommend you try to fix the problem on your own first before sending the phone in for repair as we all know it takes weeks before the device will be returned to you and/or how much technicians charge for their services nowadays.

Having problems with your phone that won’t turn on?

We can help you troubleshoot. We have published troubleshooting guides for the following devices:

Engage with us

If you have other issues with your Apple iPhone 7, we are always willing to help. Contact us through our iPhone issues questionnaire and provide us with all necessary information about your problem so we can find a solution to your issue.