iPhone 8 Plus Stuck or Unresponsive After iOS Update? Here’s How to Fix It

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Just updated your iPhone 8 Plus and now it’s frozen or won’t respond at all? You’re not alone. It’s not uncommon for iPhones to glitch out after a major iOS update, especially if something went wrong during the install. Whether your iPhone is stuck on the Apple logo, frozen on a black screen, or just completely unresponsive — here’s how to get it working again.

Force Restart Your iPhone 8 Plus

The first thing to try is a force restart. It won’t delete anything, and it often clears up update-related crashes or freezes.

Here’s how to force restart your iPhone 8 Plus:

  1. Quickly press and release the Volume Up button.
  2. Quickly press and release the Volume Down button.
  3. Press and hold the Side (Power) button until the Apple logo appears.

Let the phone reboot fully. If everything looks normal after restarting, go ahead and reset all settings just to clear out any glitchy system tweaks:

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

This won’t erase your data — it just resets your preferences and system settings to default.

Factory Reset Using iTunes (If Your iPhone Won’t Respond)

If your iPhone still isn’t responding, a full reset through iTunes might do the trick — especially if your phone won’t boot up normally.

Here’s how to factory reset your iPhone 8 Plus via iTunes:

  1. Back up your data first using iTunes or iCloud.
  2. Open iTunes (make sure it’s up to date).
  3. Connect your iPhone to your computer using a Lightning cable.
  4. If prompted on the phone to “Trust This Computer,” tap Trust and enter your passcode.
  5. In iTunes, select your iPhone when it appears.
  6. Under the Summary tab, click Restore iPhone.
  7. Confirm when prompted.

iTunes will erase your iPhone, install the latest iOS, and reboot the device.

Try a Recovery Mode Restore

If the factory reset didn’t work or your iPhone can’t even connect properly to iTunes, try putting it in Recovery Mode and restoring it.

Here’s how to do it:

  1. Connect your iPhone 8 Plus to your computer and open iTunes.
  2. Press and quickly release Volume Up.
  3. Press and quickly release Volume Down.
  4. Press and hold the Side button until the screen shows the Connect to iTunes logo.

In iTunes, you’ll see a message asking if you want to Update or Restore. Choose Restore.

If the download takes more than 15 minutes, your iPhone will exit recovery mode. If that happens, repeat the steps to re-enter recovery mode.

Use DFU Mode (Deep Restore)

If even recovery mode doesn’t fix it, go deeper with a DFU (Device Firmware Update) restore. It’s the most thorough type of reset — it wipes both software and firmware.

To enter DFU mode on iPhone 8 Plus:

  1. Connect your iPhone to your computer and open iTunes.
  2. Press and release Volume Up, then press and release Volume Down.
  3. Press and hold the Side button until the screen goes black.
  4. As soon as it does, press and hold the Volume Down button (while still holding the Side button).
  5. After 5 seconds, release the Side button but keep holding the Volume Down until iTunes detects your iPhone in recovery mode.
  6. Release the Volume Down button. If the screen is black and iTunes detects the phone, you’re in DFU mode.

If you see any Apple logo, you didn’t get it — just try again. Timing is key.

Once in DFU mode, let iTunes restore the iPhone. This process will erase everything and reinstall iOS from scratch.

Still Not Working? Time to Get Help

If your iPhone 8 Plus is still stuck or unresponsive after trying all of these steps, there may be a deeper hardware issue — especially if it started after a drop or liquid exposure. Your best bet is to visit an Apple Store or authorized service provider to have a technician run a diagnostic. If your phone’s still under warranty or covered by AppleCare+, repairs may be free.

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