Today’s troubleshooting article addresses some of the common power issues for the #iPhone8. Unlike in Android devices, iPhone troubleshooting is generally superficial and simple. In a lot of cases that talks about an iPhone being unable to power on or boot up, repair or replacement may be necessary. While we hope that that won’t be the only option for cases in this post, we also can’t eliminate the fact that that may be the only true solution for them.
Before we proceed let us remind you that you can contact us by using the link provided at the bottom of this page. When describing your issue, please be as detailed as possible so we can easily pinpoint a relevant solution. If you can, kindly include the exact error messages you are getting to give us an idea where to start. If you have already tried some troubleshooting steps before emailing us, make sure to mention them so we can skip them in our answers.
Problem #1: iPhone 8 won’t charge, keeps turning off on its own
Hello there. i have had the iPhone 8 since november 7th i believe was when i bought it…and last night around 7:30 it was really close to dying so i attempted to plug it into its typical charging spot and it wouldnt charge it. So i did try other outlets and i have one other cord for it but neither of the cords i had at the time were the one it came with. not sure if that’s a factor. And every couple times the screen would turn on and it would show the battery saying it was charging and then stop and it would show that it needed to be plugged in but it wouldn’t stay on the screen for very long at all… and the power button and the home button would not respond.
i didnt drop it or do anything physically to it, but i do have it on often and it dies often. i need help to figure out what’s wrong with it so i can save the pictures i have on it but if not i can get it replaced im sure from the company warranty or the service warranty. — Samantha
Solution: Hi Samantha. In normal situations where an iPhone device works normally, charging with another set of accessories and not the one that originally came with the device is not an issue but since you are experiencing charging- or power-related problem, it can definitely be a factor. So, the first thing that you want to do in this case is to ensure that you charge your iPhone 8 with the original accessory that came with it. If that’s no longer possible, try to get an original iPhone charger and lightning cable and use them to charge the device. Keep in mind, the issue you’re having can be caused by few things, one of them being a defective lightning cable and adapter. Using an original Apple accessories may be your way out of this trouble.
Create backup…if still possible
Ideally, you’re supposed to back your important files (photos, videos, documents, etc) regularly to minimize the impact when your device fails. If you did not do that, then you should do so when you have the chance.
If your iPhone 8 still works normally when it’s connected to a charger, then grab the chance to back your data up. Otherwise, there’s really not much that you can do as there’s no way to create a backup if an iPhone won’t stay on long enough to move files to another device or to upload stuff to the cloud. You can’t obviously create a backup when it’s not turning on at all. If this is what’s going on with your device at this time, you’re out of luck.
Try DFU Mode Recovery
We don’t know what the exact status of your device right now but if you can, consider DFU Recovery to check if the cause of your problem is software in nature. DFU recovery is a last-ditch attempt to fix an iPhone. In many instances where a device fails to boot up or power on, DFU mode recovery is useful. So, make sure that you do it if you have the chance.
To do DFU Mode Recovery:
- In your computer, close all active apps.
- Open iTunes.
- Turn off your iPhone. If you can’t turn it off normally, let the battery drain to 0% so the phone powers down on its own. Charge the phone for at least an hour without attempting to turn it on.
- Connect your iPhone to the computer via USB cable.
- Press and hold the Power button for at least 3 seconds.
- Press and hold the Volume Down button on the left side of the iPhone while continuing to hold the Power button. Be sure to hold both Power and Volume Down keys for 10 seconds. If Apple logo appears at this time, repeat steps 5 and 6. Apple logo should not show at all.
- Continue to hold Volume Down key for another 5 seconds. If the Plug into iTunes screen is displayed, repeat steps 5-7. Plug into iTunes screen should not show up.
- You’ll know that your phone is in DFU mode if the screen remains black. Your computer should then tell you that iTunes has detected an iPhone.
- Follow the on-screen steps in your computer to do a full recovery.
Don’t forget, doing the DFU Mode Recovery is a hit-and-miss solution option. If your iPhone won’t boot up normally, or if nothing positive comes up after doing it, that’s a sign that there may be a hardware malfunction behind the trouble. In this case, you want to let a professional take a look at the device so proper tests or diagnostics can be performed. There’s no magic software tricks that you can do to fix bad hardware so you’ll most likely end up with repair or replacement.
Problem #2: iPhone 8 won’t turn on and showing vertical lines
A friend dropped my iPhone 8 a week ago and it started showing vertical white lines on the screen (no cracks though). I took it to a repair place the next day, they replaced the screen for me and everything seemed perfect. A few days later I went out without a charger and my phone eventually ran out of battery. When I got home I put it on its charger overnight but couldn’t get it to turn on. I’ve never had battery issues before with this particular phone. I have since tried a different charger, charging off my computer, charging from a power-bank and many hard resets but I just cannot get it to turn on! Any suggestions? Did the repair place make a mistake? Should I hold them accountable if my phone is now completely broken? Help! — Sabrina
Solution: Hi Sabrina. Sometimes, damage to hardware components after an accidental drop or water exposure won’t immediately result to issues. In some cases, issues may start showing up only later. We can’t say for sure what the main reason why your iPhone 8 won’t charge and turn on right now but that accidental drop and repair with non-Apple technician can be factors that you should consider. The thing is, there’s only so much that you can do for this problem. If using another known working adapter, cable, and power source did not make a difference, you can assume that there’s a hardware issue involved. If the shop that did the repair has a warranty, make sure to bring the phone back to them so they can examine it.
Problem #3: iPhone 8 stuck in boot loop
Hubby shuts off iPhone 8 as it started to update to newest iOS system for iPhone 10. Now it goes black, then to Apple screen for 4 seconds and does this on a loop. We have read how to reboot it, but it won’t do it without updating. He does not want it to update because of former bad experiences with newer iOS systems not working on older systems. Is there a way to get his phone rebooted without updating? if not, what will the update do to the iphone 8 iOS? We have found alternatives to iTunes for rebooting, but same problem with updating. And how do we do this without losing his contacts, photos, and all other impertinent information? He does not have phone backed up to the cloud, and hasn’t backed up for over a year. I really hope you can help me get his phone back to where it was without me having to lose my mind. — Mrs. Sutton
Solution: Hi Mrs. Sutton. Once an iPhone has initiated update installation, it’s never a good idea to interrupt it. Doing so will almost always result to the problem you have. There’s wisdom why users are constantly being reminded to top up the battery before updating. Stopping an installation update by intentionally shutting down the device, or by letting the battery drain (that’s why it’s recommended that you connect it to a charger if it’s low on power before updating) can corrupt the device’s partition and software. If that happens, there’s a fair chance that your iPhone may no longer work, temporarily or permanently.
If your device is now stuck in an unending cycle of turning on and off, also known as bootloop, you may or may not be able to fix it. To see if you can, try the DFU Mode Recovery we suggest for Samantha above. This is the most that you can do on your end. This procedure will wipe your phone up so it will also delete your data. Sadly, as mentioned, you can only create a backup when an iPhone still works normally. Given the current situation, creating a backup is out of the question for you so forget about that.
Remember, DFU Mode Recovery may not work in your case. If that happens, contact Apple and let figure out a resolution for you.
Engage with us
If you happen to have a problem with your own iPhone, let us know about it and we will do our best to post them and their solutions in our upcoming articles. You can use this link to contact us for assistance. We can’t guarantee an answer to every question but rest assured that we will exhaust everything on our end to help you.
Be as detailed as possible when describing your problem to help us diagnose your issue easily. If you can include error messages, popups, attempted troubleshooting steps, and circumstances leading to the problem, that would be very helpful.