If your iPhone 8 or iPhone 8 Plus won’t turn on or the screen stays black, you’re not alone. Whether it happened after a drop, battery drain, or out of nowhere, this guide covers all the likely causes and how to fix them — or when it’s time to get it looked at.
iPhone 8 Won’t Turn On After a Drop
Problem:
The screen is cracked and the back is shattered. It started working intermittently after the drop, but now the touch screen doesn’t respond at all, even though the phone still powers on and notifications show up.
Solution:
If your phone only responds to pressing the home button and you still see notifications, the issue is likely beyond just a broken screen. The impact may have damaged the display and internal components like the digitizer or logic board.
You won’t fix this with software. A third-party repair may help if the damage is minimal, but if internal hardware is compromised, you’ll likely need to go through Apple.
iPhone 8 Stuck on Black Screen, Doesn’t Respond
Problem:
The phone is fully charged, but the screen stays black. It doesn’t vibrate or make sounds when calls come in. Charging, cables, and outlets were tested — still nothing.
Solution:
Try these steps in order:
- Charge using a computer for at least 30 minutes. If iTunes or Finder doesn’t recognize the phone, try a different cable.
- If your iPhone is recognized, attempt a DFU Restore (Device Firmware Update). This erases and reinstalls the entire firmware.
- Plug in your iPhone and open iTunes.
- Turn off the phone.
- Hold Power for 3 sec, then Volume Down + Power for 10 sec (Apple logo should not appear).
- Release Power but keep holding Volume Down for another 5 sec.
- If the screen stays black and iTunes says it’s detected a device in recovery mode, you’re in DFU mode.
- Follow on-screen instructions to restore.
If none of that works, it’s likely a hardware failure — contact Apple Support.
iPhone 8 Plus Screen Powers On but Doesn’t Respond to Touch
Problem:
After a drop, the screen lights up but won’t respond. Face ID/fingerprint works, but you can’t type or swipe. Replacing the screen didn’t fix it, and pushing on the screen helped temporarily — now it’s unresponsive again.
Solution:
This is most likely damage to the logic board or connectors. The fact that even a replacement screen didn’t work rules out a simple display problem.
- If you’re pressing the screen and it briefly responds, that points to a loose or damaged internal connection.
You’ll need board-level repair — not something most third-party shops can guarantee. Your best option is to bring it to Apple or an authorized service provider.
iPhone 8 Plus Email Deletes on Both Phone and Computer
Problem:
On your old phone, deleting an email kept it on your computer. On your iPhone 8 Plus, deleting it on the phone also deletes it everywhere. You’re seeing IMAP but not POP in settings.
Solution:
- IMAP syncs everything across devices — delete it in one, it’s gone everywhere.
- POP downloads mail to a single device and doesn’t sync changes.
To switch to POP:
- Remove your current mail account from the iPhone.
- Re-add it manually and select POP (only possible if your email provider supports it).
- You may need to get the manual POP server settings from your email provider’s website.
Keep in mind: POP is outdated and may limit access across devices. But it works if you only want to manage email separately on your phone and computer.