If your iPhone SE keeps freezing on a black screen, gets stuck on the Apple logo, or won’t finish booting, it usually means something has gone seriously wrong with the system. Don’t panic just yet — there are still a few things you can try to get your phone working again.
This guide covers everything from simple fixes to advanced solutions to help revive your iPhone SE when it’s stuck on startup.
What Causes iPhone SE to Get Stuck During Boot?
This problem is usually caused by:
- A software crash or bug during boot
- A corrupted iOS update
- Not enough storage or memory
- Failed jailbreaks
- In rare cases, hardware damage from drops or water
Unless your phone recently got wet or physically damaged, this is most likely a software problem — which means there’s a good chance you can fix it yourself.
1. Force Restart Your iPhone SE
If your iPhone is stuck or unresponsive, a force restart is the first thing to try.
How to force restart:
- Press and hold the Power button + Home button at the same time.
- Keep holding both buttons for at least 10 seconds, even if nothing happens right away.
- Let go when you see the Apple logo.
This won’t erase your data — it just forces your phone to reboot.
2. Restore Your iPhone SE Using iTunes (Factory Reset)
If a force restart doesn’t help, try restoring the phone using iTunes. This wipes the phone and installs the latest version of iOS.
Important: This will erase all your data, so only do this if you have a backup — or as a last resort.
Here’s how:
- Open iTunes (make sure it’s the latest version).
- Connect your iPhone SE to your computer with a Lightning cable.
- When iTunes detects the device, click the iPhone icon.
- Under the Summary tab, click Restore iPhone.
- Confirm by clicking Restore again.
Wait for iTunes to erase your device and install a fresh version of iOS.
3. Try a Recovery Mode Restore
If your iPhone isn’t recognized by iTunes or can’t finish the restore, recovery mode is the next step.
How to enter recovery mode:
- Connect your iPhone SE to your computer.
- Open iTunes.
- Press and hold Power + Home buttons until the screen turns off and the Connect to iTunes screen appears.
- On your computer, choose Restore when prompted.
This method reinstalls iOS without needing the phone to boot normally.
4. Use DFU Mode (Advanced)
Still stuck? DFU mode (Device Firmware Update) is the deepest restore option — it reloads both the iOS firmware and software.
⚠️ Only try this if you’re sure your phone isn’t physically damaged. If there’s water or internal damage, DFU mode could brick your device.
How to enter DFU mode:
- Connect your iPhone SE to your computer.
- Hold Power + Home for 8 seconds.
- Release Power but keep holding Home until iTunes says it has detected an iPhone in recovery mode.
- If the screen stays black, you’re in DFU mode.
- Proceed with the restore via iTunes.
If the Apple logo or recovery screen appears, you weren’t successful — try again.
5. Still Stuck? Use an iOS System Repair Tool
If DFU mode doesn’t help, and you want to avoid a trip to Apple just yet, you can try third-party iOS system repair tools like:
- ReiBoot
- iMyFone Fixppo
- Dr.Fone Repair
These apps are designed to fix boot loop problems, black screens, or stuck Apple logo without data loss (in Standard Mode). Read reviews before installing and be cautious with free tools.
6. Contact Apple Support
If none of these steps work, it’s time to get professional help. There could be hardware damage that needs servicing — especially if your iPhone has been dropped or exposed to water.
You can:
- Schedule a Genius Bar appointment.
- Use Apple’s mail-in repair program.
- Contact Apple Support.
Pro Tip: If you’re planning to restore the phone, always back up your iPhone regularly to avoid data loss in situations like this.