iPhone 5S Won’t Turn On? Here’s How to Fix It
If your iPhone 5S suddenly won’t power on—no screen, no logo, nothing—it’s easy to assume the worst. But don’t panic just yet. In many cases, this issue is caused by something minor like a drained battery, a software crash, or a charging problem. Here’s how to troubleshoot and (hopefully) bring your iPhone 5S back to life.
1. Charge the Phone First
Let’s rule out a dead battery.
- Plug your iPhone into a working wall outlet using the original charger.
- Make sure the charging cable and adapter are functional. Try using a different set if you’re unsure.
- Clean the charging port with compressed air or a toothpick to remove dust and debris.
- Wait at least 15–30 minutes. If the screen is still black, try the next step.
You can also try plugging the phone into a USB port on a computer. It won’t charge as fast, but it’s a useful backup test.
2. Force Restart the iPhone 5S
Sometimes the phone is technically on but frozen in a black-screen state due to a software glitch. A force restart can help.
Here’s how:
- Hold the Home button and the Sleep/Wake (Power) button at the same time.
- Keep holding both buttons for about 10 seconds until the Apple logo appears.
If the logo shows up, your phone is booting—good sign. Let it finish starting up and see if it behaves normally.
3. Try a Hard Reset with iTunes
If your iPhone still won’t turn on after charging and a force restart, a hard reset via iTunes might do the trick.
⚠️ Warning: This process will erase all data on your phone.
To do a hard reset:
- Make sure your phone is powered off.
- Hold down the Home button, then plug your iPhone into a computer with iTunes running.
- Keep holding the Home button until you see the Recovery Mode screen (iTunes logo + cable).
- On your computer, iTunes will prompt you that a device in recovery mode has been detected.
- Click Restore iPhone, then Restore and Update.
iTunes will download the latest iOS version and reinstall it. This process can take a while depending on your internet speed.
4. Still Not Powering On? It Might Be Hardware
If none of the steps above help and the screen stays completely black, your iPhone 5S may have:
- A dead battery or failed charging circuit
- A faulty logic board
- A damaged power button
- Water or drop damage
In that case, take it to an Apple Store or authorized service provider for hardware diagnostics.