iPhone won't turn on even after charging: what to try

Simple steps to try when your iPhone stays black even after charging, in the order Apple recommends. For anyone with a dead-looking iPhone, like an iPhone 14 that stayed black after hours on charge.

Charge your iPhone for one hour with a cable and adapter you know work, then force restart it. On iPhone 8 and later (including iPhone 14, 15 and 16), quickly press volume up, then volume down, then hold the side button until the Apple logo appears. If it still won't start, try recovery mode with a computer, and if that fails, take it for service.

• 1. Check the cable, adapter and port: Look for breaks or bent pins on the cable and adapter, and don't use damaged ones. Gently clear any dust or lint from the charging port, then plug the cable in firmly.
• 2. Charge for a full hour: Seeing a low-battery picture on the screen? That's a good sign. Give it another 30 minutes on charge, or less if it switches on before then.
• 3. Force restart the iPhone: On iPhone 8 and later, including iPhone 14, 15 and 16: quickly press and release volume up, quickly press and release volume down, then hold the side button. Keep holding until the Apple logo appears, which can take more than 10 seconds.
• 4. Check if only the screen is dead: Call the iPhone from another phone and listen for a ring or vibration, or flip the ring/silent switch (or press the Action button) and feel for a buzz. If it rings or buzzes, the phone is on and the problem is probably the display.
• 5. Let it reach a normal temperature: iPhones are made to work between 0 and 35°C, and very hot or cold phones can stop charging or switch off. If it was left in a car or in the sun, turn it off, move it somewhere cooler and try again once it has cooled down.
• 6. Try Update in recovery mode: Connect the iPhone to a computer and open Finder on a Mac or the Apple Devices app on a Windows PC. Do the force restart steps, but keep holding the side button until you see the 'Connect to computer' screen. Then choose Update first, because it tries to reinstall iOS without erasing your data.
• 7. Restore only as a last resort: If Update fails, choosing Restore will reinstall iOS and erase everything on the iPhone. Do this only if you have an iCloud or computer backup, or if you accept losing what is not backed up.
• 8. Book service with Apple: If the iPhone still won't turn on, charge or enter recovery mode, it needs hardware service. Book a visit at an Apple Store or an Apple Authorised Service Provider in India through Apple Support.