3 ways to fix your iPhone if it won't turn on

If you are not a tech guru, it can be frightening if your phone won't turn on. Who knows where to start when there could be a million things wrong? Is it fixable?

You can narrow it down to one of three issues: a software glitch, a charging malfunction, or a serious hardware problem.

How to figure out why your phone won't turn on and how to fix it.

How to turn on an iPhone

You need to make sure you turn on your phone the right way before you try any of the steps. It can be difficult to know how to turn on your model of iPhones.

If this is the issue, here is how to turn on the phone.

• Has a Home and Side button. Press and hold the Side button until you see the Apple logo on the screen.
• Has a Home and Top button. Press and hold the Top button until the Apple logo shows up on the screen.
• Doesn't have a Home button but has a Side button. Press and hold the Side button for a few seconds and release it when you see the Apple logo.

What to do if your iPhone won't turn on

You can try to get to the bottom of why your phone isn't turning on if you're sure you can switch on your phone properly.

1. Check to see if you can restart the phone

You probably know that your phone is turned on all the time, even when the screen is off, unless you shut it down via the settings app. When the screen is dark, the phone is powered on, but a software glitch in an app could be preventing the phone from waking when you press the Power button.

If you want to see if your phone will turn on, force it to restart.

Dave Johnson

If your phone restarts, it's likely that your problem is solved. Sometimes this problem can happen without suggesting a serious underlying issue. If your phone won't turn on frequently enough that it's a nuisance, that means you have a bad app or corrupted data on your phone.

If that is the case, you might need to reset your phone to its factory settings and then manually uninstall offending apps from the App Store.

Since a factory reset will wipe all your data and settings, make sure you back up your phone or computer before you reset it. You can restore what you need later.

2. Try charging your phone

If you don't see that you can restart your phone, then it's likely that your phone is already dead. Here is what you should do.

If you want to charge your phone, connect it and let it charge for an hour or two.

There might be something wrong with the way the phone is charging. To make sure the phone's Lightning port isn't filled with lint or debris, check it to make sure it isn't broken. If necessary, swap the cable for another.

Dave Johnson

Charge the phone again. To make sure the phone doesn't have an issue, be sure to plug the phone directly into an AC adapter.

It is possible that the Lightning port or your laptop'susb port has failed, and since it wasn't charging, you couldn't turn it on. This should solve your problem if that is the case.

If the problem persists, there are more steps you can take to fix it.

3. Troubleshoot a hardware problem

The number of potential issues has narrowed if your phone won't respond to a hard reset and doesn't seem to be charging. It suggests you might have a serious issue. The most likely issues include:

• Water damage. You might have gotten your phone wet and it has caused some components to fail.
• Drop damage. If you've dropped the phone, it might have damaged the screen (most likely) or internal components (less likely), preventing it from working.
• Component failure. As reliable as iPhones are, it's always possible that one can fail due to a manufacturing defect. It's rare, but it can happen.

Try this to see if your phone has any life left in it.

1. Plug your ailing phone into a computer by connecting it to a Lightning cable.

2. Go to the store on the computer.

3. Check to see if the phone is recognized by the app. You can see the phone icon in the top left of the window. The phone is powered on and you can back it up if you so choose.

Dave Johnson

4. If you see the icon appear, click it and then click the Summary tab on the left of the screen. To make sure you have a good backup of your phone, click Back Up Now. This backup can be used to restore your phone after it is serviced or replaced.

5. If you want your phone serviced or replaced, contact Apple.