The iPhone was designed to make software and hardware work together seamlessly, but it can still run into glitches.
If the device is still stuck, avoid restoring it or resetting it to factory settings: that can erase the data. To recover it, see Bot’s smartphone and tablet recovery.
So if your iPhone has frozen, rest assured that this is a common problem with many possible causes.
Whatever the reason, a frozen phone is frustrating to say the least, especially when it happens at a critical moment.
That’s why we wrote this post: to show you how to get your iPhone working again and, as a bonus, what to do if that doesn’t work.
How to fix an iPhone with a frozen screen
If your iPhone doesn’t respond to touch, shows a black screen or seems completely stuck, here’s what to do:
If the screen is black
This can happen because the operating system is misbehaving or because an app has stopped responding.
The best way to unfreeze your iPhone is to force restart it. This switches the device off and on again without you having to use the screen.
The force restart procedure depends on the iPhone model, so identify yours and follow the matching steps.
To find out which model you have, check this Apple support article.
On iPhone 8 or later, including iPhone SE (2nd generation)
- Press and quickly release the Volume Up button, then do the same with the Volume Down button;
Then press and hold the side button until the Apple logo appears on the screen.
On iPhone 7 or iPhone 7 Plus
- Press and hold the side button and the Volume Down button until the Apple logo appears on the screen.
On iPhone 6s and earlier, including iPhone SE (1st generation)
- Press and hold the Home button and the side (or top) button until the Apple logo appears.
If your iPhone still won’t start properly
If your iPhone gets stuck on the Apple logo, a blue screen or a red screen, follow these steps:
Put your iPhone into recovery mode
- Connect your iPhone to a computer with a USB cable. On a Mac with macOS Catalina or later, open the Finder; on macOS Mojave or earlier, or on Windows, open iTunes (or the Apple Devices app);
- Find your iPhone on the computer;
- With the iPhone connected, follow the steps for your model:
iPhone 8 or later, including iPhone SE (2nd generation)
- Press and quickly release the Volume Up button, then do the same with the Volume Down button;
- Then press and hold the side button.
iPhone 7 or iPhone 7 Plus
- Press and hold the side button and the Volume Down button at the same time.
iPhone 6s or earlier, including iPhone SE (1st generation)
- Press and hold the Home button and the side (or top) button at the same time.
- Whatever your model, keep holding the buttons, even when the Apple logo appears, until you see the recovery mode screen;
- When you are offered the option to Restore or Update, choose “Update”, which reinstalls iOS without erasing your data;
- The computer will then download the software and install it on your iPhone. If the download takes more than 15 minutes, the iPhone will exit recovery mode; if that happens, repeat the steps above.
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Conclusion
To unfreeze your iPhone, you can force restart it or, if that doesn’t work, put it into recovery mode with the help of a computer and update iOS. Be careful not to choose Restore or reset it to factory settings, as that will erase all the data on the device.
If your iPhone has stopped working but has not been reset to factory settings, it may still be possible to recover its data, and Bot can help.
At Bot we have more than two decades of experience in data recovery, more than 200,000 cases and a 96% success rate, and we can assess your case.
Best of all, standard diagnosis is free, even if your device has already been opened by another repair service.
What’s more, we offer free collection of your device (islands not included), and standard diagnosis takes up to 48 hours, or up to 24 or 12 hours if it’s urgent.
Count on our 96% success rate: Start your recovery now!
