Iphone x black screen but still on

Iphone x black screen but still on

Campbell Adams | Sep 15, 2022

5-year smartphone engineer, with rich experience in iOS software issues. He presents the most actionable solutions for readers in the most easy-to-understand manner.

Picking up your iPhone for something important, only to find its screen has blacked out? It is ringing or vibrating, but somehow it just won’t respond to your button presses and screen swipes? In this article, we will look at why this is happening and how you can fix it.

Why is My iPhone Screen Black but On?

There can be many reasons why your iPhone suddenly blacks out. Maybe it has accidentally entered the DFU mode because you’ve pressed the wrong buttons. If you are using a refurbished iPhone, this can probably happen too. Here are some other common reasons:

  • Hardware issues: for example, if you drop your phone, it can damage the internal components or the LCD screen, leading to blackouts. Sometimes if you use your iPhone too much, the processor could overheat, damaging its connection with the LCD as well. Physical breakage is rare but does occur.
  • Software issues: maybe there’s been a failed iOS restore, or your newly installed iOS15.4 is not compatible with your iPhone model, etc. If you have jailbroken your iPhone before, it's probably malware disturbing your iPhone functionalities. Software crash is the most common reason.
  • An issue with an app: if an application is taking too much memory space, incompatible with other apps, or contains malware, it could cause your system performance to slow down and your LCD screen to freeze.
  • Low battery: If your phone battery is low, the iPhone screen would automatically darken.

If your iPhone shows a black screen all of a sudden, you don’t have to replace it immediately. Here are some ways that can fix the issue:

1.Force restart iPhone while charging

First, put your iPhone on the charger and let it charge for a few minutes before turning it on. If it is still blacked out, you'd know it's not a battery issue. Next, perform a force restart.

  • iPhone 8 or later: Press and then release the button for volume up. Do the same for the Volume Down button. Then long press the Side button until the Apple logo appears.
  • Iphone x black screen but still on

    restart iPhone 8 series and later iPhone models

  • iPhone 7, iPod touch (7th generation), and iPhone 7 plus: Long press both the Volume down and Top (or Side) buttons until the Apple logo appears.
  • Iphone x black screen but still on

    restart iPhone 7 series

Forcibly restarting your iPhone does not mean your data would be lost. The memory unit remains intact when you force start it. However, if this method does not work, it might be because your iPhone OS has become severely corrupt. In that case, you might try the Prefix or iTunes method.

2.An issue with an app

A troublesome app can cause your screen to go black moreover if it’s loading something and the internet connection is weak that’s a possible cause of the problem.

To fix this, do the following.

  1. Close or exit the app.
  2. On the home screen, open the App Store and click on the Updates section. If there are any updates for the app, update it.
  3. Restart your iPhone.

Iphone x black screen but still on

update all iPhone apps

No data is lost with this method. However, if it persists it’s advisable to contact the App’s developer or uninstall the app.

3.Update or restore iPhone with iTunes

iTunes is a software program launched by Apple for media file management. It can also be used to fix certain iOS issues by reinstalling the system.

Here are the steps:

  1. Connect your iPhone via a lighting cable to your computer. Launch the latest iTunes and wait for iTunes to recognize it.
  2. Once iTunes recognizes your device, select the “Summary” tab and then click “Back Up Now” to create a backup of your iPhone data.
  3. Choose “Check for Update” to update your iPhone to the latest iOS 16 without data loss.
  4. If updating doesn’t work, click “Restore iPhone”, which will erase all your data. But once completed, you can restore your backup from iTunes.

Iphone x black screen but still on

However, in using this method, you need to note:

  • iTunes may fail to recognize your iPhone.
  • iTunes is not user-friendly enough. It's hard for you to know the updating or restoring progress.
  • The whole process can take up to hours from backing up data, to restoring the OS, and to restoring backup.
  • Apple hasn't released any iTunes updates in recent years. iTunes may get buggy and there can be many errors happening.

5.Restore from recovery mode

You can put your iPhone into recovery mode, and restore it to fix iPhone black screen using iTunes.

Step 1. Connect your iPhone with the latest iTunes on computer

Step 2. Once connected, enter recovery mode:

Iphone x black screen but still on

enter recovery mode

  • iPhone 8 or later: Press then release the button for volume up similarly, press then release the button for volume down. Then, long-press the side button until Apple’s logo appears.
  • iPhone 7, iPod touch (7th generation), and iPhone 7 plus: long-press the volume down and the Top (or Side) buttons at the same time until the recovery mode screen appears.
  • For iPhone 6s or earlier, simultaneously press and hold the home and the power button until you see the recovery-mode screen.

Step 3. Click Restore

Your iPhone will be restored. And your iPhone black screen should have been fixed. You can now go ahead and set it up.

However, bear in mind that:

  • Restoring your iPhone via iTunes clears all your iPhone data.
  • iTunes may fail to recognize your iPhone.
  • iTunes is user-unfriendly.
  • The restoration process takes a very long time.

6.Perform a DFU Restore

All iPhone models come with the Device Firmware Update (DFU) Mode. A DFU restore is the deepest type of system repair you can ever try, often used for the worst scenarios: your iPhone system is completely crashing. Here is how you can do it.

Iphone x black screen but still on

For iPhone 6S or earlier:

  • Long press the button for sleep while pressing the home button for like 8 seconds after which you release the button for sleep and not the home button.
  • Keep pressing the home button up to when your iPhone is recognized by the computer.

For iPhone 7 or iPhone 7 Plus:

  • Long press the Side button while pressing the volume button for like 8 seconds after which you release the Side button and not the volume button.
  • Keep pressing the volume button until your iPhone is recognized by the computer.

For iPhone 8 or newer:

  • Press then release the button for volume up, do the same for the down volume button.
  • Long-press the side button of the phone. Once you see a black screen, long-press the down volume button.
  • Long press these buttons but release the Side button after 5 seconds while holding the volume down button.
  • Follow the on-screen instructions that will display.

Once in DFU mode, your iPhone will display a black screen. Next, click the “OK” option in iTunes, and then click to restore.

Iphone x black screen but still on

This method can be extremely complicated and all your data will be lost.

What if none of the above has worked?

Then your iPhone issue might be more serious. It could be a technical hardware issue that requires a more extensive solution. In such situations, the best way is to take your phone to the Apple Store or reach out to Apple through their support website. Experts at the Apple Store might be able to fix your issue or guide you through it.

In conclusion, there might be many reasons for your iPhone screen going black. You can try to force start it, updating or restoring it via Recovery mode, or trying a DFU restore, etc, but the best solution is using Mobitrix Perfix. This tool is easy to use and ensures your data is not lost. If the problem still persists, please seek official support from Apple promptly.

What do you do when your iPhone X screen goes black but still works?

If your screen is black or frozen.
Press and quickly release the volume up button..
Press and quickly release the volume down button..
Press and hold the side button until you see the Apple logo..
If your phone doesn't turn on, follow these steps to check your hardware and charge your phone..

Why is my iPhone screen black even though its on?

If your iPhone is showing a black screen that never goes away, you should try resetting it. Black screens might appear if your iPhone overheats, encounters a major error, or the screen itself breaks. You should also plug your iPhone into a charger to make sure that it isn't simply out of battery.

How do I force my iPhone to restart when the screen is black on X?

If iPhone isn't responding, and you can't turn it off then on, try forcing it to restart. Press and quickly release the volume up button. Press and quickly release the volume down button. Press and hold the side button.

How do you fix an iPhone with a black screen?

To fix a black camera screen on your iPhone, try switching cameras or restarting the Camera app. You can also try turning off the VoiceOver feature in case that's interfering with the camera. If nothing works, try restarting or updating your iPhone, or resetting all settings.