iPhone will not turn on
An iPhone with a genuinely flat battery can look completely dead for a while, and Apple's own advice is to give it a full hour on the charger before you write it off. Do the force restart first, because a frozen iPhone and a dead one are indistinguishable from the outside.
Do these checks, in this order
Each one rules something out. Work down the list and stop when something changes, because that is your answer.
Do the force restart properly
Press and quickly release Volume Up. Press and quickly release Volume Down. Then press and hold the Side button until the Apple logo appears. Apple says this can take longer than 10 seconds, so keep holding. A force restart does not erase anything. It is the single most useful thing you can do to a phone that looks dead, and it costs nothing.
FREEcosts nothing
Charge it for one hour on a charger you trust
Apple's own advice is to charge for one hour before deciding an iPhone is dead. If you see the low charge battery icon, give it 30 minutes or until it starts on its own. Use a different cable, a different plug and a different wall socket, because any of the three can be the fault.
WAITone hour
Look in the charging port
Pocket lint compacted into the Lightning or USB-C port is the most common cause of an iPhone that will not charge. Look into the port with a torch. If you can see grey fluff, that is very likely your whole problem.
TORCH2 minutes
Check for silent signs of life
Feel for a vibration when you force restart, and try ringing it from another phone. Plug it into a computer and open Finder, or iTunes on Windows. If the iPhone shows up, the board and your storage are alive and you are looking at a screen or battery fault, not a dead phone.
CHECKtells you which fault
What your result means
Find the line that matches what happened. The right hand column is the honest answer, including when the answer is that nothing needs fixing.
Assessment and diagnosis are free, and you approve a fixed quote before any work starts. If we cannot fix it you pay nothing.
Now find out what it costs
Once you know which part is at fault, the price lookup gives you our fitted price for that repair on your exact model, with no form to fill in first.
Will not turn on on iPhone: questions
How do I force restart my iPhone?
Press and quickly release Volume Up. Press and quickly release Volume Down. Then press and hold the Side button until the Apple logo appears. Apple says this can take longer than 10 seconds, so keep holding.
How long should I charge it before deciding it is dead?
Apple's own advice is to charge for one hour before deciding an iPhone is dead. If you see the low charge battery icon, give it 30 minutes or until it starts on its own.
Does a force restart delete anything?
No. A force restart is the equivalent of pulling the power and putting it back. It does not touch your photos, messages or files. That is exactly why it is the first thing to try and why it is safe to try.
Same fault, different device
The checks change with the device. If you are here for something else, start from the fault diagnoser or the iPhone guide.
Still not sure? We will tell you for free.
Bring it in or tell us what it is doing. Diagnosis costs nothing, you get a fixed quote before any work, and if we cannot fix it you pay nothing.
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