Having issues with your iPad when getting it turned on? You’re not alone. The issue that iPad won’t turn on is actually a fairly common problem, especially if your iPad is an older model.
Why won’t iPad turn on?
There could be multiple different reasons why your iPad is not functioning properly. If it is an older model it could be an issue with the battery. There could be a possible issue with your charger which isn’t letting your iPad charge sufficiently. You might also have a faulty charger port which may not be working at all. It’s also possible that you may be suffering from a software issue like system crashes and glitches or a conflict of system data.
As you can see there could be many different reasons why your iPad won’t turn on. You’ve come to the right place though, here you will learn different cases when iPad won’t turn on and get it working again.
- Case 1: iPad won’t turn on with black screen
- Case 2: iPad won’t turn on and is stuck on Apple logo
- Case 3: iPad won’t turn on after updating
Case 1: iPad won’t turn on with black screen
Some people find their iPad is showing a black screen and won’t turn on. In this section, we will talk about the solutions to this case.
1.1. Charge your iPad for 3 hours
One of the reasons why your iPad is not turning on may be because your battery might not be sufficiently charged. Without enough energy, the components won’t run properly and your iPad will not be able to boot up like it’s supposed to.
Plug your iPad into the charger and leave it charging without touching it for at least a minimum of 3 hours so that the battery can get a proper charge. If you come back after that time to check on it and it still isn’t turning on then move to the next part.
1.2. Test charger/cable/port
If you’ve left your iPad charging for hours and it still doesn’t work then you might need to check your charger to see if it’s the problem. Take the same charger that you used on your iPad and use it to charge your iPhone or any other Apple device you may have to see if it’s working properly.
This will let you know if it’s the charger or if it’s the charging port that is preventing your iPad from charging and thus won’t turn on. If it also doesn’t work on your iPhone then it may be the charger. If that’s the case then get yourself a new charger with a new box as well and then try to charge your iPad again for another few hours. If your charger does work on your iPhone, then the problem may be the charging port of your iPad. But don’t rush to fix the iPad port immediately, you can try the other solutions before that.
1.3. Fix software problems
Sometimes it may be a software issue that’s causing your iPad to have trouble turning on. There are a few things you can do to help resolve a software-related issue. One of the most promising methods you can try is an iTunes update or restore which is fairly simple. Read on and you will find the guide to this solution in the second case since the method used for both cases is the same.
1.4. Contact the Apple store
If you’ve done everything above so far and still nothing has worked, then it may be a different hardware problem. For this, there is really not much that you can do on your own without knowing exactly what that problem is, and with so many different parts that go into making the iPad itself, it will be pretty hard to track down exactly which of the many parts is causing the issue.
If this is the case for you then your best bet will be to get in contact with Apple support and let them know what’s going on. They may tell you to either bring your device into one of their major commercial stores or they will send you a shipping label to mail it to their tech experts. Once they’ve figured out the issue they will let you know how much the repair will cost, this will also depend on whether or not you have a warranty or Apple care on your device.
Case 2: iPad won’t turn on and is stuck on Apple logo
There are some people whose iPad is stuck on Apple logo and won’t turn on. Before you contact Apple support, you can try the solutions below.
2.1. Use Recovery Mode
Fortunately being stuck on the Apple logo is a super common problem which usually has a very quick and easy fix. Apple offers a way to recover devices from these types of issues through its iTunes program. For this method, you will need to use either Finder or iTunes and it can be done on either Mac or PC. Here we show the steps on a PC.
- Open up iTunes and connect your iPad. Follow this guide to put your iPad into recovery mode.
- You will get a pop-up from iTunes saying that there is a problem with your iPad and iTunes will offer you two options, “Update or Restore” and you should try the Update option first.
- Once you’ve chosen to update your iPad, your iTunes will try to download and install the latest software on your iPad without having to erase any of your data which is why we chose this method first.
- If updating doesn’t work, then you can repeat these steps and instead choose the Restore option this time. Just keep in mind that this way will completely reset your iPad back to factory settings and you will end up losing all data currently on your iPad. If you have a backup, you can restore your iPad from the backup.
2.2. Use DFU mode
Another option is restoring your iPad through DFU mode. For this method, you also need iTunes or Finder either on a Mac or a PC. Keep in mind, doing this will completely erase everything and restore your device back to factory settings. Below is the process.
- Open iTunes on your computer.
- Connect your iPad to the computer.
- Follow this guide to put your iPad into DFU mode. Please note that your iPad will show a black screen with nothing on it when it enters DFU mode, and at the same time, iTunes will show the interface below.
- Then click OK on the pop-up and then click Restore iPad.
Your iPad will then be restored and should working again and ready to set up when finished.
Case 3: iPad won’t turn on after updating
Apple just released iPadOS 16 and many iPad users are trying to update the software. However, after the update, the iPad won’t turn on anymore. You can try the solutions below and the other solutions we have introduced above.
3.1. Force restart iPad
Normally after a software update, the iPad will restart automatically. If the iPad won’t turn on after updating, it is recommended to force restart the iPad first. This will restart the boot process.
Doing a force restart is super easy and super quick. For an iPad without a Home button, all you have to do is give the volume up button a quick press then do the same with the volume down button. Next press and hold the power button and when the apple logo pops up release it.
For an iPad with a Home button, it is to hold the Power button and Home button together. Release the buttons until you see the Apple logo.
3.2. Update iPad again
You can also just put your iPad into recovery mode and then use iTunes to update it again in case there was an issue with your last update. This is pretty simple too and we have introduced the steps in one of the solutions under the second case. Remember to choose Update when you are offered Update and Restore options.
