iPhone 16 Pro not turning on ( Fixed in 6 Steps )

You pick up your new iPhone 16 Pro, press the power button… and nothing happens. No Apple logo. No vibration. Just a completely black screen.

It’s normal to feel a little panicked — especially if you use your phone for everything, like staying in touch, work, or even just checking the time.

But before you assume the worst, take a deep breath.

There are quite a few reasons why your iPhone might not be turning on — and the good news is, most of them can be fixed at home, without needing any special tools or tech skills.

In this simple guide, I’ll explain what could be going wrong, and walk you through each possible fix step-by-step.

Whether your phone is just frozen, the battery ran too low, or something got stuck during setup — we’ll look at every option and get your iPhone 16 Pro back up and running.

Let’s get that iPhone back to life

Let’s Bring Your iPhone Back to Life (Step-by-Step)

First: Make Sure It’s Actually Off — Not Just Frozen

Before jumping into fixes, let’s do a quick check to see if your iPhone is really off — or just stuck.

Try this:

• Press and hold the Side button on the right side of your phone for about 10 seconds.
• Make sure you’re in a dim or dark room.
• Look closely at the screen — even the faintest backlight or flicker can be a good sign.

If the screen stays completely black with zero response, don’t worry. That just means we need to dig a little deeper.

Step 1: Charge It (And Be Patient)

I get it — you’re thinking, “I already tried charging it!”

But hear me out: the iPhone 16 Pro can act a little weird sometimes. If it turned off during charging or right after a software update, it might look completely dead… even though it’s not.

Here’s what you need to do:

• Grab the original USB-C cable that came with your iPhone.
• Plug it into a wall outlet — not your laptop, not a power bank.
• Let it charge for 30 to 45 minutes, even if the screen stays black the whole time.

Important:
Don’t press anything. Don’t try to force it on just yet. Just give it time.

Pro tip:
If you shut down your iPhone before charging it overnight, that might’ve triggered this issue.

I’ve seen this happen more than once. Honestly, it’s safer to leave your phone powered on while it’s charging — especially overnight..

Step 2: Force Restart (This Fixes It for Most People)

This step has saved me — and a lot of others — more times than I can count. Even if your iPhone seems totally dead, a force restart can often bring it back to life ( Seriously this step has always helped me whenever my phone is stucked on black screen or either white screen ).

Here’s how to do it:

1. Press and quickly release the Volume Up button.
2. Press and quickly release the Volume Down button.
3. Now press and hold the Side button — and keep holding it.

Be patient:
Hold that Side button for at least 30 to 60 seconds. I know that sounds long, but sometimes the iPhone just needs a little extra time to respond.

If the Apple logo shows up — great!

If not, don’t worry. We’ve still got more steps to try.

Step 3: Check the Charging Port (Yep, This One’s Important)

I know it sounds super simple, but trust me — a tiny bit of dust or lint can stop your iPhone from charging or turning on.

Here’s what to do:

• Grab a small flashlight and carefully peek inside the charging port.
• See anything in there? Use a wooden toothpick or a soft, dry brush to gently clean it out. No metal tools — we don’t want to damage anything.
• If the port feels even a little damp or moist, leave your phone to dry for 24 hours before trying to charge it again.

Once it looks clean and dry, plug it back in and give force restart another try.

Sometimes, that’s all it takes.

Step 4: Let It Cool Down (If It Got Too Hot)

The iPhone 16 Pro can heat up fast — especially during the first setup or when it’s running things like Apple Intelligence for the first time.

If your phone felt warm or suddenly turned off on its own, it might’ve shut down to protect itself from overheating.

Here’s what you should do:

• Unplug the charger (if it’s connected).
• Leave your iPhone in a cool, shaded room — avoid putting it in the fridge or under a fan.
• Wait about 30 to 45 minutes to let it fully cool down.

Once it’s no longer warm, plug it back in and try a force restart again.

Sometimes your iPhone just needs a break before it’s ready to wake up.

Step 5: Try Connecting It to a Computer

Just because the screen is black doesn’t mean your iPhone is completely dead — it might still be working quietly in the background.

Here’s how to check:

• Grab your USB-C cable and plug your iPhone into a Mac or Windows PC.
• On a Mac, open Finder. On Windows, open iTunes.
• Now do the force restart steps again while your phone is still plugged in.

Keep holding the Side button, even if the Apple logo shows up.
Watch your computer screen closely — if a message pops up that says something like:

“Your iPhone has a problem and needs to be updated or restored.”

That’s actually great news — it means your iPhone is still talking to your computer, even if the screen looks dead.

Click Update first (this keeps all your data).
If that doesn’t fix it, then you can try Restore — just know that this option will erase everything.

Step 6: Use DFU Mode (The Deepest Fix Possible)

If nothing else worked, DFU mode is your last resort. It’s a deeper reset than Recovery Mode and wipes everything clean — so only use it if you’re totally stuck.

Here’s how to enter DFU Mode:

1. Plug your iPhone into your computer.
2. Press and release Volume Up.
3. Press and release Volume Down.
4. Press and hold the Side button until the screen turns completely black ( in this case its already black ).
5. Keep holding the Side button and also press and hold Volume Down for 5 more seconds.
6. Now let go of the Side button, but keep holding Volume Down for about 10 more seconds.

If you did it right, the screen will stay black — and your computer will say:

“iPhone in DFU Mode.”

Now you can click Restore to completely reinstall iOS from scratch.

Still No Luck? Time to Let Apple Handle It

If you’ve tried everything and your iPhone still won’t respond — don’t worry. This is exactly what Apple Support is for.

Here’s what to do next:

• Go to checkcoverage.apple.com and enter your iPhone’s serial number to see if you’re under warranty.
• If you have AppleCare+, even better — they might replace or repair your phone quickly.

Important Tip: Don’t try opening the phone yourself or use sketchy third-party tools. That can void your warranty and cause more issues.

Final Thoughts (From Someone Who’s Been There)

Look, I know how frustrating it is when your brand-new iPhone won’t turn on — especially when you haven’t done anything wrong. But most of the time, it’s not a hardware problem. It’s just a weird power bug or a software hiccup.

If you ever charge your phone overnight again, try keeping it powered on instead of turning it off — that simple step might prevent this whole situation.

You’ve now gone through every safe and smart option. Whether your phone is back on or on its way to Apple, just know: you did everything right — and you’re not alone.