iPhone stuck on the Apple logo? How to fix it without losing data

A frozen Apple logo looks alarming, but it is almost always a software problem, and software problems can be fixed with a computer while keeping your photos and messages. The order below matters: start with the fix that cannot touch your data, and only move on when it fails.

Is it really stuck?

If you see the Apple logo with a progress bar, the phone may be finishing an update. That can take a long time on a nearly full iPhone. Leave it plugged in and give it an hour. If the bar has not moved at all in that time, it is stuck.

• Frozen logo: the Apple logo stays on screen and nothing changes. Usually a failed startup. Force restart first.
• Boot loop: the logo appears, the screen goes black, and the logo comes back again, over and over. This points to corrupted software or, especially after a repair, a faulty part. Go straight to recovery mode if a force restart does not break the loop.
• Logo with a progress bar: an update or a transfer is running. Wait before doing anything.

If the phone starts normally, you are done. If it goes straight back to the Apple logo, move on to recovery mode.

Buttons not responding?

The timing is what trips most people up. Press and release each volume button quickly, one after the other, without holding them. Then press and hold the side button and keep holding, even when the screen goes black and the Apple logo reappears. On most models the full sequence takes 10 to 20 seconds. If the phone is in a thick case, take it off so the buttons press fully. If one button is physically broken, you will need a repair shop or an Apple Store to put the phone into recovery mode for you.

Why iPhones get stuck on the Apple logo

• An update that was interrupted, for example when the battery ran out mid-install.
• Storage so full that iOS cannot finish starting up.
• A corrupted system file after a crash.
• Hardware damage from a drop or water, especially if the problem started right after.

Stuck after moving to a new iPhone or restoring a backup

When you set up a new iPhone with Quick Start or restore from a backup, it may show the Apple logo with a progress bar for a long time while data transfers. A large backup can take an hour or more. Keep both phones close together and plugged in, and do not force restart unless the bar has not moved for over an hour. If the new phone does get stuck, recovery mode with Restore is safe here, since your data is still on the old phone or in the backup, and you can start the transfer again.

Storage full? That can cause it too

An iPhone with almost no free space can fail to start after an update, because iOS has no room for the files it creates during startup. Recovery mode with Update usually gets it running. Once it starts, clear several gigabytes straight away, following our guide to how to free iPhone storage, so it does not happen again with the next update.

Once it starts: do these right away

How to avoid it next time

Most Apple logo freezes start with an interrupted update. Update only when the battery is above 50 percent or the phone is plugged in, keep it on Wi-Fi, and do not force restart while the progress bar is still moving. Keeping a recent backup turns this from a crisis into a minor inconvenience.

Error codes during Update or Restore

• Error 4013 or 4014: the connection dropped or the iPhone could not finish. Update the computer, try a different cable and USB port (plug straight into the computer, not a hub), and try again. If it repeats, Apple treats it as a possible hardware issue.
• Error 9 or 4005: the iPhone disconnected during the update. Again, change the cable and port first.
• Any error that repeats on a second computer: it is almost certainly hardware, and a repair is the next step.

Stuck after a screen or battery repair?

If the boot loop started right after a repair, a replacement part or a connector inside the phone is the likely cause, not software. Take it back to the shop that did the work first. Apple’s Parts and Service History, in Settings › General › About, shows whether a part is genuine once the phone starts. Unknown parts are not always the problem, but they are the first thing a technician will check.

If it needs a repair, check your AppleCare+ status first. Tell the technician if your data is not backed up, since some fixes replace the whole phone.