iPad Won’t Turn On? Try These Fixes
You pick up your iPad and the screen is completely black. You hold the power button and nothing happens. Before you assume it is beyond repair, know this: most iPads that appear dead are actually just suffering from a deeply discharged battery, a frozen OS, or a simple charging issue. At Indiana Phones in Pacific Beach we have rescued countless iPads that customers brought in thinking they needed a replacement. Here is how to work through the diagnosis.
Charge it for at least 60 minutes
iPads have big batteries. When they are completely depleted they can take much longer to respond than iPhones. Plug the iPad into an iPad-rated charger (20W or higher) using a known-good cable and wait a full hour before trying anything else. Do not use a 5-watt iPhone charger — it may not have enough power to even bring the iPad back from deep discharge. Look for the charging icon to appear on the screen after 10-20 minutes. If you see it, the iPad is fine and just needed a real charge.
Force restart by model
iPads without Home button (iPad Pro 2018 and newer, modern Air and Mini): press and release volume up, press and release volume down, hold the top power button until the Apple logo appears (can take 15+ seconds, keep holding). iPads with Home button (older iPads, base model iPads): hold the Home button and the top power button together until the Apple logo appears. Do this while the iPad is plugged into power so there is no question of battery being the issue.
Connect to iTunes or Finder
Connect the iPad to a computer running the latest Finder (macOS Catalina+) or iTunes (Windows). If the computer detects the iPad even though the screen is black, the iPad is powering on — it is just the display that is not working. From there you may be able to back up data or restore iOS. If the computer does not detect the iPad at all, either the charging port is completely broken or the iPad is genuinely not powering on.
Recovery mode
With the iPad connected to a computer: force restart the iPad but keep holding the buttons past the Apple logo until you see the Recovery Mode screen (an iTunes/Finder cable icon). From there the computer will offer to Update (keeps your data) or Restore (erases everything). Try Update first. If Update succeeds, your iPad is fine. If Update fails or the iPad does not enter Recovery Mode, the issue is deeper.
DFU mode for deeper recovery
Device Firmware Update mode reinstalls the entire iPad firmware including the bootloader. It is a last-resort software fix for a seemingly dead iPad. The button sequence varies by model and requires precise timing — look up the exact DFU mode sequence for your specific iPad. DFU mode will erase your data but can rescue iPads that will not respond to anything else.
Hardware causes of a dead iPad
If every software recovery option fails, the issue is hardware. The most common we see are: a completely dead battery (especially on iPads 3+ years old), a failed charging IC on the logic board (common on iPads that have been exposed to liquid), a failed display backlight circuit (iPad is powering on but the screen cannot light up), or logic board damage from drops or water. Each has a different repair path and cost.
Professional diagnosis
When DIY options are exhausted, bring the iPad to Indiana Phones in Pacific Beach for a free diagnostic. Our veteran-owned team will determine exactly why the iPad will not turn on and give you an honest assessment of what it would take to fix — sometimes it is a quick battery replacement, sometimes it is logic board work, and sometimes the honest answer is that transferring data and moving to a new iPad makes more sense. Call (619) 577-3065 or visit 1630 Grand Ave.
Related Reading
Related Services
- Phone Repair San Diego (all devices)
- iPad Repair San Diego
- Samsung Galaxy Repair
- MacBook Repair
- Phone Battery Replacement
Frequently Asked Questions
My iPad won’t turn on at all. Is it dead?
Not necessarily. Most ‘dead’ iPads we receive at Indiana Phones actually just have a deeply discharged battery, a frozen OS, or a damaged charging port. Try charging with an iPad-rated 20W+ charger for a full hour before assuming the worst.
How long should I charge a dead iPad?
At least 60 minutes on a 20W or higher iPad-rated charger. iPad batteries are much larger than iPhone batteries and take longer to recover from deep discharge. A 5W iPhone charger may not provide enough power to revive a deeply depleted iPad.
How do I force restart an iPad that won’t turn on?
iPads with Face ID: press volume up, press volume down, hold top button until Apple logo. iPads with Home button: hold Home + top button together. Do this while plugged in to rule out battery issues.
Is it worth fixing an iPad that won’t turn on?
Depends on the cause and the iPad model. Battery replacement and charging port repair on older iPads are often very cost-effective. Logic board repair on newer iPad Pros can be expensive. Indiana Phones gives honest recommendations case-by-case.
