My iphone 12 will not turn on

How to control your iPhone 12

My iphone 12 will not turn on

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The iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 Pro may be high performance, but that won't stop the occasional need to force restart your mobile device. Here's the steps you need to reboot your iPhone 12 if a graceful shutdown isn't possible.

While it is entirely possible for some iPhone users to never need to turn off or restart their device at all, the vast majority of users will at some point need to do so. Maybe an app hung in such a way that iOS can't handle, or the iPhone stops responding to touches and individual button presses.

In such situations, the best course of action is to restart your iPhone, but even that may not be immediately possible, such as if the screen isn't responding to touch input, preventing you from performing the final swipe to power it off. Even in this scenario, you can still forcefully restart the device.

This guide will take you through the usual way of turning off your iPhone, and then to do the forced restart. It is usually advisable to go for the first method, but the second is also useful as it is a generally quicker process to reboot, and far more likely to work.

These methods cover practically all models that use Face ID as their biometric authentication system, from the iPhone X to modern models including the iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 Pro. It can even be used on iPad models that use Face ID, such as the current-generation iPad Pro, with the force restart method even able to be used on the iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus.

Most earlier models have different techniques to force a restart, typically relying on a press of the Home button. Its removal forced Apple to come up with a newer procedure for the iPhone X, which it has continued to use ever since.

How to turn the iPhone 12 off then on again

  • Hold down both the volume up and side buttons at the same time for a few seconds.
  • Press the on-screen power symbol at the top of the screen and slide it to the right.
  • To turn it back on, hold the side button until the Apple logo appears.

This method performs a graceful shutdown of the iPhone, followed by the standard turn-on procedure. This is the method you should be trying to accomplish first.

My iphone 12 will not turn on

Turning iPhone 12 off

In the event that you cannot use the iPhone's touchscreen, step two of that list will not be possible to complete. This is why there is a method to forcefully restart the device.

How to force restart the iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 Pro

  • Press and very quickly release the volume up button, followed by the volume down button.
  • Press and hold down the side button.
  • When the Apple logo appears, release the side button.

While this method will attempt to restart your iPhone, it may not necessarily fix the problem. Apple's support pages offer further advice if the iPhone won't turn back on, including how to restore the device in more serious cases.

My iphone 12 will not turn on

Forcing a restart on iPhone 12 Pro

As a word of warning, make sure to pay attention when you are restarting your iPhone, and follow all instructions properly. This is specifically the case if you confuse the two sets of instructions and end up holding down the volume up and side buttons for a prolonged period of time.

Doing so will start a five-second countdown for the Emergency SOS function, where it will count down from five and vibrate for each number, as the Emergency SOS slider fills up. On reaching 0 while still holding both buttons down, the iPhone will consider the bar full and dial the emergency services, which may prompt the police or an ambulance visit to your location.

Just remember to pay attention and to release the buttons if the vibration and countdown starts.

My iphone 12 will not turn on

I found an old iPhone 12 Pro Max at home, which hasn't been used for a very long time since I changed to a new iPhone 13. When I was trying to turn it on, I failed. This iPhone 12 makes no response no matter how I try pressing the Side button. Does anyone know how to overcome the iPhone 12 Pro Max won't turn on problem?

My iphone 12 will not turn on

Though iPhone always makes things perfect, there are still some annoying problems while users using iPhone. According to iPhone 12 users, many of them encountered the iPhone 12 won't turn on problem. It is not a frequently-happened issue, but it is really annoying when we face the iPhone 12 black screen as we cannot turn it on. Fortunately, we still have useful solutions to fix it. If you are encountering the same problem, this post will help you.

Part 1. Why won't my iPhone 12 turn on?

Battery problem - When your iPhone 12 can't turn on, the first thing you need to do is to check if the battery is working well. Ensure that your iPhone battery can charge properly and has no damage.
Software glitch - If there is something wrong with your iPhone 12 iOS system, you will face the issues like iPhone 12 battery not working. In case of this, you may need to use a professional iOS fixing tool to fix your iPhone 12.
Hardware damage - A small hardware problem will make your iPhone dead from turning on. If your iPhone 12 won't turn on after being dropped or water damaged, you would better to send it to an Apple Store.

Solution 1. Charge your iPhone 12 to fix iPhone 12 won't turn on

Ensure that your iPhone 12 has enough power to turn it on. You can long press the Side button and see whether a charging icon appears. If the charging icon appears, it means that your iPhone 12 has run out of battery and needs to charge until it has enough power to turn on. If your iPhone 12 not turning on even keeps charging for a long time, you may need a further repair and read on the following content.

My iphone 12 will not turn on


Solution 2. Clean the charging port

If the charging port of your iPhone 12 is jammed or blocked up with dust, charging your iPhone 12 will be a tough job so you cannot turn on your iPhone 12 successfully, and you will meet the iPhone 12 Pro Max won't turn on issue frequently. You can use a soft and clean brush to clean your iPhone 12 charging port.

My iphone 12 will not turn on


Solution 3. Force restart to fix iPhone 12 not turning on

Applying a hard restart to your iPhone 12 can be a feasible solution to fix the iPhone 12 won't turn on issue quickly and efficiently. Force restarting your iPhone can also fix many other common iOS problems. You can easily restart your iPhone 12 by following the below steps.

Step 1. Press the Volume Up button and release it quickly.
Step 2. Press the Volume Down button and release it quickly.
Step 3. Keep holding the Power button until your iPhone 12 turns on.

My iphone 12 will not turn on


Solution 4. Fix iPhone 12 Pro Max won't turn on with professional tools

TunesKit iOS System Recovery is a professional iOS fixing program that helps fix more than 150 common iOS issues like iPhone 12 Pro won't turn on, iPhone won't turn off, iPhone stuck on Apple logo, iPhone reboot loop, etc. It is now fully compatible with most iOS versions including the latest iOS 16. Besides, it has a concise user interface that helps users to fix their iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch with several simple clicks. No matter what issues you are now encountering, TunesKit iOS System Recovery can always be the best assistance to you.

My iphone 12 will not turn on

Key Features of TunesKit iOS System Recovery:

  • Fix iPhone 12/Pro/Pro Max won't turn on without data loss
  • Supports other devices including iPhone, iPad and iPod
  • Compatible with all iOS versions including the iOS 16
  • One-click to enter or exit Recovery mode
  • Supports downgrading iOS 16 to iOS 15

Let's see how to fix iPhone 12 not turning on by using TunesKit iOS System Recovery.

Step 1Connect iPhone 12 to computer

Download and launch TunesKit iOS System Recovery on your computer. Then, connect your iPhone to the computer. When your iPhone is connected, click on the Enter Recovery Mode button to put your iPhone into Recovery mode. Then, click on the Start button for the next step.

My iphone 12 will not turn on

Step 2Select a mode to fix iPhone 12 won't turn on

TunesKit iOS System offers two different iOS fixing modes, Standard Mode and Advanced Mode. Click on the Standard Mode option to fix your iPhone 12, which will not cause any data loss from your iPhone. If you are trying to use Advanced Mode, don't forget to back up your iPhone before fixing it since it will erase all the data and content.

My iphone 12 will not turn on

Step 3Download firmware package

Before downloading the firmware package to fix the iPhone 12 Mini won't turn on issue, please ensure that the on-screen information is nothing wrong. Then, click on the Download button to start downloading.

My iphone 12 will not turn on

Step 4Fix iPhone 12 Pro Max won't turn on

TunesKit iOS System Recovery will start to fix the iPhone 12 won't turn on issue as soon as the firmware package is downloaded. All you need to do is wait and use your iPhone 12 like a brand new one without any glitch.

My iphone 12 will not turn on


Solution 5. Contact Apple Support to fix iPhone 12 not turning on

You should contact Apple Support for a professional repair if the above methods failed to fix the iPhone 12 won't turn on issue. You can send your iPhone to the Genius Bar, and the Apple technician will help you check your iPhone 12 and fix the hardware issue. If your iPhone 12 is still under warranty, the repair will be totally free.

My iphone 12 will not turn on


Part 3. Sum up

Hope that you will not encounter issues like "My iPhone 12 won't turn on" after reading this post. By using TunesKit iOS System Recovery, things will get much easier. If you have other iOS questions, please feel free to leave us a comment below, and we will be glad to help you.


More Tips & Tricks

  • Solved! How to Fix iPhone X Won't Turn on
  • Dropped iPhone Won't Turn on? Try These Effective Solutions
  • iPhone 7 Won't Turn on? Solved Here!
  • What to Do If Your iPad Mini Won't Turn on?
  • Why iPhone Software Update Failed? Fix it with Ease!

My iphone 12 will not turn on

Brian Davis has covered tech and entertainment for over 10 years. He loves technology in all its forms.

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How do I reset an unresponsive iPhone 12?

Force restart iPhone.
Press and quickly release the volume up button..
Press and quickly release the volume down button..
Press and hold the side button..
When the Apple logo appears, release the side button..

Why did my iPhone 12 screen go black and wont turn on?

If your iPhone 12 remains unresponsive and stuck on a black screen after a few forced restart attempts, what you need to do next is charge it and do the forced restart while it's connected to the charger. Here's how: Plug the charger to a working wall outlet and connect your iPhone to it using the original cable.

How do I get my iPhone 12 to turn on?

Press and hold the side button until the Apple logo appears.

What causes an iPhone to not turn on at all?

Usually, “iPhone won't turn on” issue is caused by either a battery which is down, or a system glitch, or corrupted firmware. All the problems can be resolved very easily.