Did your Phone get stuck on the Apple logo? This article explains how you can fix when your iPhone 16, iPhone 16 Plus, iPhone 16 Pro or iPhone 16 Pro Max gets stuck on the Apple logo. You may experience this when you turn your device on or during / after an iOS update. This problem is known to happen even though it is very rare. What causes this? There are a few common causes:
- Update problems
- iOS problems.
- Hardware problems
Hold Tight If It’s an Update
Sometimes your iPhone may appear to be stuck while applying an update, especially larger updates moving from one version of iOS to another. The progress bar that appears during installation seems to move at a glacial pace, to the point where you’ll find yourself staring at the screen looking for the slightest sign of movement.
If you are trying to restore your iPhone 16 from a backup or tried to migrate your iPhone from a previous device, you might see the Apple logo and progress bar on your screen for more than one hour.
If your iPhone 16 seems to be stuck while restoring your device from a backup or trying to migrate your iPhone from a previous device, Apple’s official advice is to "make sure that the progress bar on your iPhone screen hasn’t moved for at least one hour" before taking things into your own hands. Leave your iPhone to its business and make a cup of tea or coffee, then come back later and check on it.
If the progress bar hasn’t moved for more than one hour, the company then advises that you connect your device to a computer, then put your device into recovery mode, instructions for which you’ll find further down this page. Before doing that, you might want to try hard resetting your device. After all, what have you got to lose?
Force Restart Your iPhone
Force restarting your phone is the first thing you should try whether your iPhone 16 is stuck on Apple logo during an update, trying to restore your phone from a backup or trying to migrate your iPhone from a previous device, or rebooting because you fancied a restart. It’s also worth a shot if your iPhone 16 appears to be stuck in a boot loop, where the Apple logo may periodically disappear for a few seconds as the device attempts to start up again.
To force restart your iPhone 16, press and release the Volume Up button. Press and release the Volume Down button. Press and hold the Side button. Keep holding the Side button until you see the Apple logo, then release.
Update or Restore Your iPhone 16 With Recovery Mode
If your iPhone 16 is stuck on the Apple logo screen during an update, you might need to use the iPhone’s recovery tool. Recovery Mode lets you update or restore your device’s software to (hopefully) fix your issue. To do this, you’ll need a Mac or PC running iTunes that is compatible with your currently-installed version of iOS.
First, connect your iPhone to your Mac or PC. Next, press and release the Volume Up button. Press and release the Volume Down button. Press and hold the Side button. Keep holding the Side button until you see the recovery mode screen.
On a Mac with macOS Catalina 10.15 or newer, launch the Finder. On a Mac with macOS Mojave 10.14 or older, or on a PC, launch iTunes.
Youll be presented with two choices: "Update" (or "Check for Update") and "Restore". Use "Update" to attempt to update your iPhone, retaining all data on it. Click "Restore" to erase your iPhone which will result in all data being lost. You’ll have the opportunity to restore an iCloud or local backup when this is complete.
Repair Firmware With DFU Mode
DFU stands for "Device Firmware Update" and it refers to a low-level advanced recovery mode. In effect, your iPhone 16 doesn’t load iOS at all when entering DFU mode, which provides you with an opportunity to restore the OS completely. In essence, you’re wiping the slate clean in a bid to fix your problem.
You should use DFU mode if nothing has worked so far, but be aware that you will lose all the data stored on your iPhone when doing this. You’ll need a Mac or PC running iTunes to restore iOS, much in the same way that Recovery Mode works.
- First connect your iPhone 16 to the Mac or PC you will be using to restore it, with Finder (macOS 10.15 onwards) or iTunes (macOS 10.14 and Windows) running.
- On your iPhone 16, press the Volume Up button immediately followed by the Volume Down button. Press and hold the Side button until your iPhone’s screen goes black.
- As soon as the screen turns black, press and hold the volume down button while continuing to hold the side button.
- After 5 seconds, release the side button while continuing to hold the volume down button until your iPhone shows up in iTunes or Finder.
- You can go ahead and restore your iPhone back to factory settings by selecting Restore iPhone on the iPhone Recovery Mode screen. Once restored, your iPhone will automatically exit out of DFU mode and boot up to its activation screen.
If you see the Apple logo or a "Plug into iTunes" screen then you’ve done something wrong. Force reset your device and try again, and keep trying until you get it right
Take Your iPhone to Apple
If you’ve tried everything, and your iPhone 16 is still stuck on the Apple logo, itās time to take your device to Apple or authorized service center. Apple may solve the issue by restoring your device in-store. They may run diagnostics on your device to find out what’s going on and give you the opportunity to get your iPhone 16 repaired.
Preventing the Problem From Happening Again
How you prevent this from happening again ultimately depends on what has caused it in the first place. If you enrolled your iPhone 16 in Apple’s Software Preview program, the use of pre-release software may be to blame. You can avoid this by leaving the iOS beta program and using only stable releases in the future.
If you managed to fix your issue with a forced reboot, be aware that the issue may arise again. You may need to use Recovery Mode or DFU mode for a more permanent fix.
There’s also nothing stopping you from visiting an Apple Store and explaining the problem. Apple may run a set of diagnostics on your device and let you know about any problems bubbling under the surface that you may not be aware of.
But if there’s one thing that you should take away from the experience, it’s how important having a backup is.
The Importance of Backups
Problems like this can strike at any time and be caused by software or hardware. If you’d rather go the manual backup route, you can back up your iPhone using Finder or iTunes on a Mac or Windows PC.
Enable iCloud Backup in iOS Settings
Alternatively, iCloud provides a set-and-forget backup solution. You may need to buy some additional iCloud space and use services like iCloud Photo Library to ensure that your media is safe.
