Some users have encountered a problem where their iPhone 18 Pro shows a pink screen, causing the iPhone to be unusable. This can be a pink or purple screen with higher proportions of blue. Seeing the pink screen is usually not good news. In computer terminology, this is called the Pink Screen of Death (PSOD). This issue occurs when iOS fails to boot or function due to a hardware failure or software conflict. The symptoms of the problem include:
- iPhone unexpectedly keeps restarting itself to the pink screen.
- iPhone keeps crashing.
- iPhone freezes and displays only the pink screen with nothing else on the screen.
- iPhone turns into a pink/ purple color mode suddenly while using.
- In some cases, the color fully covers all of the screen with nothing else visible, and in some instances, pink or purple colors cover transparently while screen objects are still visible in the background.
Faulty hardware may cause this issue. For example, one of our readers informed us that a faulty motherboard was the culprit.
Do you have a backup?
You probably have backups. But if you do not, try to back up your iPhone 18 Pro. You may be able to do so even when your iPhone seems to be unresponsive:
- If you have iCloud Backup enabled (Settings > [your name] > iCloud > iCloud Backup), you may be able to initiate an automatic backup by connecting your device to a power source and a Wi-Fi network.
- The other option to try is to use your computer, Mac or PC, to backup. Here is how:
- Connect your iPhone to your computer with a USB cable.
- Switch to the Finder on your Mac, or open the Apple Devices app on your PC. If your PC doesn’t have the Apple Devices app, or your Mac is using macOS Mojave or earlier, open iTunes instead. Then click Back Up Now.
Try to restart
If you suddenly run into a pink screen, try to restart your iPhone 18 Pro. However, if the iPhone keeps crashing to the pink screen, this may not be the fix you are looking for. Here is how to restart your phone:
- First step: Simultaneously press and hold the side button and either volume button until the sliders appear, then drag the Power Off slider.
- Second step: Wait for your iPhone to power off completely. This could take about 30 seconds.
- Third step: Press and hold the Side button again until you see the Apple logo.
Force restart your iPhone 18 Pro
If your iPhone is stuck on a pink screen, you can try to force restart it:
- 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.
Use Recovery Assistant
If you need to manually start Recovery Assistant:
- Connect your device to a computer or power source.
- Power the device off.
- Press and hold the side button until you see the connect to computer screen, then release the side button.
- Double press the side button.
- Click Continue.
- Review the information and choose to send or not send data to Apple.
The recovery process requires a Wi-Fi connection. After the recovery process completes, restart your device. If the startup issue continues, make sure your device is on the latest version of iOS. If your device is on the latest version of iOS, use recovery mode to restore your iPhone.
Use recovery mode
This is the last option you can try before contacting Apple Support. You will need a computer to put your iPhone into recovery mode, and then you can update your device, which may fix this issue. Here is how:
- First step: Connect your device to your computer with a USB cable. Open the Finder on your Mac, or open the Apple Devices app on your PC.
- Second step: Press and quickly release the Volume Up button. Press and quickly release the Volume Down button. Press and hold the side button until you see the “Connect to computer” screen.
- Third step: Choose Restore when the Update or Restore options appear. Restore reinstalls iOS and erases all your data. If you haven’t tried updating yet, try updating first.
- Fourth step: Wait for your computer to update your iPhone. If the download takes more than 15 minutes, your device might exit the “Connect to computer” screen. Let the download finish first, then repeat the steps above.
Contact Apple
If your issue continues, you should contact Apple. It is likely that your iPhone 18 Pro has a hardware issue. Let Apple diagnose it, and then you will be presented with your options. If your device is still under the basic warranty or if you have AppleCare, Apple may issue a replacement depending on the problem.
You can initiate your support request by live chatting with Apple. Alternatively, you can request Apple to call you. If you make a Genius Bar appointment, Apple technicians can try to diagnose the problem.
