Your iPad is not turning on and you’re not sure why. You pressed and held the power button, but nothing happens. In this article, I’ll explain why your iPad won’t turn on and show you how to fix the problem.
Why Won’t My iPad Turn On?
Your iPad won’t turn on because either the software crashed and needs to be reset or restored, or a hardware problem is preventing your iPad from turning on.
how to fix an iPad that won’t turn on
Hard Reset Your iPad
Hard Reseting An iPad Without A Home Button
If your iPad doesn’t have a Home button, quickly press and release the volume up button, then quickly press and release the volume down button, then press and hold the Top button until the Apple logo appears on the screen. You may need to hold the Top button for 25–30 seconds!
Hard Reseting An iPad With A Home Button
If your iPad has a Home button, simultaneously press and hold the Home button and power button. Keep holding both buttons until the screen goes black and the Apple logo appears. You may need to hold both buttons for 25–30 seconds before the Apple logo appears.
If The Hard Reset Worked…
If a hard reset got your iPad working again, it’s important to back it up immediately. Hard resets are a great temporary fix, but they don’t actually address underlying software problems. The issue that prevented your iPad from turning on is still there, and it could affect your iPad again.
It’s a good idea to back up your iPad now, just in case the problem reoccurs or gets worse.
Backing Up Your iPad
Back Up Your iPad Using Finder
If you have a Mac running macOS 10.15 or newer, you’ll back up your iPad to your computer using Finder.
- Connect your iPad to your Mac using a charging cable.
- Open **Finder **on your Mac.
- Click on your iPad under Locations on the left.
- Click the circle next to Back up all of the data on your iPad to this Mac.
- Check the box next to **Encrypt local backup **and create a password for the backup. While this step is optional, we strongly recommending encrypting local backups.
- Click Back Up Now.
- You’ll know your iPad is backed up when the current date appears next to Last backup to this Mac.
Back Up Your iPad Using iTunes
If you have a PC or a Mac running macOS 10.14 or older, you’ll back up your iPad using iTunes.
- Connect your iPad to your computer using a charging cable.
- Open iTunes.
- Click on the iPad icon in the upper left-hand corner of the iTunes window.
- Click the circle next to This computer.
- Check the box next to Encrypt local backup and create a password for the backup.
- Click Back Up Now.
- You’ll know your iPad has been backed up when the date appears under Latest Backups.
Back Up Your iPad Using iCloud
- Open Settings.
- Tap on your name at the top of the screen.
- Tap iCloud.
- Tap iCloud Backup.
- Make sure the switch next to iCloud Backup is on at the top of the screen.
- Tap Back Up Now. A status bar will appear displaying how much longer the backup will take.
Note: Your iPad needs to be connected to Wi-Fi before it can back up to iCloud.
Try Charging Your iPad
It’s possible your iPad won’t turn on because it’s out of battery life. Try plugging your iPad into a power source and see if the Apple logo appears on the screen. If the Apple logo doesn’t appear on the screen after a minute or two, move onto the next step!
Check Your iPad’s Charger
Try charging your iPad with multiple different chargers. If you find that your iPad is charging with some chargers, but not others, then you’ve identified that the problem was your iPad charger, not your iPad.
If your iPad is not charging regardless of which charger you use, move onto the next step, where we’ll help you troubleshoot problems with your charging cable.
Check Your Charging Cable
If you’ve had Apple devices for a while, you’ve probably seen your share of broken or frayed cables — they seem predisposed to breaking, such as when the rubberized outer sheath breaks from repeated bending, and the wires become exposed. If your charging cable looks like that, throw it away and get a new one.
But charging cables get a lot of abuse, and problems aren’t always apparent to the naked eye. Sometimes the wire can break while still inside the sheath. And inexpensive third-party charging cables have been known to spontaneously stop working, often because the power regulator chip inside the cable has failed.
There’s no good way to see any of this visually, so the best way to test your charging cable is to simply try a different one — ideally, a fully-authorized cable from Apple that you’re sure works.
Does Your iPad Say “This Accessory May Not Be Supported”?
One of the most common reasons why an iPad says “This Accessory May Not Be Supported” is because of low-quality, third-party charging cables that people buy in gas stations. Yes, Apple cables are expensive, but in my experience, those $5 knockoffs never hold up like the real thing.
If possible, charge your iPad with the cable that it came with. If the charging cable your iPad came with isn’t working, you can exchange it for a new one at your local Apple Store, so long as your iPhone is covered by an AppleCare plan.
Is There An Issue With The Display?
There’s probably a hardware problem if your iPad still won’t turn on. If you recently dropped your iPad, or if it has been exposed to liquid, some cables may have become damaged or dislodged from the logic board.
Plug your iPad into your computer and open iTunes (PCs and Macs running macOS 10.14 or older) or Finder (Macs running macOS 10.15 or newer). Does iTunes recognize your iPad? If it does, back up your iPad right away. If there’s a serious hardware problem, this might be your last chance to back up your data.
If your iPad shows up in iTunes of Finder and you can successfully back it up, or if it’s making any noises at all, you may need to have your iPad’s display repaired.
If your iPad doesn’t show up in iTunes or Finder, try doing a hard reset while your iPad is connected to your computer. Do you see any error messages? If iTunes says you need to restore your iPad, do it.
If you’ve tried the previous steps and your iPad still won’t turn on, move onto the next step where I’ll discuss advanced software troubleshooting steps.
Advanced Software Troubleshooting Steps
Reset All Settings
We often refer to Reset All Settings as a "magic bullet" for troublesome software issues. Software problems are very difficult to track down, but we can usually fix the problem by resetting everything in the Settings app.
Everything in the Settings app in restored to factory defaults when you Reset All Settings. This means you’ll have to reenter Wi-Fi passwords, reconnect Bluetooth devices.
To reset all settings on your iPad, go to Settings -> General -> Transfer Or Reset iPad -> Reset -> Reset All Settings. Enter your iPad passcode and tap Reset All Settings to confirm.
Put Your iPad In DFU Mode
If your iPad still won’t turn on, we recommend performing a DFU restore. A DFU erases and reloads every line of code on your iPad. When the restore is complete, it’ll be as if you were taking your iPad out of the box for the very first time.
It’s extremely important to back up your iPad before putting it in DFU mode. If you don’t, you’ll lose all the data on your iPad.
DFU Restore iPads With A Home Button
- Plug your iPad into your computer and open iTunes if you have a Mac running macOS Mojave 10.14 or a PC. Open Finder if you have a Mac running macOS Catalina 10.15 or newer.
- Press and hold both the power button and Home button until the screen goes black.
- After three seconds, release the power button but continue to hold the Home button.
- Continue to hold the Home button until your iPad appears on on iTunes or Finder.
- Click Restore iPad in iTunes or Finder window.
- Click Restore and Update.
DFU Restore iPads Without A Home Button
- Plug your iPad into your computer and open iTunes if you have a Mac running macOS Mojave 10.14 or a PC. Open Finder if you have a Mac running macOS Catalina 10.15 or newer.
- Press and hold the Top button for three seconds.
- While continuing to press and hold the power button, press and hold the volume down button.
- Hold both buttons down for about ten seconds.
- After ten seconds, release the Top button, but continue to hold down the volume button until your iPad appears on iTunes or Finder.
- Click Restore iPad.
- Click Restore and Update.
Note: If the Apple logo appears on your iPad display after Step 4, you’ve held the buttons for too long and will start again.
If a DFU restore doesn’t fix the problem you are having, move onto the final step of this article. We’ll discuss how to check for water damage and what your best repair options are.
Repair Your iPad
Unfortunately, not every iPad that won’t turn on can be fixed with a series of software troubleshooting steps. Sometimes you have to get your iPad repaired.
One of the most common reasons why an iPad won’t power on is because it was recently exposed to water or another liquid. That liquid can permanently damage the connectors inside your iPad’s charging port, making it impossible to charge.
If you have to get your iPad repaired, we recommend doing so through Apple. Apple provides support in-person, online, and through the mail. Make sure to schedule an appointment if you plan to go into your local Apple Store. Without an appointment, you could spend a lot of time standing around!
iPad Won’t Turn On: Fixed!
You’ve fixed the problem and your iPad is turning on once again. Next time your iPad won’t turn on, you’ll know exactly what to do! Leave a comment down below with any other questions about your iPad.