How to fix an iPhone XR that's stuck on white Apple logo

There are many factors that could make an iPhone XR stops working and gets stuck on the Apple logo. Most of them of the underlying causes are attributed to the software. Highlighted below are potential solutions and workarounds to eliminate software-related factors that might have triggered your iPhone to get stuck on the white Apple logo. Feel free to try these solutions before taking a trip to an Apple Genius bar.

Before anything else, if you are looking for a solution to a different problem, then drop in on our iPhone XR Help Guides page for we have already solved some of the most common problems with this device. Try to find issues that are similar with yours and feel free to use our workarounds and solutions.

First solution: Force restart your iPhone XR.

Once your iPhone is overwhelmed with corrupted apps and minor software glitches, you will be introduced to various phone functions failure symptoms including freezing screen and stuck on Apple logo issue. Since the screen is no longer responsive on this state, you need to utilize the phone’s hardware keys to restart the device. Thus the process is referred to as forced restart. Doing so clears out minor software errors and refreshes your phone’s operating system. And here’s how a forced restart is done on an iPhone XR:

Press and quickly release the Volume Up button.
Press and quickly release the Volume Down button.
Press and hold the Side/Power button and then release when Apple logo appears on the screen.

Once your iPhone finished booting up, check if you can access your Home screen. If so, you would need to install new updates, reset all settings and/or restore your iPhone to its factory default settings (Master reset) to completely clear out all software-related issues that have caused your device screen to freeze.

ALSO READ: How to fix an iPhone XR that won’t play YouTube videos

Second solution: Install new updates on your iPhone XR.

This procedure is only applicable if your iPhone is able to boot up after a forced restart. Consider doing this to prevent your device from getting stuck on the Apple logo again.

New updates are designed to provide bug fixes and patches to eliminate software glitches and critical system errors that inflict the phone to malfunction and stuck on white Apple logo. To check for new updates through OTA (over-the-air), follow these steps:

From the Home screen, go to Settings.
Select General.
Tap Software Update. If new update is available, follow the onscreen prompts to download and install.

Wait until your iPhone shows that the update has been completed. Then restart (soft reset) your iPhone to refresh the apps and its operating system and to make sure that the latest system changes will be appropriately applied.

Third solution: Reset all settings on your iPhone XR.

Being stuck on the Apple logo is just one of the many symptoms that could occur when some settings on your iPhone have been misconfigured. In this case, reverting the changes back to the previous settings is recommended. Here’s how it’s done:

From the Home screen, go to Settings.
Select General.
Tap on Reset to continue.
Then select the Reset all settings option.
When prompted, enter your device passcode to continue.
Then select the option to confirm the settings reset.

Once the reset is done, your phone will reboot itself and then loads up the original/default values and options. At this point, you can start enabling necessary features like Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connections to use them again on your phone.

ALSO READ: How to fix Apple iPhone XR microphone that is not working

Fourth solution: Perform a master reset through iTunes.

To handle complex system errors that caused the iPhone to stick on the Apple logo, performing a full system restore and restoring factory default settings are often needed. Doing this will wipe out all stored data on your iPhone including cached and corrupted files that caused the device to stop working and gets stuck. To recover necessary data afterwards, be sure to create a back-up of all your important files to iCloud or iTunes.

Since your iPhone screen is not responding to touch inputs or screen gestures, performing a master reset through settings is not possible. As an alternative solution, you can use iTunes to manually erase and restore your iPhone to its factory defaults. To get started, you will need to secure a Windows PC or Mac computer with the latest version of iTunes app in it. Then proceed to these steps:

Launch the iTunes app on your computer.
Use the provided USB cable or Lightning cable to connect your iPhone to the computer.
When prompted, enter your device code to continue.
Then select the name of your iPhone XR or the iPhone icon.
Click the Restore Backup button in iTunes.
Search for the date and size of the iOS backup file that you wish to restore.
Then click the Restore option to confirm.

Do not unplug the USB cable or Lightning cable until the restore process has been completed. If the problem persists after the process, then you may opt to troubleshoot further and proceed to the next solution.

Fifth solution: Restore your iPhone XR via recovery mode.

System errors that withstand a factory reset or standard iTunes restore require more advanced solutions. At this point, your next option would be a recovery mode restore. This process will put your device in a recovery state and then allows iTunes to repair any damaged system components that couldn’t be remedied by a master reset. Like the previous method, this also requires the use of a computer with a stable internet connection and latest iTunes app installed. If you are ready to proceed, follow the steps below:

Using the provided USB cable or Lightning cable, plug your iPhone XR to the computer.
Once your iPhone is already connected to the computer, press and quickly release the Volume Up button.
Next, press and quickly release the Volume Down button.
Then press and hold the Side/Power button and continue holding it while your phone boots up. Keep holding the Side/Power button while the Apple logo appears and wait for the recovery screen to show up. The recovery screen is depicted by the Connect to iTunes display.
Once the Connect to iTunes screen appears on the phone’s screen, release the Side/Power button. iTunes will then say that your iPhone is on recovery mode and then gives you an option to either Update or Restore it.
Select Restore to restore your phone system from the most recent iOS backup through iTunes. This deletes all your data and then restores those from the iOS backup file you restored from.

The recovery mode restore could take several minutes to finish. Do not disconnect your iPhone from the computer until iTunes prompts that the restore process has been completed.

ALSO READ: How to fix an iPhone XR that cannot send or receive SMS messages

Last resort: Perform DFU mode restore on your iPhone XR.

If your iPhone is still stuck on white Apple logo after performing a recovery mode restore, then you could be facing a fatal system error. To deal with major issues like this, performing a DFU mode restore is recommended. This will put your iPhone in a special state that allows it to sync and communicate with iTunes even when the operating system is totally corrupted or inactive. Just make sure that no liquid damage is present on the device to avoid facing more serious problem like having a bricked or totally dysfunctional iPhone afterwards. Also note that this process deletes all data from your iPhone, so backing up files is among the requisites. If you wish to continue, then you may proceed to these steps:

Connect the phone to the computer using the supplied USB cable.
While the device is connected, press and release the Volume Up button.
Then quick-press and release the Volume Down button.
Press and hold down the Side button until the screen turns black then hold down both the Side button and Volume Down button for 5 seconds.
After 5 seconds, release the Side button but keep holding down the Volume Down button until nothing is displayed on the screen.

If you’ve held the Side button for too long, you will see the Apple logo on the screen instead. Should that happen, go back to the very first step and try to put your iPhone in DFU mode again.

If the screen remains black after releasing the Side button, it means that you’ve successfully entered DFU mode and so your iPhone is ready for restoring in iTunes.

Just follow the onscreen commands or iTunes prompts to repair all damaged system components and then restore your iPhone through iTunes. Be sure not to disconnect your device from the computer until you receive a confirmation that the DFU mode restore has been completed. Otherwise, you could end up having a bricked iPhone instead.

Seek more help

If your iPhone remains stuck on the Apple logo after exhausting all applicable solutions, then it’s more likely a hardware issue. In that case, you can take your iPhone to an Apple-authorized service center for hardware assessment and physical repair.

If your iPhone is still covered by warranty, contact your provider/carrier to report the issue and ask more details on how to avail for AppleCare warranty.

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