If you have an iPad, and the screen goes black, then it can be distressing for you if you can’t figure out what has gone wrong. This condition sometimes goes along with the buttons being unresponsive. Tapping on the screen doesn’t seem to help, either. What can you do about it? Let’s talk about what might be going on with your iPad, and what you can try to fix it.
A Forced Restart Might Work if Your iPad Screen is Black
It could be something happening with either your device’s hardware or software that is causing the black screen and unresponsiveness. A forced restart is the first thing that Apple recommends on their website if this is what you’re facing.
Press and hold down the Power button for at least 10 seconds. A slider that says Slide to Power Off should come up on the screen. Slide it to the right, shutting off the iPad. Next, press the Power button again. When the Apple logo appears on the screen, it means it is starting. Once it has booted back up, see if you have functionality again. If the screen goes black once more, try the next option.
Next, try a Hard Reset if the iPad Screen is Still Black
The fix we mentioned above is sometimes called a soft reset. Next, you can try a hard reset. This might work if there has been a software crash with the iPad that is more serious in nature. If that’s what happened, then the iPad might still be running in the background, even though the screen has gone black and is not responding to your commands.
You will need to press the Power button and the Home button together. It might take as long as 25 or 30 seconds to get a response in this case. Eventually, the device should reboot, and the Apple logo will come up on the screen.
Some of the newer iPad versions do not have Home buttons. If you have one of these, then in order to do a hard reset, you must press and release your Volume Up button, then the Volume Down button. Next, press and hold down the Power button until the iPad restarts.
A Factory Reset is Next if Your iPad Screen is Still Black
If neither a soft reset nor a hard one has fixed the iPad, then next, you should try a factory reset. This is a more extreme option, but it’s worth going through it if it fixes the issue.
First, you will need to back up the device. That way, you will not lose your messages, photos, music, etc. You can back up the iPad using iTunes if you like. You’ll need to have the latest version installed on a laptop or PC. Attach the iPad to it via an Apple-approved USB cable. Where it says Devices on the upper left-hand side of the screen in iTunes, you should see the iPad. Where you see the prompt to back it up, do so.
You can also back up the device without it being attached to anything. This method uses iCloud. Go to Settings. Select Your Name, then tap iCloud. Select Backup, then Back Up Now.
Now, you’re ready for the factory reset. Go to Settings, then General. Go to Reset, then scroll down to Erase All Content and Settings. Hit Erase iPad to confirm this what you want to do. This same method will work if you ever need to erase your iPhone as well.
IMAGE: Erase All Content and Setting for iPad Black Screen
Once the process is completed, you’ll see the Welcome screen that was present when the iPad was brand-new. You can now set it up as new or restore it through the backup that you created with iCloud or iTunes. Next, check to see if the black screen has gone away, and the device is working again. It is highly probable that the fix worked. If it didn’t, then your one other option for software issues would be to do a backup through DFU mode.
DFU Mode for an iPad Black Screen
If a factory reset failed to solve the problem, then the only deeper wiping of the device that you can do is a DFU restore. First, back up the iPad the same way you would for a factory reset.
Next, plug the iPad into a laptop or PC that is running the latest version of iTunes. Make sure the iPad is turned off. Press and hold down your On/Off button that is on the top of the device. Press and hold down the Home button on the front of the iPad at the same time. After 10 seconds, let go of the On/Off button but keep holding the Home button for an additional 5 seconds. Let go of the button.
If your iPad was working normally, then the device would go into DFU mode, but the screen would stay black. Since your screen is black anyway, the way you can be sure that you’ve done this correctly is to look at iTunes. A message will come up on the screen, which says that it has detected a device in DFU mode. Now, you can restore the iPad. If it won’t boot back up, then the problem is almost certainly one of hardware rather than software.
What if Your iPad Black Screen is a Hardware Issue?
The most likely scenario if you’ve done all of these resets and they’ve proven ineffective is that you either dropped the device at some point or that moisture has gotten into it. Some of the interior cables might have been damaged, or they might have pulled away from the logic board.
If the device got wet or it was handled roughly, then chances are, as the owner, you know about it already. If you can think of a time recently when either of these things happened, then you might want to forego all of the previous steps and simply take the iPad straight to an Apple Store with a Genius Bar so they can take a look at it. If you’re not aware of damage happening to the iPad, then you should eliminate possible software fixes before taking this step.
IMAGE: Visit the Apple Store for an iPad Black Screen
If it is a hardware fix that’s needed, though, the Apple Store is the place to go. Avoid going to third-party stores that claim they can fix the device but aren’t sanctioned by Apple. The employees there haven’t received any specialized training, and they might not fix your iPad with Apple-made replacement parts. A further breakdown of the iPad is likely if you go that route to try and save money. If you have the AppleCare+ package, then the repair to the iPad will probably cost you nothing, or the cost will be negligible. The Genius Bar employees are sure to be able to figure out what’s going on with your device, and they’ll have it working for you again in no time.
