You don’t want to be staring at a blank iPad, when all you want to do is watch Netflix, look through your holiday photos, or more sensibly, check through your emails. If your iPad won’t turn on, it can be frustrating; you might be wondering whether a replacement or an expensive repair is required. But not to worry! Here’s an expert guide by our specialists at iSmash on how to get your iPad back up and running.
iPad won't turn on? 5 recommended resolutions from the iSmash experts
By : Jovita Gomes /
Prefer to leave it to the professionals?
iSmash fix all kinds of devices, tell us about yours and get a free QuoteIf you’re sitting there thinking, ‘why me’, don’t worry. As you will find out, an iPad not turning on is a common issue. A lot of people are quick to make the assumption of the dreaded black screen of death, in-fact, here is a list of reasons why people experience this problem?
Faulty Charger
Sometimes, the problem as simple as your charger being faulty. This is more often the case if you own a third-party charger, which have a tendency to malfunction more easily. If it is an official Apple charger, then you may be able to get it replaced provided you’re still within your 1-year warranty , if not you may need to buy a new one, if your charger is at fault. But how do I know it's the charger’s problem, you may ask?
The easiest way to determine charger issues is by using a working charger from friends or family; however, if you’re out of friends and family, you can bring your device in iSmash for a quick diagnosis in any one of our stores.
Physical Damage
It’s not uncommon for people to drop their iPads (as they are often used by entire families, including kids!) and unfortunately, the internal hardware of an iPad is not impenetrable. There are two possible outcomes of dropping your iPad; either the screen is broken (and you can quickly get an iPad screen replacement at iSmash) or the motherboard is damaged. You can personally test for the first scenario, by using the Find My Apple device app to see if your iPad is on, but the screen is not working. If your iPad is not responsive, then it’s likely to be a problem with the internal hardware.
Liquid Damage
We all know that one person who takes their iPad into the bath. But realistically, liquid damage is incredibly common, and sometimes unpreventable. So if you’re having issues turning your iPad on, have a think about whether it has had any contact with liquid, because even a small drop can damage the internal hardware. Unfortunately if your device is water damaged, it won’t be covered by the 1-year Apple warranty.
Software issues
Sometimes your iPad won't turn on because of software issues. This is usually the case after a failed software update or if you’ve jailbroken your iPad, both of which can lead to an unresponsive iPad. Most of the time, software issues can be resolved easily by a bit of self-troubleshooting, but if technology isn’t your strength, then we at iSmash are more than happy to help! Bring your iPad in and our experts can look to resolve your software issues.
Recharge your iPad for hours
Like in the case where your charger malfunctions, your iPad’s battery may be fully depleted. This can mean the battery has completely drained, and you will need to spend more time charging your iPad than usual, charge it overnight if you have to and wait for your iPad to come back to life.
Try a hard reset
Sometimes your iPad just needs a kick start, so if your iPad does have a software issue, it might be worth attempting a hard reset.
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Hold down the home and the on/off button at the same time for 15 seconds.
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If your iPad turns on you should get a slider appearing, keep holding the buttons until the screen goes back to black.
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Let go when the iPad restarts and the Apple logo appears.
Restart your iPad
Sometimes, the display might not be working even when your iPad is turned on. If this is the case, you can restart your iPad and you should hopefully get your iPad up and running again.
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Hold down the home and on/off button at the same time for 15 seconds.
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If you do get the drag button, slide it to the right and turn the iPad off.
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Wait for 2 min, and press and hold the on/off button until the Apple logo appears.
Recovery mode
If the previously mentioned methods don’t work, then you might need to put your device in to recovery mode and restore your iPad.
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Connect an Apple cable to your MacBook/laptop with iTunes open.
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Hold the home button whilst plugging the iPad to your device.
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Keep hold of the home button.
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If it works, you should see the iTunes logo.
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If not, repeat steps 1-3.
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Release the home button once you see the iTunes logo.
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You should see an automatic message that your iPad is in recovery mode.
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Click the prompt asking you to restore your device to factory settings.
Bring it to iSmash
If you truly do feel like you don’t know what you’re doing or any of the above fixes haven’t worked, then bring your iPad for repair at your nearest iSmash store or post it to us. We have a team of accredited experts and we can help determine why your iPad won’t turn on and how to fix it.
You definitely don’t want to lose pictures of your graduation day or even the moment you got engaged; and what about the notes you made for Uni/Work, you certainly don’t want to be sidetracked because of a faulty iPad. So, how can you restore your data?
iCloud restore
Provided that you have turned on the iCloud backup setting, iCloud makes a copy of your iPad information, including data, photos, videos, app history and much more. Follow these simple steps to restore your device using iCloud. If you’re unsure, here is a guide on changing your iCloud settings.
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Restore your iPad to factory settings, as explained above.
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Follow the set-up stages.
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When you get to apps and data, click restore from iCloud.
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Sign into your iCloud account.
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Your iPad should now restore to your last back-up.
iTunes backup
Provided you have backed up your device to a computer, it’s very simple to restore your device.
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Open iTunes.
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Connect your device to your computer.
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When you see your iPad listed on iTunes, select your device.
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Click restore backup.
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You will get a prompt screen with a drop down list. Select the date of your last backup.
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Restore your device.
Still not working? Our expert technicians can help
iSmash fix all kinds of devices, tell us about yours and get a free QuoteWhat if you’re still struggling to restore your data? You are welcome to bring your device to any one of our stores! Our experts have had a hand in returning many treasured memories with our data recovery service.
Pro tip!
It’s very tempting to cut costs by looking online for ‘iPad restore programs’; however, more likely or not these sites are links to malicious software, or will provide little help in resolving your issues.