So your iPhone won’t turn on.
You’ve pressed the power button. You’ve plugged it in. You’ve begged it. You’ve tried everything short of calling a priest.

Still nothing.

Before you assume your phone is toast, here’s the truth: most “dead” iPhones are fixable — and the fix usually isn’t what people expect.

Let’s walk through what’s actually going on, how to test it, and when to bring it in for a real repair.

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Step 1: Rule Out the Basics

Let’s start here:

• Try a different charger and wall adapter (yes, your charger may be the culprit)
• Plug it in and wait 15–20 minutes — some phones take time to wake up if deeply discharged
• Look closely for any flicker, vibration, or sound when pressing buttons
• Try charging via a computer instead of the wall to rule out voltage issues

Still nothing? Then it’s time to try a forced restart.

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Step 2: Force Restart It

This works more often than you’d expect. Try this based on your iPhone model:

• iPhone 8 or newer:
  Press and release Volume Up → Press and release Volume Down → Hold Power button until Apple logo appears
• iPhone 7:
  Hold Volume Down + Power button until the Apple logo appears
• iPhone 6s or earlier:
  Hold Home + Power button until you see the logo

If your phone boots up — congrats, it just needed a wake-up slap.
If not, move on.

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Step 3: What It’s Not (Usually)

Let’s talk about the myths.

• It’s not always the screen
• It’s not always the battery
• It’s not always water damage (even if it feels like it)

Sometimes, it’s a power IC chip failure, a loose connector, or a charging port issue that’s stopping your phone from getting any juice or turning on properly.

In short: it’s almost never “totally dead.” It just needs someone to dig deeper.

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Step 4: Here’s What We See Most Often

At Barrie Screen Repair, the most common fixes for “dead” iPhones are:

• Battery replacement — it looks dead, but it’s just not charging
• Charging port clean/replacement — bad port = no charge = no boot
• Screen replacement — phone is on, screen is black (you might hear it buzz)
• Board-level repair — usually for power IC or Tristar chip failures

We have the tools to test all of these in-house and identify the problem in minutes.

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What It Costs

Here’s a rough idea based on what we usually charge in Barrie:

• Battery replacement: $75–$150+tax
• Charging port repair: $70–$125+tax
• Screen replacement: $120–$550+tax
• Board-level repair: $140–$250+ (rare, but doable)

You don’t pay until we confirm the issue and quote it clearly.

Need your iPhone fixed today? Request a fast quote

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What If It’s Truly Dead?

If your phone:

• Shows zero signs of life
• Won’t charge with multiple cables
• Doesn’t respond in DFU or recovery mode

…it might be a board failure or data loss situation.
We can still attempt recovery — or at the very least, pull your data off.

But in 80% of cases, it’s just one part that needs replacing.

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Related:

Also having charging issues?
👉 iPhone Not Charging? Here’s Why — and How to Fix It

iPad frozen too?
👉 iPad Screen Repairs: What They Cost and When to Do It

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TL;DR

If your iPhone isn’t turning on:

• Try a force restart
• Try different chargers
• Look/listen for signs of life
• Most “dead” phones aren’t dead — they just need the right fix

We do fast diagnostics, quality repairs, and honest pricing.
And if it is truly dead, we’ll tell you. No charge.

Request your quote here