iPhone Stuck on Apple Logo? How to Fix It Step by Step

An iPhone that shows the Apple logo and never reaches the Lock Screen, or restarts again and again (a "boot loop"), cannot finish loading iOS. Common causes are an interrupted update, a completely full storage, a corrupted system file, or sometimes a hardware fault.

1. Wait a little

Right after an update, the Apple logo with a progress bar can stay for up to an hour. If there is a progress bar that is still moving, leave the iPhone on the charger.

2. Force restart

• iPhone 8 and later: press and release Volume Up, press and release Volume Down, then press and hold the Side button until the Apple logo appears (about 10 to 15 seconds).
• iPhone 7 / 7 Plus: hold Volume Down and the Side button together until the Apple logo appears.
• iPhone 6s and earlier: hold the Home button and the Side (or Top) button together until the Apple logo appears.

Keep holding the button even when the Apple logo appears, if you are trying to reach recovery mode; release as soon as the logo appears if you only want a restart.

3. Reinstall iOS without erasing (Update in recovery mode)

This is the most effective fix that keeps your data.

On a Mac with macOS Catalina or later, use Finder: your iPhone appears in the sidebar. On Windows 10 or 11, install the free Apple Devices app from the Microsoft Store. iTunes still works on older Windows versions and on macOS Mojave or earlier.

1. Connect the iPhone to the computer.
2. Put it in recovery mode:

• iPhone 8 and later (including iPhone SE 2nd/3rd generation): press and release Volume Up, press and release Volume Down, then press and hold the Side button. Keep holding when the Apple logo appears and release only when you see the computer-and-cable recovery screen.
• iPhone 7 and 7 Plus: press and hold the Side (or Top) button and Volume Down together until the recovery screen appears.
• iPhone 6s and earlier, iPhone SE (1st generation): press and hold the Home button and the Side (or Top) button together until the recovery screen appears.

3. When the computer asks, click Update, not Restore.
4. If the download takes more than 15 minutes, the iPhone may leave recovery mode. Repeat step 2 and click Update again.

4. Restore if Update fails

Click Restore to erase the iPhone and install a clean iOS. Then restore your last backup during setup. You can download the firmware in advance:

• iPhone 18 Pro · iPhone 18 Pro Max
• iPhone 17 · iPhone 17 Pro · iPhone 17 Pro Max · iPhone Air · iPhone 17e
• iPhone 16 · iPhone 16 Plus · iPhone 16 Pro · iPhone 16 Pro Max · iPhone 16e
• iPhone 15 · iPhone 15 Plus · iPhone 15 Pro · iPhone 15 Pro Max
• iPhone 14 · iPhone 14 Plus · iPhone 14 Pro · iPhone 14 Pro Max
• iPhone 13 mini · iPhone 13 · iPhone 13 Pro · iPhone 13 Pro Max
• iPhone 12 mini · iPhone 12 · iPhone 12 Pro · iPhone 12 Pro Max
• iPhone 11 · iPhone 11 Pro · iPhone 11 Pro Max
• iPhone SE (2nd gen) · iPhone SE (3rd gen)

Another model? Browse all iPhone firmware or use the Identifier Lookup tool.

5. DFU mode

If recovery mode fails, try DFU mode.

When it is hardware

• Restores fail with errors 4013, 4014 or 9 on several computers.
• The problem started after a drop, water exposure or a battery or screen replacement.
• The iPhone heats up a lot and restarts as soon as it reaches the logo.

In these cases, a repair center needs to inspect the iPhone. See also how to fix errors 4013 and 4014.

How to avoid it

• Keep at least 5 to 10 GB of free storage.
• Keep the iPhone plugged in during updates.
• Back up regularly so that a restore is never a disaster.