iPad won’t turn on – possible causes and how to fix

If your iPad is completely out of battery, it will not turn on. The easiest way to confirm if this is the case is to plug your iPad into the charger and wait for an hour at least. If the iPad is charging, you will see it on the display. When your iPad has enough battery, it should turn on and function as normal.

If your iPad has no battery left and it also won’t charge, chances are that your power adapter or the cable might be broken. 

To determine if your charger is working properly, here’s what you can do – 

• Plug in another compatible device to the charger and see if it charges. If the adapter is charging another device, then your iPad might be facing some other issue. 
• Try plugging the charger into another power outlet and check if it’s working
• Try changing the cable (especially if it is visibly frayed or damaged) and see if it works

In the meantime, you can plug your iPad into an alternative power source (like, a power bank) and check if the dead battery is the issue.

A force restart (also called a “hard reset”) is a more powerful restart than a regular restart. When activated, all the running processes are shut down, and the operating system is restarted. Usually, a forced restart resolves any minor and temporary issues.

This is different than an iPad Factory Reset, which erases all the content and settings on your device, leaving it with only the necessary apps that the iPad originally come with.

Depending on the iPad you have, the process can vary a bit. For example, the older iPads (like the iPad Air 2 or any models released before 2017) have a clickable home button. However, the newer iPads, like the 2022 iPad Pro, do not have a home button, and the hard reset process is a bit complicated. 

Here’s a rundown on both – 

For iPads that have a clickable home button

• Press the Home button and the top button at the same time
• Hold the buttons until the Apple logo pops up on the screen
• Let go of the buttons, and your iPad should restart

For iPads that don’t have a home button

• Press and release the ‘volume up’ button
• Press and release the ‘volume down’ button
• Press and keep holding the top button until the Apple logo shows up on the screen
• Release the top button, and your iPad should restart

Another reason why your iPad might not turn on is physical damage. If your iPad was a victim of a hard drop, chances are that one or more of the fragile components have been damaged.

Here’s how to run a quick check –

• Check your iPad closely and see if there are any cracks or dents
• The screen is one of the most fragile components, so see if it is chipped or cracked
• Try Siri prompts or any kind of audio to see if it’s just the display that’s not functioning
• Check if the buttons like the Home button, Wake/Sleep button, volume buttons, etc are all working fine
• See if the charging ports are clogged, which is keeping your iPad from charging

If you have tried everything and your device is still not responsive, chances are that some important internal component/s are damaged. In this case, you will have to get in touch with Apple technicians.

The Recovery mode enables you to connect your iPad to a computer and boot it to restore software. Usually, when force restart does not work, people turn to the Recovery mode as a last resort. 

Here’s how you can activate Recovery mode on your iPad – 

For iPads that have a clickable home button

• Connect your iPad to a computer with the USB cable
• Open Finder or iTunes on your computer
• Force restart your iPad using the Home button and the top button (refer to step 3 for more details)
• You should see the Apple logo on the screen
• Keep pressing the Home button until your computer says that your iPad is in Recovery mode
• Once the Recovery mode is activated, you will see two options – Update your iPad and Restore your iPad (more on this below).

For iPads that don’t have a home button

• Connect your iPad to a computer with the USB cable
• Open Finder or iTunes on your computer
• Force restart your iPad using the ‘volume up’ button, ‘volume down’ button, and the top button (refer to step 3 for more details)
• You should see the Apple logo on the screen
• Keep pressing the Home button until your computer says that your iPad is in Recovery mode
• Once the Recovery mode is activated, you will see two options – Update your iPad and Restore your iPad.

Now, if you choose the ‘Update your iPad’ option, then your computer will update the iPad system without erasing your data. However, if you go for the ‘Restore your iPad’ option, then the data on your iPad will be erased while updating the system.

If charging the iPad does not work, we recommend contacting Apple support or making an appointment at the nearest Apple store. Check your warranty and keep any receipts or documents ready for the visit.