If you bought a new iPad, or you’ve had yours for a while, then hopefully, you’re getting its full benefits for work and play. With all of the great features on each new generation of these devices, they have more than justified their position in the highly competitive tablet market.
There are sometimes both hardware and software issues that arise with iPads, though, just like with any electronic device. If yours won’t turn on, for instance, then you’re going to have to do some troubleshooting to figure out the problem.
Read our guide for some advice on what to do if this happens. If your iPad won’t turn on, you’ll often find that going through our list of solutions should help.
If Your iPad Won’t Turn On, a Force Restart is an Option
The force restart of the iPad makes sense to try as one of the first options if yours won’t turn on. That is particularly true if you’re operating under the assumption that what’s happening is due to a software problem rather than a hardware one.
If you have one of the iPad models where Face ID is enabled, then press and immediately release the Volume Up button. Then, do the same thing with your Volume Down button. Press and hold your Power button and see if the device restarts.
If you have one of the older generations of the iPad that has the Home button, you should press and hold both the Top or Side button and the Home button. The Apple logo should come up after a few seconds.
Let the iPad Charge if It Still Won’t Turn On
The next fix that you could try is to plug the device into power and then leave it there for a while. At least an hour should do the trick.
After a few minutes, the charging screen should come up. If an hour has passed and you don’t see the charging screen, then you should start looking at your hardware as a potential problem.
Look carefully at such features of the iPad as the charging port and the jack. You should also closely examine the USB cable and the power adaptor.
Is there anything visibly wrong with any of them? Are there frayed wires or signs of wear? Do you know of any times recently that the iPad or any of the elements associated with it got wet? Did you accidentally drop or kick the device?
If you’ve determined that the issue is hardware-related, or you suspect it, then it might be necessary to take it to an Apple Store with a Genius Bar. They can examine not only the device but also the equipment that you use in conjunction with it. You might have to replace something.
If so, then you’ll have to figure out if the iPad is still under the factory warranty. A brand-new iPad should come with the standard one-year Apple warranty that covers all hardware issues.
Maybe you also got an AppleCare+ plan for your tablet. These plans should cover hardware issues beyond the standard one-year warranty that you get with a brand-new device.
If the device is still covered, then it’s likely that the repair will not cost you anything. The only exception might be if you tried to open it up to fix it. If you tinkered with the device, that usually voids the warranty or nullifies an AppleCare+ plan.
What if the iPad Turns On, but Doesn’t Function as It Should?
Let’s say that your iPad won’t turn on like it usually does. You plug it into power and leave it there for several hours. Then, you come back and unplug it. You turn it on to see if that fixes the problem.
The device turns on, but then it seems to get stuck during the startup process. Maybe the display turns red or blue, or the Apple logo comes up, but then you can’t get past that screen to access any of the usual functionality.
iPad users occasionally report these problems, though they’re more common with older versions of the device. If you see any of these things happening with your tablet, follow these steps.
- Use an Apple-approved USB cable to connect your iPad to a laptop or PC that’s running iTunes. Make sure that you’re running the most recent version of it.
- Check to see that your iPad shows up under Devices on the upper left-hand side of the screen.
- If your iPad model has Face ID, then press and immediately release the Volume Up button, and then the Volume Down button.
- Press and hold your Top button until the iPad begins to reset. Keep holding that button until the device goes into recovery mode.
- If you have an older version of the iPad with the Home button, then you must press your Home button at the same time as the Top or Side button. The recovery mode screen should show up.
- You will see the options of Restore or Update. Choose Update. Your computer will now reinstall the latest version of iOS without deleting any of your data or apps.
- It will probably take a few minutes. Once the latest iOS version has been installed, you can disconnect your iPad.
At this point, you can try turning on your iPad as you normally would to see if that solves the issue.
Other Problems Associated with the iPad Not Turning On
There are a few other issues that you sometimes run into with iPads that are related to them not turning on. For instance, you might be able to hear sounds and alerts, but the screen remains black. You might have a black screen, but the iPad makes a distinctive chirp when you turn the sound off and on and connect it to power.
The screen also might turn on, but it won’t respond to you sliding your finger over it, tapping it, or any other gestures. You might not be able to execute the forced restart because of a broken or a stuck button. You might also try an iOS restore, as described above, but iTunes refuses to recognize your device.
If you’re encountering any of these problems, then the time has probably come to consult with some Apple employees. It likely won’t do you much good to talk to Apple Support online or over the phone. They won’t know for sure what’s happening with your device until they examine it in person.
Remember that the iPad not turning on or turning on and then not functioning correctly can be the result of hardware problems, software ones, or both. If you dropped the device, got it wet, or something along those lines, then it would seem obvious that’s what is wrong with it.
Sometimes, though, it’s entirely mystifying why your tablet is malfunctioning. Getting an expert opinion is the best option on those occasions.
The Apple employees will figure out what’s wrong, and then they’ll tell you what repairs the tablet needs. If the cost of fixing the iPad seems too prohibitive, you might consider trading it in and getting the latest version.
You can put the cost of the trade-in toward a new tablet. iPad is now up to the 10th generation, released in October of 2022. If you had a much earlier version than that, the improvements in the newest model should impress you. Retire your old one and enjoy the latest features in tablet technology.
