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Home / How-to / Black or Blank Screen on iPad or iPhone

Black or Blank Screen on iPad or iPhone

Last Updated on October 9, 2012 by SK

Several users have reported that their iPhone or iPad screen turns into an “illuminated” black color or goes blank while the device is on and working. Several users have also reported that this problem started after the iOS 6 update.

There are many possible causes for this. For instance:

  • It may be a battery related issue. Just connect your device to a power outlet and wait several minutes.
  • Some particular apps may be causing the problem. Try completely closing all apps and restarting your device.
  • This problem may occur if your device is operated under extreme temperature conditions (like being too hot). Simply place your device in a cool area for several hours to let your device to cool down.
  • Try performing a simple restart of your device (press and hold the sleep/wake button until you see the “slide to power off). If this still does not resolve your issue, try to reset by holding the sleep/wake button and home button together for at least ten seconds (ignore the red slider).
  • Last resort: Restore your device in iTunes by connecting your device to your computer.

If you are still having this problem, contact Apple Support.

Related:

  • iPad Frozen, not responding, how to fix
  • A New User’s Guide to the iPad: iPad 101, iPad Basics
  • iPad troubleshooting, How to fix your iPad problems
  • iPhone 5 will not turn on, fix
  • iPhone 4 Troubleshooting Guide
  • iPod troubleshooting guide
  • Restoring Your iPhone

Related Posts:

  • Dead iPad mini: will not turn on, fix
  • Dead iPad, will not turn on, fix
  • iPhone, iPad or iPod screen will not rotate, fix
  • iPhone / iPad: Camera not working, black screen (shutter…

Filed Under: How-to Tagged With: iPad, iPhone, performance

Comments

  1. Rosie bowman says

    July 27, 2013 at 9:53 PM

    My ipad has gone blank and I can’t get it to respond.

    Reply
    • Alex says

      February 2, 2014 at 7:48 PM

      Now if my screen is blank or black, how am I going to be able to shutdown apps I cannot see, or guess where to swipe to turn it off??

      Reply
      • Lise says

        February 16, 2014 at 8:47 AM

        Exactly! I can’t see anything, and my iTunes won’t restore because I have to go into settings on my iPad and turn off “Find my iPad” before it will restore. wtf?

        Reply
        • Jack London says

          February 12, 2015 at 6:41 PM

          I’ve found that pushing both the home and power buttons and holding them can force-shutdown your device, with the Ipad Mini 2.

          Reply
          • Jaimi Masiello says

            October 2, 2015 at 1:33 AM

            Thanks so much was crazy like a week with no ipad and it worked a charm. your a champ dude.

        • Emma says

          March 9, 2015 at 9:30 AM

          This is exactly my problem too! Did you manage to fix it?

          Reply
        • Agella Marcana says

          August 6, 2015 at 6:09 PM

          WHAT AM I SUPPOSE TO DO NOW????!!!!! I don’t wanna pay!!!! I tried everything but doesn’t work!!! All I see on my iPhone is just an illuminated black screen!!! I seriously don’t wanna pay big money!! please someone, someone!! Find a way to fix this mess…. To tell you the truth, to me iPhone are kind of annoying because you have everyday problems with it, and have to pay for it to repair it…

          Reply
          • kace says

            November 25, 2015 at 4:36 PM

            So what you need to do is hold your ipad/ipod upside down on your knee and give it a couple taps on the back of it. If this doesn’t work tap it very light and increase speed and strength if necessary. Hope this helps!

      • Khialmuhammad says

        June 30, 2014 at 5:14 AM

        My ipad 4 serial no dmrkfszuf158 is screen black

        Reply
      • Al0777 says

        November 24, 2014 at 9:44 AM

        Yes the same thing has happened to me I was on my iPad and then it went black and its wont respond to pressing the home and standby button helppp!!

        Reply
        • Nic says

          September 29, 2015 at 4:41 AM

          Slap the back of it near the home key, it worked for me

          Reply
          • Zouise says

            December 29, 2015 at 3:24 AM

            But I can’t o.. It was not work for me

          • DeNise says

            January 8, 2016 at 4:46 PM

            Slapping the back near the home key worked!!

      • maureen hogan says

        February 14, 2015 at 3:52 AM

        my ipad air has a black screen It won’t turn on The lady will say I don’t understand your question.

        Reply
        • Alyssa says

          September 29, 2015 at 6:19 PM

          what u need to do is hold power and homebutton when u see apple logo let go and it will turn on by its self

          Reply
          • eshwar says

            October 13, 2015 at 9:17 AM

            yes this works…brilliant

          • Lottie says

            November 12, 2015 at 3:43 PM

            Thank you so much, I was panicking and pressing the home and power button worked a treat!! Phew

          • Marge hudak says

            January 7, 2016 at 9:16 AM

            Thanks so much

      • Sherwyn says

        March 29, 2015 at 4:35 AM

        I tried doing the the power and home button together but it was the knee bang that worked for me 🙂 Thanks for your suggestions guys. I was in total freak out mode prior…

        Reply
    • gautam says

      May 3, 2014 at 8:17 PM

      The on/off button and home button simultaneous press and hold woke up the ipad after a complete black screen for three days. Was about to do the kneebang technique but came across this maneuver and it worked.

      Reply
      • Grexa says

        November 17, 2014 at 7:54 AM

        I thought it was a goodbye for this ipad air i was so nervous because this is not mine its my boyfriend’s tab. I become so desperate back then but not too brave to do the kneebaging technique then i try this i hold the home button then simultaneously on the lock button then ola it works!! So if you have second thought of dropping your ipad try to do this first. BTW thank you savior 🙂

        Reply
        • Cecelia says

          December 29, 2014 at 8:03 PM

          I appreciate this. My ipad decided to go blank on me and right after I saw this it miraculously came right back on. Thanks again! I suggest doing this for anyone who is having the same problem I am.

          Reply
          • vince says

            January 17, 2015 at 7:28 AM

            thanks to all. my ipad is working now.

          • jeff says

            March 4, 2015 at 12:37 AM

            unbealivable!!! it does really work

      • Gabby says

        March 5, 2015 at 11:50 AM

        This worked after trying other things for over an hour. THANK YOU!

        Reply
      • Iartist says

        September 25, 2015 at 5:43 PM

        THANK YOU!!! my Ipad mini is working now because of you!

        Reply
    • Jeeh says

      August 8, 2014 at 8:19 AM

      Mine has the same issue. But i read a forum from apple support from Riley Steward and he said to:

      Riley stewart
      Aug 19, 2013 9:19 PM
      in response to barbara424
      Try kneeing you ipad on the back with a considerable amount of force, that worked for me. I know it sounds crazy but something moved inside of your ipad and kneeing it will move it back. I promise I am not lying.

      https://discussions.apple.com/message/21959408

      Trust me this is not a joke. It worked for me i thought i lost my ipad forever.

      Reply
      • MARY says

        October 14, 2014 at 3:34 PM

        CRAZY!!! BUT THIS WORKED!!! IT PROVED ME WRONG, I THOUGHT THE NEXT STEP WAS TO TAKE IT IN TO APPLE STORE. I SMACKED THE IPAD A FEW TIMES ON THE BACK SIDE AND LET IT FALL FROM A FOOT HIGH ONTO MY LAP ABOUT 3-4 TIMES AND WAS ABLE TO SEE MY SCREENSAVER COME ON!! WOOWHOO!!

        Reply
        • alis Ramirez says

          June 11, 2015 at 9:48 PM

          I know it actually works thanks!!

          Reply
      • Ronan says

        October 23, 2014 at 5:11 AM

        Also just as crazy advice – but worked for me, is to drop the iPad onto one of its corners from about 1-2 feet off the ground. First time you do this you will think its crazy and its going to break it – so just drop it onto a soft carpet. It may not fix the screen fully on the first try but you will see something. Next time – hey presto! Dropping the ipad actually fixes it!

        Reply
        • PeterC says

          November 14, 2014 at 7:31 PM

          My ipad 2 has showed a blank white screen for the last week. After reading these comments, I decided to try a technique similar to the Kneebang Technique by dropping my ipad 2 from a height of between 1-2 ft. onto my lap between 5-10 times and then throwing it semi-forcefully 2-3 times onto my lap. The screen went from white and blank to just black without being responsive (*talk about making me worried). I threw it a couple times more onto my lap and then held down the power button, at which point in time the beautiful apple symbol popped up and my ipad began to function just like new. I was about to buy a new screen and digitizer, but tried this technique first, which paid off. My daughter had dropped the ipad several times recently, so it seemed logical that something may have just been jiggled loose inside. I highly suggest trying this technique or the kneebang technique before replacing your screen/digitizer.

          Reply
          • Benjamin says

            December 18, 2014 at 5:19 PM

            i can’t fix my iPad 2. It can take pics from the home button and lock button but my screen it bright white and frozen. Please respond what should i do

        • Emma T says

          November 21, 2014 at 4:25 AM

          Can’t believe it but after reading these posts I took the advice and dropped my daughters ipad on my lap a couple of times then onto carpet a couple times at a height of about 20cm, and the blank screen came back alive!!! Its totally working beautifully again! So glad I found this thread! Thanks everybody!

          Reply
          • Derek Carlson says

            November 30, 2014 at 10:53 AM

            This works!!!!!!!! Thank you for the information and saving me 300 bucks

          • Satya says

            December 27, 2014 at 7:43 PM

            wow…..am glad I read this thread. My iPad 2 was able to connect with itunes and was able to restore the software multiple times. However, the screen would would never work. Finally, I dropped it on my floor from about a foot and the home screen came on.

        • anthony says

          January 6, 2015 at 5:05 PM

          ok i waass skepttical at first like anyone but it worked thankyou god it worked lol i am dead serious i swear to godit worked for me droopped it on lapthen i dropped on corners from about one and a half foot thankyou!!!!!!

          Reply
        • MomofAACuser says

          July 21, 2015 at 10:30 AM

          This is the craziest thing ever. I just tried this for my son’s iPad and it worked. I thought it was a prank but since it seemed there was nothing else to be done I tried anyway. My son got this iPad through the school and uses it as a communication device so I was desperate to try and fix it myself. It’s actually dropping it on one of the sides that worked. Amazing. Thank you for sharing this tip.

          Reply
      • Squishy says

        November 6, 2014 at 8:49 PM

        OH MY GOD THIS ACTUALLY WORKED. My iPad has been havin problems since the screen cracked, I thought of have to contact the people that changes my screen to see if they knew. Anyway, my friend found this… Before I tried it, I thought, “Man, this guys crazy. It’ll just mess it up more.” But then I tried slapping it on my knee a few times… And voila!! It worked! Then me and my friend started freaking out and bouncing and crap (overreaction much? Lol), but it worked… Thank you so much!! Now I won’t have to go the whole night sharing my friends iPod. Yay!! C:

        Reply
        • Mike says

          November 10, 2014 at 12:30 PM

          My daughters I pad did not work I read your advise knock it about a bit and bingo the bloody thing worked thanks for the massive tip and spread the word . Most people would take their faulty pads to a apple dealer and get a large bill but not today thanks to you

          Reply
          • Mike says

            November 15, 2014 at 3:55 PM

            I was at a loss and desperate, so I gave my ipad a few stiff jabs to the back of the device…and BINGO! Problem solved!!!! All it need was some tough love.

        • Yhael says

          November 19, 2014 at 8:45 PM

          The kneebang technique works for me. Yehey!!!

          Reply
      • SueN says

        November 18, 2014 at 1:03 PM

        Wow. Thought I was bonkers following this advice but yes it really did work and we have saved ourselves a considerable bill for repair. Brilliant and thanks 🙂

        Reply
      • ChristyB says

        November 23, 2014 at 4:22 PM

        OMG! My son used my iPad as a kneeboard on the carpet and it quit working. All I could get was an illuminated black screen. After trying EVERYTHING else I tried the Kneebang Technique. Dropped it on my lap several times, dropped it on its corner and back on the carpet. Then tried the power button again and it came on! Works fine now!

        Reply
      • Vishal says

        November 25, 2014 at 7:09 AM

        it does sound the craziest solution but it turned out to be a life saver…

        Reply
      • kim says

        December 7, 2014 at 10:36 AM

        Yes the knee smack thing really worked! Thank You I thought my iPad was gone forever

        Reply
      • Nick says

        December 10, 2014 at 12:03 PM

        Absolutely amazing this works, thanks for the advice.

        Reply
      • Eileen says

        January 15, 2015 at 5:30 AM

        THANK YOU!
        THANK YOU!
        THANK YOU!

        Just dropped the stupid thing face down on my lap a few times and it worked!!
        Amazing!!
        I searched tech support for an hour before I found this and it was really worth the time spent!!!!

        THANK YOU!!!

        Reply
      • Lisa Hopkins says

        January 26, 2015 at 3:08 PM

        OMG!!! It’s true! I’ve done everything, including a restore but still illuminated black screen. One whack made it flash but second one did the trick. (Of course, now I have to set it up again since I decided to set it up as new. Thought it might be some setting glitch.

        Reply
      • jeff says

        March 4, 2015 at 12:38 AM

        unbealivable!!! it does really work. hindi ko alam na pwede pala yun

        Reply
      • Mohit says

        March 21, 2015 at 9:32 PM

        ya this thing really works!!!!i cant believe it bt it worked for me…

        Reply
      • Pippibear says

        April 15, 2015 at 11:43 AM

        Oh my goodness I cannot believe this worked, at first i think I was being too gentle and nothing happened, then decided to bang each corner and the top and bottom on a table covered with a soft cloth. I pressed the home button and it sprang into life. Thank you thank you thank you. x

        Reply
      • Cory c says

        July 24, 2015 at 8:53 PM

        It
        Worked
        For me!!

        Reply
      • Rosemary says

        July 26, 2015 at 6:48 PM

        I don’t believe it but it worked for me also.

        Reply
      • Star_mac says

        July 27, 2015 at 7:01 PM

        Hitting it on my leg DID work!!! Thank you so much!!! 🙂

        Reply
      • Dennis says

        August 5, 2015 at 8:39 AM

        I, too, decided the “big hammer” fix was worth a try. I placed my iPad face down on the cushion of my couch and with my open palm, slapped the back several times. I now have a working iPad again. Thank you so much.

        Reply
      • Jackie says

        August 19, 2015 at 5:25 PM

        Thank you, thank you, thank you! This worked for me.

        Reply
      • alison says

        August 25, 2015 at 4:24 AM

        I did the knee bang but I must not have done it hard enough so I turned it over and basically slammed it on a carpeted floor. Same concept but worked like a charm.. I never would have been brave enough to do that without seeing this thread. Thank you so much

        Reply
      • Brandon says

        September 21, 2015 at 10:03 AM

        Totally works! Banged the back of the ipad on my lap fairly hard about 5 times and saw the screen flicker on and off. Banged it another 5 times and it stayed on. Thanks!

        Reply
    • Jacob says

      November 30, 2014 at 2:33 PM

      I read some of the comments and actually what ended up fixing my iPad was literally smacking it a few hard times in the back with my hand and it started working!! NO JOKE!

      Reply
    • Shane says

      July 16, 2015 at 10:58 AM

      Try resetting into recovery mode by pressing the sleep/wake button and home button at the same time then start up device when shuts off just happened to me yesterday so it works

      Reply
    • Conner says

      December 17, 2015 at 3:48 PM

      Hold in power and home button for like 3 to 5 mins then it will turn on mine worked

      Reply
  2. Nick says

    November 7, 2013 at 1:00 PM

    Why does my screen go black when I go into certain sites

    Reply
  3. Kok says

    November 10, 2013 at 1:02 AM

    it very useful…thx for help to solve my ipad mini…just now i am very nervous about my ipad mini… =)

    Reply
  4. claire says

    November 17, 2013 at 1:56 AM

    My ipad will not respond. Its just a black/blank illuminated screen or a hazey screen sometimes purple. Or a flashing broken picture screen if that makes sense…..?

    Reply
    • Khialmuhammad says

      June 30, 2014 at 5:11 AM

      My ipad is screen problem today screen atumatac block

      Reply
  5. Barbie says

    December 3, 2013 at 11:12 AM

    I just wanted to thank you SO much for the advice you gave in this article. It happened to me last night. Black screen. No reason. Fully charged. Didn’t drop it. I was crushed, as it is my only computer and I wouldn’t be able to replace it. I decided to look it up before I took it to the Apple store, and I am so glad I did! The trick was to hold the home button down at the same time as the on/off button. There the apple came up and shortly after, my home pic. WHEW!!
    Again, thank you for posting this. Bless you!!

    Reply
  6. mike says

    December 24, 2013 at 8:58 AM

    I saw this.on another forum….at first.i thought it was dumb…then I tried it out……..I simply banged my ipad on my lap while sitting…..it started to flicker and….voila…..it cam back on…….no jokes….talk about a hard reset…..

    Reply
    • Mimi says

      February 7, 2014 at 9:20 PM

      so i had a blue ..blackish screen and the reset didnt work..so i read your comment and was like yeah right like that would work; and it actually did… banged my ipad on my lap and now its on ! thanks a bunch 🙂

      Reply
    • ash says

      May 2, 2014 at 6:30 AM

      I look at this comment thought about it. Thought the person who suggested maybe a little crazy tried all other options first. Figured might as well try this one to and like previous person BAM Ipad back in action after a little spank 😉 lol
      Thanks

      Reply
    • Donna says

      June 28, 2014 at 8:57 PM

      Omg!! My ipad had the same issue. I thought you may have been having some fun by saying to just bang it on your lap, but I was desperate enough to try it and it worked. CRAZY!!! Thans so much.

      Reply
    • Marissa says

      July 10, 2014 at 12:50 AM

      this is the only thing that worked for me, weird, but thank you!

      Reply
    • Ebb says

      July 20, 2014 at 7:44 PM

      Ok my iPad has had the black screen for 6months. Just read this post and banged in on my leg literally 5seconds ago and the thing popped on!!!!!!!

      Reply
  7. george says

    December 27, 2013 at 4:36 PM

    my home button dose not work and nothing is working please help me

    Reply
  8. iceman says

    January 11, 2014 at 3:37 AM

    my ipad goes blank/black how can i fix it ??? need help please tnx …

    Reply
  9. Michele says

    February 1, 2014 at 3:26 PM

    Blank screen. Tried everything. All day. still unresponsive. Very sad.

    Reply
  10. Manoj says

    February 12, 2014 at 9:36 AM

    It worked
    Restarting, as suggested earlier, worked for me. Thanks!!

    Reply
  11. michael says

    April 4, 2014 at 7:44 AM

    hi, my screen on my ipad 3 is blank. tried replacing the digitizer screen. siri will talk to me however when i hard reset nothing happens. i cannot restore my ipad in itunes as it contains a passcode and comes up with a 0xE8000084 error code. any suggestions to what i can do?

    Reply
  12. jervin says

    April 11, 2014 at 11:48 PM

    it doesnt work i will cry now 🙁

    Reply
  13. Dawn says

    April 16, 2014 at 8:16 PM

    Same thing happened to me! Dropped the iPad onto carpet from the bed.
    Black screen, what worked ??
    Smacking it hard on the back!
    Yippee !!!

    Reply
  14. Shawn says

    April 17, 2014 at 4:25 PM

    Same thing happened to me. My ipad fell from the couch to the floor and I was left with “the black screen of death” Sooo, I smacked “hard” on the back. Ipad CPR. My Ipad is alive and kicking…..

    Reply
  15. Ferdinand says

    May 1, 2014 at 5:47 AM

    The CPR approach worked for me too!

    Reply
  16. lydia says

    May 5, 2014 at 4:31 AM

    My iphone just all of a sudden went blank!!! Black screen… I’ve restored it but it still goes back to the blank screen!!! Plz help me

    Reply
  17. Kenneth says

    May 9, 2014 at 6:25 PM

    Had this problem for a couple of days until just now. I tried the home and on/off button simultaneously as mentioned by gautam and it worked . 🙂

    Reply
  18. Amanda says

    May 18, 2014 at 8:17 AM

    Holding down the home button and off button at the same time works. Thank god!!!

    Reply
  19. Gemma Robertson says

    June 9, 2014 at 3:49 AM

    My Ipad screen went black for no apparent reason a couple of weeks ago..the sound still works but it is just displaying a black screen. I tried restarting it but nothing…also tried to sync it with itunes and restore it but as my ipad is password protected it would not allow me to do so.. I would go to an Apple store for advice but the closest one is 70-odd miles away, so if anyone has experienced this issue before and knows how to help, please please please share with me.

    Does anyone know how to get past my password on itunes, or if there is a way i can disable it from the computer? I’m currently charging it just now and if all else fails I’ll try the smacking technique…

    Reply
  20. Jordan says

    June 16, 2014 at 5:56 AM

    iPad randomly turned off, I tried taking it off sleep but it flashed for a millisecond and had blue lines vertically on the top that looked as if it’s bleeding. Really upset, please help. Tried all techniques. :/

    Reply
  21. Rr says

    July 4, 2014 at 6:58 PM

    Thanks so much fixed my little sisters iPad she gave me a big hug.

    Reply
  22. Bob says

    July 10, 2014 at 3:54 PM

    My iPad screen is black and it won’t respond. It says ‘voice over on.’ I have tried all the suggestions: the reboot, slap the thigh, etc. I am not able to try asking Siri to turn off the voice over because it keeps telling me Siri is unavailable. Any other suggestions? thanks.

    Reply
  23. Zechariah Scott says

    July 12, 2014 at 3:30 PM

    My screen keeps going blank although I can still hear the sounds from the app. I’ve tried the ‘on-off/home’ button technique and this brings up the apple but as soon as the iPad finishes rebooting my home screen appears for only a fraction of a second before the screen goes blank again. Occasionally touching the screen opens an app and the screen will come to life but pressing the home button makes the screen go blank about 80% of the time. I’ve tried resetting it via iTunes and banging it on the back all to no avail. Any ideas?

    Reply
  24. Erin N says

    July 13, 2014 at 8:17 AM

    My toddler dropped my ipad on the carpet and got a blank/black screen. I tried everything. I even did a restore. Googled to find some suggestions and came across this thread. Saw you all tried hitting the back of the ipad. I though no way would the work. Hit it on my legs first, nothing. Then hit it a little harder with my palm and saw a miracle “flicker” appear. Couple more hits, viola! Thanks for the “miracle” tip!

    Reply
  25. mike foreman says

    July 26, 2014 at 8:30 AM

    Un-effn belivable
    i was about to give up and i did the drop from a foot off the floor and it came alive.
    thanks everyone

    Reply
  26. Georgia says

    July 29, 2014 at 12:27 PM

    I plugged my iPad in and immediately I heard a ‘ding’ ! As it got plugged it. That method worked for me(:

    Reply
  27. Samia says

    August 3, 2014 at 5:51 AM

    Yup! My screen went black after reading the comments about banging it on your lap I did it and now my Ipad2 is working like nothing happened….

    Reply
  28. LisaW says

    August 30, 2014 at 6:49 AM

    SO literally I have been depressed for a week now over my iPad 2. The screen was black called apple and was 74 days out of my warranty…they told me there was nothing they could do for me. I have never dropped my ipad or anything so I couldnt understand why the display was black. Tried the hard reset and it didnt work! I read these comments, went over to my poor iPad tapped it on my knee and BAM it turned right on!!!! Now I just hope it stays this way.

    Reply
  29. Richsven says

    September 11, 2014 at 1:44 AM

    Crazy but banging the back of the ipad2 on my lap solved the problem, the screen was with the wrong colors, I shuttled it down normally and after rebooting the iPad was perfect, back to normal. As other people has said I didn’t drop the iPad, but it was really hot when the problem appeared.
    Thank you for the “banging on lap” solution.

    Reply
  30. Belinda Scott says

    September 11, 2014 at 2:56 AM

    OMFG!!!! I seriously thought all these comments about “kneeing it” it the back, smacking it and whacking it on your knees were people’s idea of a joke, but when my son’s ipad stopped working and all we had was an illuminated black screen and it wouldn’t turn on or off and restarting with the home/on/off buttons did nothing, I thought…..what have I got to lose????

    So I sat down and whacked it on my knees.

    Several times.

    It flickered a little and then nothing.

    Then I turned it over and slapped the back of it.

    Hard.

    Then I turned it back over and pressed the on/off button.

    The apple symbol appeared!!!!!! Then hey presto it turned back on!!! I cannot believe that this technique actually works!!!! Seriously gobsmacked!!!!!

    Thanks people!~:)

    Reply
    • Sabina L says

      March 20, 2015 at 8:05 PM

      Wow! I was totally not believing that colution either and then I literally just tried it right now after my son dropped it on the tip onto the tile floor…screen popped right back up! Gotta loove Google! :o)

      Reply
  31. Raaj says

    September 19, 2014 at 10:52 PM

    Awesome my dear friendzzzz. Thank u so so much. Just put my ipad on lap and tapped twice in front and then back…. It worked as a charm. Amazing!!! My sisters 3 year old son will kiss me 100 times for this : )

    Reply
  32. claudia says

    September 22, 2014 at 8:55 PM

    oh wow. so i had the same trouble after my ipad slid off my bed onto carpet in a very well protected case. I tried evetything including smacking it and saw some white flickers which i panicked and stopped. i then re tried the two button on off and after just the lit up black screen. i tried dropping it onto carpet from a foot high with its front side up… nothing then worked the distance to two feet. its alive, and is just like it was. !! soo good

    Reply
  33. Luxifer says

    October 10, 2014 at 2:18 AM

    Whao it worked, i palm the back of my ipad a few times and it solve the screen problem. Thanks =)

    Reply
  34. jerry says

    October 16, 2014 at 12:27 PM

    I can’t believe it. I tried the knocking on the back trick of my fiancee’s ipad 2 that hasn’t been working since march, and the screen started working again. I really thought this idea was a joke until i seen dozens of,people recommending it. They couldnt all be trolls, right? And sure enough, it’s working. Thanks, everyone.

    Reply
  35. megan says

    October 28, 2014 at 11:05 AM

    I honestly thought my daughters Ipad was gone…the screen turned black. I looked at this post and smacked the Ipad off of my leg and it worked!!! So glad!!

    Reply
  36. Marilyn says

    October 29, 2014 at 6:44 AM

    it totally worked on my phone, I thought Im gonna b taking my phone being blackout to school. But now I dnt have to worry about it. Thanks to whoever posted this , the last option helped me with my phone. ☺️

    Reply
  37. abbie says

    October 31, 2014 at 4:44 AM

    Whoever suggested that we should tap the back of the ipad when it turned black is actually a genius. Thank you for sharing this technique coz it worked!

    Reply
  38. Larelle says

    November 1, 2014 at 9:07 AM

    Black screen nothing worked slaped it and “hello “I love this feed thank you so much my iPad Is works

    Reply
  39. UofTStudent says

    November 4, 2014 at 8:57 PM

    Had the same problem happen to me. My iPad was working fine the night before, but the next morning it was not turning on and had a black screen. Tried plugging it in, did not turn on, could only hear notification sounds. Smacked it on the back about 3 times, then pressed the home and on/off button for a minute straight. Miraculously, the apple logo appeared! Thanks to everyone who posted on this forum! Saved me the trouble and anxiety.

    Reply
  40. Brad says

    November 7, 2014 at 11:32 AM

    I’ve tried this smack trick, nad it hasnt worked for me. I can hear it make the communication sound when I plug it in, but screen stays black. I even went and got a new LCD for it and same thing still persists.. any other ideas? I’m deseperate……

    Reply
  41. kaylad1995 says

    November 9, 2014 at 5:53 PM

    heyyy
    my pad mini went black and i pressed home button and on/off button together and now my ipad mini wont charge

    my ipad mini say connect to power when it is :/ ???

    Reply
  42. MGriz says

    November 20, 2014 at 6:05 AM

    Someone asked me to try and find out what why their ipad wasnt coming on and i tried everything and thenread these comments and after the 8th post telling me how osmeone else didnt believe smacking it on their lap worked I decided to try it too and yeah it definitely worked!!!! Really and still!!!

    Reply
  43. Patara says

    December 13, 2014 at 8:37 PM

    I SWEAR,THIS WAY WORK FOR ME,THANKS ALL

    Reply
  44. Paul Ryan says

    December 16, 2014 at 4:15 AM

    Yip, second time this has worked for me 🙂

    Reply
    • Taylor says

      April 12, 2015 at 5:46 PM

      It only worked for me once!!!!!!!

      Reply
  45. Kenya says

    December 17, 2014 at 1:32 PM

    As someone who this screen thing just happened to and cannot afford a new Ipad, I feel compelled to say that the kneebang worked for me. I was reluctant, I thought my whole thing was ruined, (who knows it still might be) the reset stuff was not working. It was also scaring me because each time I did it, many colors came on the screen and disappeared convincing me to believe the ipad was dying even more and i was helping it.

    I did the knee bang which was not at nearly bad or scary as it sounds. If you hurt yourself doing it, you probably went over board.

    Reply
  46. Ariel says

    December 21, 2014 at 8:21 AM

    This worked for me too! My screen was “illuminated black” after dropping it so I tried this technique. First time I dropped it the screen was restored but in a “red negative” look, second time same thing but in green, third time it returned to normal! Too funny!!

    Reply
  47. Fairiz Parman says

    December 23, 2014 at 4:27 PM

    I am usimg iphone 5s.. there one time my phone dry empty of batery.. after i fully charged my phone it won’t go to home screen.. it just freeze at apple icon and the screen turning to blue and red.. and again it shutdown it self.. any idea what to do on this.. please reponse quick! Really help your help here…

    Reply
  48. Derrell Fowler says

    December 25, 2014 at 4:21 AM

    Ok, i was using my ipod earlier for about 2hours straight. Then the screen just cut off! Iknew it wasnt dead because it was on the charger at the moment. Plus everytime i click the sleep button it blinks on snd goes off, i tried reseting it with the power and home button but it does the same thing everytime! WHAT TO DO!!

    Reply
  49. Melissa says

    December 26, 2014 at 8:33 PM

    OMG!!! All of a sudden the screen on my iphone 5 goes black…the phone is still working and I can hear the alerts but completely black. I went to the apple support site for help…big waste of time there…as I was about to just chuck this phone out the window I came across this page…as I started to read the posts I started to think another big waste of time…but as a last resort I thought what could it hurt to bang it on my knees 4 or 5 times…and on the last try the apple logo showed up on my screen…thank you thank you thank you

    Reply
  50. angelica says

    December 27, 2014 at 1:24 AM

    My I pad is blank I tried the knee thing it worked but only for a few minutes I can hear the buttons clicking but I cant see anything please help!

    Reply
  51. eric says

    January 6, 2015 at 5:33 PM

    for me, with the dead/blank screen (and semi-lighted blank screen), it worked to drop it on a corner from about a foot onto carpet over concrete (the 3rd corner i tried), but not kneeing it, banging it, knocking it or resetting it using home and sleep buttons. thanks for the advice.

    Reply
    • aaliyah says

      January 19, 2015 at 6:06 PM

      thank you so much mine was the semi-lighted screen and i use my ipad for everything i knocked it and then bangned it it turned on but it was red and fuzzy so i used a old method for when it got fuzzy which was also banging it ang i got it clear ang working

      Reply
      • kasey says

        March 31, 2015 at 3:09 PM

        mine did this every now and then, but the screen was fuzzy green. I was able to bang it and then get it back to normal typically, but this time it turned black and now i can hear sounds but that is it. Now i can get it to a semi-lighted screen to, like it’s trying to turn on but it can’t. I don’t know what to do because it has been like this for 2 weeks.

        Reply
  52. Laura says

    January 27, 2015 at 11:14 AM

    Same thing happened here! Screen went black…etc., tried everything nothing worked. Was really upset because no way I could ever afford another one. That’s when I figured I had nothing to lose and tried turning the iPad over and banging the apple with the palm of my hand. Had to do it about 4 to5 times and IT WORKED!!!!!!

    Reply
  53. Tom a believer says

    January 29, 2015 at 6:20 PM

    Ipad had a black screen with backlight. Tried resetting, rebooting no change. Dropped it on its back 3 times from 1 foot onto thin carpeted floor. The screen came back. I was skeptical but now I believe.
    Thanks

    Reply
  54. Clare says

    February 1, 2015 at 2:31 AM

    Banging the iPad really works! My toddler dropped my iPad yesterday and I was left with a blank screen even tho fully charged. Saw this advice and started dropping it but didn’t work. Finally in desperation I gave it quite a few hard bangs on the back of the iPad (with the case on) and eventually got a flicker and then the screen came back on! Preserve with it!!

    Reply
  55. Tina says

    February 7, 2015 at 2:06 PM

    Thank you! Can’t believed it worked!

    Reply
  56. Benji says

    February 14, 2015 at 9:45 PM

    guys please help my iPod shows that its dead and shows the apple logo but when I know it on the screen is black please help thx

    Reply
  57. Nick says

    February 18, 2015 at 5:52 AM

    I work for a school district that has over 10k iPads and at least once a week in my own school I get a work order involving this issue, All I do is slap it on the back until it comes on and colors get adjusted properly.

    Reply
  58. lee says

    February 19, 2015 at 3:34 PM

    This thread is excellent. I was hesitate to hit my ipad, because I had always been so careful with it. But I thought if I start out gentle maybe it will work. you do have to do it with a bit of force but it really worked the knee bang theory saved my ipad. Thank so much for everyones help.

    Reply
  59. Sarah Gallagher says

    February 25, 2015 at 1:31 PM

    THANK YOU!! i was having a mini heart attack whem my ipads screen just went black! Thank god for this i wouldnt have got it back on. Goodbye now, soo happy now

    Reply
  60. Bernadette Bliss says

    March 2, 2015 at 8:12 PM

    Yep, it works. But what does that say about the iPad, if you have to give it a hard wack on the back to get it to work.

    Apple take note – THAT’S NOT GOOD ENOUGH!

    Reply
  61. Allison Burmeister says

    March 17, 2015 at 8:23 AM

    Seriously – I just tried this and it WORKED!!!! Our screen went blank a few days ago and I tried holding the power and awake button together and no luck! This was a lifesaver! I am so glad I came across this. THANK YOU!!!!!!!

    Reply
  62. FYB says

    April 4, 2015 at 1:52 PM

    Seriously, I just decided I’d drop my ipad forcefully on the couch (backside down) and the third time, I saw a flash of the apple! Did that a few more times…and then I clapped it on it’s earphone side in my hand forcefully. It completely came back after black screen for a day!!! Thank you …you knee bangers!!!

    Reply
  63. pooneh says

    April 8, 2015 at 9:31 AM

    thanks a lot for sounds way to solve a problem

    Reply
  64. Rubi says

    April 11, 2015 at 10:44 AM

    Thank you all for your suggestions and ideas

    I tried it all and added putting it in the freezer for 15 min

    But still my problem did not get solved

    The black screen with the apple symbol flashing

    any new thoughts

    Reply
  65. Taylor says

    April 12, 2015 at 5:36 PM

    My iPad went all white the last te and I dropped it a few tes on the floor and it worked, but now it is happening again a little after I dropped it a cracked the screen. I tried everything I did last time and more. It’s not working though. Not this time.

    Reply
    • Taylor says

      April 12, 2015 at 5:37 PM

      Sorry some spelling errors.

      Reply
  66. Taylor says

    April 12, 2015 at 5:53 PM

    I thought I would have to get a new iPad because everything in the comments wasn’t working so I held both buttons and than slapped it sort of hard ony knee and th Apple sign came up!

    Reply
  67. Alex says

    April 23, 2015 at 11:57 AM

    I can’t believe dropping it worked. I did it a few times and nothing happened. I had given up hope when I dropped it on its back and saw a glimmer of the screen! So I just kept dropping it on its back and boom! It came back to life. Thank you!!!!

    Reply
  68. Kneeanderthal IT Dept says

    May 16, 2015 at 3:04 PM

    Ipad 2 died 2 weeks ago with black screen flickering when the on button is pushed. I took it to the Apple Store and they said it was shot – $ 250.00 to replace it with the trade in of the old one. It was 1 month out of warranty. Tried the knee drop and it did not work. Then I dropped onto the corner from about 2 feet (heavily padded carpet). I rotated to a different corner each time I dropped it and after 5 or 6 drops it can back on and is working like a champ. Thanks for the tip !!!

    Reply
  69. Massiel says

    May 16, 2015 at 9:10 PM

    It actually worked i just prestes the home and sleep/wake buttons and it worked!!!!

    Reply
  70. Yazoo says

    May 17, 2015 at 7:22 AM

    My iPad was blank too, the MacBook was asking permission to connect and i couldn’t see the screen
    one of the following worked
    – charging a bit longer
    – smacking it with my hand
    the screen came on, and I was able to press “trust”, now it is working ok
    is this problem caused by the recent iPad software updates – if so, I’m really pissed off.

    Reply
  71. Alyssa says

    May 20, 2015 at 1:26 PM

    GUYS HERES THE SOLUTION FOLLOW THEESE STEPS
    1. HOLD DOWN THE POWER AND HOME BUTTON AT THE SAME TIME FOR A WHILE.
    2. NOW THE SCREEN SHOULD BE VISIBLE BUT ODDLY COLORED SO BANG THE BACK OF YOU I PAD MULTIPLE TIMES TO GET BACK THE ORIGINAL COLOR.

    FOLLOW THEESE STEPS

    Reply
  72. Jayme says

    May 22, 2015 at 10:05 PM

    my iphone 5c will not turn on. However i am still geeting texts, calls and alerts i tryed the kneebang and it worked but now it stpoed again is here any onthe way???? Plz help i cant do anything without my phone my parents said i have to get the money on my own but i cant get a job cuz of school. and i cant do anything unless i can tell my parents where i am so till i get $450 or find a way to turn it on im stuck

    Reply
    • Jayme says

      May 22, 2015 at 10:09 PM

      oops i met getting

      Reply
  73. Chris says

    May 24, 2015 at 2:05 PM

    Well I never… it worked – dropping it on to my knee 🙂

    Reply
  74. Thiru says

    May 30, 2015 at 8:15 AM

    Faced same problem and I tried many times to restart my ipad but it doesn’t work. After read this comments… myself tried same approach and it worked for me… Great….Thank you so much… 🙂

    Reply
  75. CW says

    May 30, 2015 at 7:33 PM

    My husband just came in with his iPad flashing black screen. I’m so glad I found this page, I hit the iPad against my leg ONE TIME and the screen came back up!!! I couldn’t believe it!!! Thanks so much!!

    Reply
  76. Simon Mcintyre says

    June 2, 2015 at 8:04 AM

    OMG i had black and white screen on my ipad 2. the screen went funny. i then read the comments on here about hitting the back of ipad which i did and it bloody worked.
    Thank you so much

    Reply
  77. Mike says

    June 10, 2015 at 5:42 AM

    I can’t believe it worked! My ipad was blank with backlit screen for about a week now. I tried the soft reset (holding down the home and power buttons) to no avail. When I dropped it from a foot off the floor a couple of times, its working again! Thanks for the great posts.

    Reply
  78. Julie says

    June 24, 2015 at 2:27 PM

    Holy Crap! Dropping the ipad after I had held down power and home button several times actually worked! I dropped my ipad last night and it has been a bright black screen ever since, so after reading these posts decided to try it and wow….it actually worked! thank you thank you thank you!!!

    Reply
  79. Wanda says

    July 2, 2015 at 9:51 AM

    My daugter and I were in a panic because the screen went black. We finally tried the knew bagging and it came on. the resolution changed somewhat but w can live with that. Just glad it cam back on.

    Reply
  80. Kpop Emily says

    July 16, 2015 at 7:26 PM

    My brothers screen was black, grayish,white it won’t even turn on! Help!

    Reply
  81. Sazle says

    August 4, 2015 at 11:53 AM

    Hi
    Thanks for the advice thought mi I pad 2 was dead. Had taken it to the Apple shop and they said the screen had gone and I would have to buy a new one. But after hitting it hard on the back it has come back to life to say I’m happy is an understatement!!! Ps I laid it face down on a thick magazine and hit it on the back with a closed fist in a dice 5 shape… It took three goes and it worked… Yeeehaaaa!

    Reply
  82. Rohin says

    August 27, 2015 at 9:35 PM

    Thanks for this topic, restarting it by holding the sleep button on top and home button helped.

    Reply
  83. K Maher says

    August 30, 2015 at 8:57 AM

    My iPad screen goes black as well. With this many people posting similar problems, you’d think Apple would address. It’s just over two years old. Tried the suggestions above, to no avail! Bummer

    Reply
  84. anonamous says

    September 3, 2015 at 5:16 PM

    i tried everything. the charging the home screen and wake/sleep botton combo even the banging!bothing worked for my iPad mini.maybe i didn’t hit it hard enough?

    Reply
  85. no way! says

    September 8, 2015 at 7:06 AM

    I truly thought this was an insane “fix” to my issue, but I got so fed up that I DID try the “drop” technique. I just dropped it flat down on my carpeted floor-first time, nothing; I was probably too afraid & so too gentle. I think I was so frustrated that the second time I kind of slammed it flat down-and voila! I, too, could not believe it, but YES, this worked. My black, blank screen came on and all is good! Thanks everyone who kept posting to try this!

    Reply
  86. Douglas says

    September 17, 2015 at 12:35 PM

    I work for a school district…had the black screen of death and found the knee bump…Worked like a charm…I have seen many strange fixes in my time, but the knee bump has to be pretty close to the top of Technology Fixes…

    Reply
  87. lyn says

    September 27, 2015 at 5:33 AM

    I’ve literally been depressed not having my iPad with me for the past 6 days! and icloud was not showing any of my 2,000 photos (totally depressing) It just blanked out after charging. After a great consultations the genius bar at the Apple Store and a hefty bill, i decided to take matters into my own hands and dig in online on other solutions.
    I found this blog and after reading the comments decided to give it a go.
    After a whole day banging my poor ipad around, it didnt turn on. I then charged it for 2 days still no luck. I continued to bang it about and thank GOD my ipad is now back and alive!!!
    Thanks for the great posts!!!!
    whooooohoooooo!!!

    Reply
  88. Emms says

    October 3, 2015 at 12:36 PM

    I too had the black screen of death panic set in so looked at this forum was very sceptical about banging and dropping my iPad as have looked after it but hey presto 20mins of banging and hitting my iPad it has worked so thank you every one for this valuable piece of information

    Reply
  89. Matthew Giordano says

    January 16, 2016 at 2:22 PM

    My iPad screen turned blank 3 times!

    Reply
  90. Arthur says

    January 30, 2016 at 4:27 AM

    Thanks buddies…I dropped my friend’s iPad face down on a carpet, it worked

    Reply
  91. Tony says

    March 29, 2016 at 2:52 AM

    I’ve tried everything, nothing worked…… I am so sad……

    Reply
  92. Joseph saysay says

    April 3, 2016 at 12:28 PM

    My ipad doesn’t show anything on the screen it can only speak the screen dark

    Reply
  93. kershal says

    May 22, 2016 at 8:09 PM

    my iPhone 4 just went black when i woke up one morning….. it vibrates when you call it and all but the screen just goes black and slowly turns bright white until it goes off again!!!! this happens when you press the power button,, unfortunately none of the listed methods worked

    Reply
  94. Joan says

    June 2, 2016 at 7:25 AM

    My iPod touch 6th generation will go to a black screen, but you can still recieve notifications, texts,and you can hear siri. It turn on once in a blue moon but when it turns on it will work for 5 minutes but when i apply pressure on it it will turn off. ive tried everything and its not even a year old. I dont wanna get it fixed or i dont want to get a new one. PLEASE HELP ME

    Reply

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