How to Fix iPad Stuck on Apple Logo Screen

Jun 23, 2019 - 7 Comments

iPad stuck on Apple logo screen

Rarely, an iPad may get stuck on an Apple logo screen when the device is booting or restarting. Getting stuck on the Apple logo usually happens during a failed software update, whether it was interrupted or incomplete, but it can sometimes happen during restores and during other operations as well.

If an iPad, iPad Pro, iPad Air, or iPad mini is stuck on an Apple logo screen, you can use the tips below to troubleshoot the problem and resolve the issue.

How to Fix an iPad, iPad Pro, iPad Air, iPad Mini Stuck on Apple Logo

This guide will aim to review troubleshooting solutions to resolve an iPad, iPad Pro, iPad Air, or iPad mini that is stuck on a black Apple logo screen. Follow in the order presented, and be sure to use the advice specific to the iPad model, as the troubleshooting steps differ between iPad with Face ID and iPad with Home buttons.

0: Wait! Does the Apple logo screen on iPad have a progress bar?

If the Apple logo screen has a progress bar underneath the Apple logo, then that likely means the device is installing a system software update, or is being restored. In that situation, you will not want to interrupt the system software update process.

If you see the Apple logo screen on an iPad and it has a progress bar underneath the Apple logo, let it sit for a while with the device plugged into a power source.

iPad with Apple Logo screen and progress bar

If a software update is being applied, the iPad will complete the installation and restart itself normally when it has finished.

You may pick up an iPad and notice it’s on the Apple logo screen seemingly out of nowhere if you have automatic iOS / iPadOS software updates enabled on the iPad. Just let the update complete, do not interrupt it.

If the iPad remains unresponsive and stuck on the black Apple logo screen for an extended amount of time, say after an hour or so, it may be stuck and need further troubleshooting. When the iPad is truly stuck on the Apple logo screen, use the troubleshooting tricks below to resolve the issue.

1: Force Restart the iPad

Sometimes simply forcibly restarting the iPad will resolve being stuck on an Apple logo screen. Forcibly rebooting an iPad varies on the iPad model and the iPad model year, use the instructions below depending on the specific iPad, iPad Air, iPad mini, or iPad Pro.

Force Restart iPad Pro 11″ and iPad Pro 12.9″ (2018 and newer)

You can force restart iPad Pro with Face ID (2018 and newer) including the iPad Pro 11″ and iPad Pro 12.9″ models, with the following instructions:

  • Press and release Volume Up, press and release Volume Down, press and hold Power button until the iPad Pro restarts

Force Restart iPad, iPad Air, iPad mini, and older iPad Pro

You can force restart an iPad with a clickable Home button, including iPad, iPad Air, iPad mini, and older iPad Pro models, with the following instructions:

  • Hold the HOME button and POWER button concurrently until the device screen turns off to black and back on to an Apple logo screen appears

Occasionally, force rebooting works and the iPad returns to the lock screen or home screen as usual. If not, carry on for more troubleshooting.

2: Update iPad with Recovery Mode (or Restore)

The next troubleshooting trick is to update the iPad using Recovery Mode. Using Recovery Mode requires the use of a computer (Mac or Windows PC) with a modern version of iTunes, and you will need a USB cable to connect the iPad to the computer. Much like force rebooting, entering Recovery Mode varies per iPad model.

Update iPad Pro with Face ID via Recovery Mode

If the iPad has Face ID and no Home button, you can enter Recovery Mode on iPad Pro (2018 and newer) with the following instructions:

  • Open iTunes on the computer (or Finder if Mac is running Catalina)
  • Press and hold the Power button and Volume Up button until the “Slide to Power Off” screen appears, then drag that slider to turn OFF the iPad Pro
  • Next, hold down the POWER button and connect the iPad Pro to a computer with a USB cable. Continue holding the POWER button until iPad is in Recovery Mode
  • Choose “Update” when the alert message appears on screen

Updating the iPad in Recovery Mode may take a while so be patient and let 20 minutes or so pass. If this is successful, the iPad Pro will update the system software and then reboot itself eventually back and work as normal.

If this fails, you will need to repeat the steps above, but at step 4 choose to “Restore” the iPad instead of ‘update’ (Important note: by restoring the iPad it will reset it as new and erase all data on the iPad, however if you have a backup you can restore from that backup when complete).

Update any iPad with Home button via Recovery Mode

If the iPad has a Home button, you can enter Recovery Mode on iPad, iPad Air, iPad mini, and older iPad Pro with the following instructions:

  • Open iTunes on the computer (or Finder if Mac is running Catalina)
  • Press and hold the Power button until the “Slide to Power Off” screen appears, then slide to turn OFF the iPad
  • Hold down the HOME button while connecting the iPad to a computer using a USB cable
  • Continue holding the HOME button until the iPad is in Recovery Mode and detected by the computer
  • Choose “Update” when the alert message appears on screen

Updating the iPad can take a while, give it at least 20 minutes to see if this works. If updating is successful, the iPad will reboot and become usable as usual.

If this fails, you will need to repeat the steps above, but at step 5 choose to “Restore” the iPad rather than update. (Important note: restoring the iPad will erase all data on the iPad and set it up as new, however if you have a backup you can restore from that backup during the setup after restore).

3: Erase & Restore iPad with DFU Mode

If the above Recovery Mode methods fail to resolve the issue, you can try to use DFU mode to restore the iPad or iPad Pro instead. DFU mode is a lower restore method that may work when Recovery Mode fails. Using DFU mode will erase the iPad completely, meaning all data on the iPad will be lost. If you have a backup of the iPad, you can restore the iPad backup to the iPad when DFU restore has finished.

Restoring iPad, iPad Air, iPad mini, older iPad Pro with DFU Mode

You can enter DFU mode on any iPad with a Home button with these instructions:

  • Connect iPad to a computer (Mac or PC) and launch iTunes (or Finder if Mac is running Catalina)
  • Hold down the POWER button and the HOME button at the same time, and continue holding both of those buttons for 10 seconds
  • After 10 seconds, release the POWER Button but continue to hold the HOME button for another 5 seconds
  • Choose to Restore the iPad with iTunes, this will erase all data on iPad and set it up as new

Restoring iPad Pro (2018 and newer) with DFU Mode

Entering DFU mode on iPad Pro with Face ID (2018 and newer) is achieved through the following steps:

  • Connect iPad Pro to a computer and launch iTunes (or Finder if Mac is running Catalina)
  • Press and release Volume UP, then press and release Volume DOWN, then press and hold the POWER button for 10 seconds
  • While still holding the Power button, also press and hold Volume DOWN button for another 5 seconds
  • Release the Power button but continue to hold Volume DOWN for another 10 seconds
  • When you see an alert on the computer that a device has been detected in recovery mode, choose to Restore to erase the iPad and set it up as new
  • When the iPad Pro has successfully restored you can either set it up as new or then restore it from an available backup during the setup.

    Fortunately getting stuck on a black Apple logo screen is a pretty rare occurrence for iPad, and while the same thing can happen on an iPhone it’s also not particularly common to run into with that device either. Usually the troubleshooting steps outlined above will resolve the issue. Let us know in the comments below what worked to resolve your problem.

    Tried all of the above and still stuck on an Apple logo screen? Something else may be going on, so the next best option is to contact official Apple Support or an Apple Authorized Repair Center for further assistance in repairing the iPad, iPad Air, iPad mini, or iPad Pro.

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Posted by: Paul Horowitz in iPad, Tips & Tricks, Troubleshooting

7 Comments

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  1. Peter B says:

    My IPad Pro got stuck with Apple Logo during IOS update. First trip to Genius Bar he did the resets with the volume up/down then power and then plugged into that special usb adapter hooked up to a Mac book to do a force restart. Didn’t work.

    Next day I drained the battery to zero and took it back in. This tech charged it up on power adapter only and then did the same reset sequence plugged into power (he said this enables the DFU mode). Then hooked it up to the Mac Book with the special force reset adapter and voila it worked!

  2. lawrence says:

    Actually, there are also other tips to fix iPad stuck on the Apple logo including using ios repair tools such as Joyoshare UltFix and contacting Apple Center. Yet the above solutions introduced in the article are most frequently applied.

  3. Ben says:

    Thanks to the kind person who took their time to write this, greatly appreciated

  4. Ms Gadget Lady says:

    An update caused my iPad, with a home button, to lock up on the white screen with the Apple logo; the update never completed installing. I waited and tried several times to force it, but to no avail. Discovered this site several months later and was able to restore my iPad; recovery mode did not work, had to restore it.

  5. Johanna Ready says:

    My ipad pro will not go i to restarting it is stuck on a black screen saying it has been disabled plug into itunes, I plug it in but it does nothing and it just stays like this any advice please.

  6. Rebecca says:

    My iPad with a home button is stuck on the white screen with the Apple logo. Will these techniques work?

    Thank you.

  7. Joakim Elfving says:

    I had iPhone beta (iOS 12). Got stuck on my iPhone.

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