Table of Contents
- Why Does My iPhone Keep Getting Stuck on a Black Screen with Spinning Wheel?
- What Makes Your iPhone Show a Black Screen with Spinning Wheel?
- Method 1: Force Restart Your iPhone
- For iPhone 8 and newer models
- For iPhone 7 and 7 Plus
- For iPhone 6s and older
- Method 2: Clear Storage Space
- Method 3: Update Your iOS Software
- Method 4: Reduce Notification Overload
- Method 5: Use iTunes to Restore Your iPhone
- Method 6: Reset All Settings
- When to Get Professional Help
- How to Prevent This Problem
Why Does My iPhone Keep Getting Stuck on a Black Screen with Spinning Wheel?
Your iPhone works fine one moment. The next moment, it shows a black screen with a spinning wheel. This happens to many iPhone users every day. The good news? You can fix this problem without losing your photos, messages, or apps.
What Makes Your iPhone Show a Black Screen with Spinning Wheel?
Think of your iPhone like a busy office. Sometimes, too many things happen at once. The phone gets confused and shows the spinning wheel while it tries to figure things out.
Here are the main reasons this happens:
- Your phone runs out of space – When storage gets full, your iPhone struggles to work properly
- Apps crash and cause problems – Some apps can make your whole phone freeze
- Old software has bugs – Outdated iOS versions often have glitches
- Too many notifications pile up – Your phone’s memory gets overloaded
- Hardware parts start failing – Physical damage can cause screen issues
Sometimes, the spinning wheel appears during what experts call a “respring.” This is just your phone restarting its home screen. It usually fixes itself in a few seconds.
Method 1: Force Restart Your iPhone
This works for most spinning wheel problems. It’s like giving your phone a fresh start.
For iPhone 8 and newer models
- Press and quickly release the volume up button
- Press and quickly release the volume down button
- Hold the side button until you see the Apple logo
For iPhone 7 and 7 Plus
- Hold the volume down button and side button together
- Keep holding until the Apple logo appears
For iPhone 6s and older
- Hold the home button and top button together
- Wait for the Apple logo to show up
Method 2: Clear Storage Space
Your iPhone needs room to breathe. When storage gets too full, weird things happen.
Check your storage:
- Go to Settings
- Tap General
- Select iPhone Storage
- Look at how much space you have left
If you have less than 1GB free, delete some things:
- Old photos and videos
- Apps you don’t use
- Downloaded music or movies
- Text message attachments
Method 3: Update Your iOS Software
Old software causes many iPhone problems. Apple fixes bugs with each update.
To update:
- Open Settings
- Tap General
- Select Software Update
- Download and install any available updates
Make sure your phone is plugged in during the update. This prevents your battery from dying mid-update.
Method 4: Reduce Notification Overload
Too many notifications can crash your phone’s memory. This problem started with iPhone 6s and still happens today.
Turn off unnecessary notifications:
- Go to Settings
- Tap Notifications
- Turn off notifications for apps you don’t need alerts from
- Clear old notifications from your lock screen
Method 5: Use iTunes to Restore Your iPhone
When other methods don’t work, iTunes can fix deeper problems.
Before you start:
- Back up your iPhone to iCloud or your computer
- Remove your device from Find My iPhone
Steps to restore:
- Connect your iPhone to your computer
- Open iTunes (or Finder on newer Macs)
- Select your device
- Click “Restore iPhone“
- Choose your most recent backup
- Wait for the process to finish
Method 6: Reset All Settings
This fixes software problems without deleting your data.
To reset settings:
- Go to Settings
- Tap General
- Select Transfer or Reset iPhone
- Choose “Reset All Settings“
- Enter your passcode
- Confirm the reset
Your phone will restart and use default settings. You’ll need to reconnect to Wi-Fi and set up Face ID again.
When to Get Professional Help
Sometimes, the spinning wheel means hardware problems. Visit an Apple Store if:
- None of these methods work
- Your screen has cracks or water damage
- The problem started after dropping your phone
- Your iPhone is very old (5+ years)
Repair costs vary. Software fixes are usually free. Hardware repairs can cost $149 to $599 depending on your iPhone model.
How to Prevent This Problem
Keep your iPhone healthy with these simple habits:
- Update iOS regularly – New versions fix bugs and improve performance
- Keep 10-15% storage free – This gives your phone room to work properly
- Restart your phone weekly – This clears temporary files and refreshes memory
- Limit background app refresh – Go to Settings > General > Background App Refresh
- Clean up notifications daily – Swipe away old alerts from your lock screen
The black screen with spinning wheel usually means your iPhone is overloaded or has a software glitch. Most of the time, a force restart fixes the problem immediately. If that doesn’t work, try clearing storage space or updating your iOS software.
Remember: this problem is common and fixable. You don’t need to panic or rush to buy a new phone. Follow these steps in order, and your iPhone should work normally again.