iPhone Stuck on Loading Screen? Here’s What to Do

If your iPhone is stuck on a loading screen, Apple logo, spinning indicator, or Apple logo with a progress bar, do not immediately erase or restore the phone.

The correct fix depends on what you see on the screen.

Quick Answer

If the progress bar is still moving, leave the iPhone connected to power and let the process finish. If the iPhone is completely unresponsive, try a force restart. If it returns to the same stuck screen, use Recovery Mode and choose Update before considering Restore.

First, identify the screen

What you see	What to do
Apple logo + progress bar	Wait and check whether the bar is moving
Apple logo with no progress bar	Try a force restart
Apple logo repeatedly appears and disappears	Treat it as a restart/boot loop
Connect to computer screen	Use Recovery Mode
Completely black screen	Check charging and power first
Progress bar is slowly moving	Leave the iPhone alone and let it continue

This guide is specifically for an iPhone that appears stuck during startup, an update, restore, erase, or data transfer.

1. Wait if the progress bar may still be working

This is the safest first step.

An Apple logo with a progress bar can appear after:

• An iOS update
• Restoring an iPhone from a backup
• Transferring data from another iPhone
• Erasing and reinstalling iOS
• Completing a restore or migration

The progress bar can move slowly, appear stationary for a while, or even appear to start again. A bar that looks frozen does not automatically mean that the process has failed.

What to do

1. Connect the iPhone to reliable power.
2. Keep it connected if it is connected to a computer.
3. Look at the position of the progress bar.
4. Wait and check whether it changes.
5. If the iPhone is connected to a Mac or PC, check whether the computer still shows an active update, restore, or migration.

If the bar is still moving, do not restart the iPhone.

How long should you wait?

For an iPhone showing an Apple logo and progress bar after restoring a backup or migrating from another device, Apple specifically recommends confirming that the bar has not moved for at least one hour before moving to Recovery Mode.

The one-hour guidance should not be treated as a universal timer for every situation. If the computer still reports that an update or migration is active, allow that process to continue.

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2. Force restart the iPhone

If the iPhone is frozen and no longer responding, a force restart is the next non-destructive step.

A force restart does not intentionally erase your personal data.

iPhone 8 and later

This also applies to iPhone SE (2nd generation and later).

1. Quickly press and release Volume Up.
2. Quickly press and release Volume Down.
3. Press and hold the Side button.
4. Keep holding it until the Apple logo appears.
5. Release the button and allow the iPhone to start.

Do not release the Side button simply because the Apple logo appears briefly during the process.

iPhone 7 or 7 Plus

1. Press and hold the Side button.
2. At the same time, press and hold Volume Down.
3. Keep holding both buttons until the Apple logo appears.
4. Release both buttons.

iPhone 6s, iPhone SE (1st generation), and earlier

1. Press and hold the Home button.
2. At the same time, press and hold the Side or Top button.
3. Keep holding until the Apple logo appears.
4. Release both buttons.

Apple documents these model-specific force-restart procedures.

What happens next?

If the iPhone starts normally, you are done.

If it returns to the same loading screen or progress bar, do not keep force-restarting it repeatedly. Move to Recovery Mode.

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3. Use Recovery Mode if the loading screen returns

Recovery Mode is the next step when the iPhone cannot complete startup normally.

This is especially appropriate when:

• The progress bar has stopped progressing.
• A force restart returns to the same screen.
• An update or restore failed.
• The iPhone cannot finish starting.
• The computer can communicate with the iPhone.

You will need:

• A Mac or Windows PC
• A reliable USB or USB-C data cable
• An internet connection
• Finder on a current Mac, or the Apple Devices app on Windows

Important: choose Update first

When the computer gives you the choice between Update and Restore, choose Update first.

Update attempts to reinstall iOS without intentionally erasing the iPhone.

Restore erases the iPhone.

If the information on the phone is not backed up, do not choose Restore casually.

Enter Recovery Mode

iPhone 8 and later

1. Connect the iPhone to the computer.
2. Quickly press and release Volume Up.
3. Quickly press and release Volume Down.
4. Press and hold the Side button.
5. Keep holding even when the Apple logo appears.
6. Release the button when the Connect to Computer screen appears.

iPhone 7 and 7 Plus

1. Connect the iPhone to the computer.
2. Press and hold Side + Volume Down.
3. Keep holding until the Connect to Computer screen appears.

iPhone 6s, iPhone SE (1st generation), and earlier

1. Connect the iPhone to the computer.
2. Press and hold Home + Side/Top.
3. Keep holding until the Connect to Computer screen appears.

Then use Finder or the Apple Devices app and select Update when prompted.

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4. If Recovery Mode exits while the computer is downloading iOS

This can happen during the recovery process.

If the iPhone leaves Recovery Mode while the computer is still downloading the software:

1. Let the computer finish downloading.
2. Put the iPhone into Recovery Mode again.
3. Select Update again.
4. Allow the installation to complete.

Do not immediately assume that the iPhone has suffered a hardware failure.

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5. Check the cable and computer if Recovery Mode fails

A charging cable is not necessarily a reliable data cable.

If the computer repeatedly disconnects from the iPhone:

1. Try another known-good data cable.
2. Try another USB port.
3. Avoid USB hubs or questionable adapters.
4. Restart the computer.
5. Update the Apple Devices app or macOS when applicable.
6. Try another computer if available.
7. Enter Recovery Mode again and try Update.

If another cable or computer allows the update to complete, the original connection may have been the problem.

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6. Use Restore only as a last resort

Restore is different from Update.

Restore erases the iPhone and reinstalls iOS.

Consider Restore only after:

• Recovery Mode Update has failed.
• The iPhone still cannot start.
• The cable and computer have been checked.
• You understand that local data will be erased.

If you have important data that is not backed up, stop before choosing Restore and consider Apple Support or professional service.

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When the problem may be different

Not every iPhone stuck on an Apple logo has the same problem.

• Apple logo with NO progress bar: That is a different symptom from the progress-bar problem covered here. Use the Apple-logo/restart-loop troubleshooting guide instead.
• Apple logo repeatedly appears and disappears: This is usually treated as a restart or boot loop rather than a stationary loading-bar problem. Use the restart-loop troubleshooting guide.
• Completely black screen: If you cannot see an Apple logo, progress bar, or other startup screen, check charging and power-related problems first.
• Connect to Computer screen: If the Connect to Computer screen remains visible, use the Recovery Mode procedure.

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When to stop troubleshooting

Seek professional or Apple service if:

• Recovery Mode Update repeatedly fails.
• The iPhone is not detected by multiple known-good computers.
• A required button is damaged.
• The charging port is physically damaged.
• The phone has liquid or impact damage.
• The screen or back is lifting.
• The phone becomes unusually or dangerously hot.
• The Apple logo and progress bar remain after the documented recovery steps.

A failed update does not automatically prove that the hardware is defective, but repeated recovery failures can justify service.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Related Guides

• iPhone Stuck on Apple Logo or Restart Loop Fix
• iPhone Stuck in Recovery Mode Fix
• iPhone Black Screen or Won’t Turn On Fix
• iPhone White Screen of Death

Use the Apple-logo guide when there is no progress bar or the phone repeatedly restarts. Use the Recovery Mode guide when the Connect-to-Computer screen remains after an update or restore attempt. The black-screen guide applies when no startup image is visible.

Official Sources

Official sources checked: July 25, 2026

Apple Support

Page: Apple logo with progress bar after updating or restoring iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch

Direct verified URL: https://support.apple.com/en-us/102317

URL status: Verified accessible on July 25, 2026

Supports:

• The progress bar may move slowly or appear static.
• The progress bar may complete and begin again.
• The device should remain connected while migration finishes.
• An over-the-air update should remain connected to power.
• A force restart may be used when the process never completes.
• Service may be needed when the progress bar remains.

Scope limitation:
General Apple guidance for the progress bar displayed after updating, restoring, erasing, or migrating an Apple device.

Apple Support

Page: If your iPhone is stuck on the Apple logo

Direct verified URL: https://support.apple.com/en-us/102474

URL status: Verified accessible on July 25, 2026

Supports:

• Waiting until the progress bar has not moved for at least one hour after backup restoration or migration
• Model-specific Recovery Mode button sequences
• Using Finder, Apple Devices, or iTunes
• Selecting Update before Restore
• The warning that Restore erases the iPhone

Scope limitation:
The one-hour instruction is specifically described for iPhones running iOS 13 or later after restoring from a backup or migrating from another device.

Apple Support

Page: If you can’t update or restore your iPhone or iPod touch

Direct verified URL: https://support.apple.com/en-us/118106

URL status: Verified accessible on July 25, 2026

Supports:

• Entering Recovery Mode
• Using Finder or the Apple Devices app
• Current Recovery Mode button sequences
• Trying Update before Restore
• Restore erasing all device data
• Repeating Recovery Mode when a download takes longer than 15 minutes
• Seeking service when Recovery Mode cannot complete or a button is damaged

Scope limitation:
This page also covers devices showing the Apple logo without a progress bar and other Recovery Mode conditions.

Apple iPhone User Guide

Page: Force restart iPhone

Direct verified URL: https://support.apple.com/en-mide/guide/iphone/-iph8903c3ee6/ios

URL status: Verified accessible on July 25, 2026

Supports:

• Force-restarting a current iPhone by pressing Volume Up, Volume Down, and holding the Side button
• Releasing the Side button when the Apple logo appears

Scope limitation:
The displayed sequence applies to current iPhones using the Volume Up, Volume Down, and Side-button method. Older models use different Apple-documented combinations.

How This Guide Was Verified

Last technically checked: July 25, 2026

Research method:
The existing article and related startup guides were reviewed for overlapping search intent. Apple’s progress-bar, stuck-logo, Recovery Mode, and force-restart documentation was opened, checked against the procedures, and rechecked for clean direct URLs.

Physically tested:
No official documentation reviewed.

Applies to:
iPhones showing the Apple logo with a visible progress bar after an iOS update, backup restore, device migration, erase, or software reinstallation.

Important limitation:
The one-hour waiting threshold is specifically documented by Apple for iOS 13 or later after restoring from a backup or migrating from another device. Other update processes may require different completion times.

Data-loss risk:
Conditional. Waiting, force restarting, and Recovery Mode Update do not intentionally erase personal information. Recovery Mode Restore erases the iPhone.

Bottom line

If your iPhone is stuck on a loading screen:

• Check whether the progress bar is actually moving.
• Keep the iPhone connected to power.
• Force restart if it is genuinely frozen.
• If the same problem returns, use Recovery Mode.
• Choose Update before Restore.
• Use Restore only when you understand that it erases the iPhone.

If these steps fail, the problem may require service rather than another repeated restart or restore.