Oh-oh. Your iPad stays on the Apple logo during startup and does nothing more. What now? In any case, stay calm, because with these tips you will probably get it working again.
iPad stuck on Apple logo? 4 solutions
Does your iPad get stuck on the Apple logo during startup? Then the device is in a so-called bootloop.
This is the process where the iPad (or any other Apple device like the iPhone or Mac) continuously boots up and shuts itself down, without getting past the logo. As soon as the Apple logo appears, the power goes off again, and the whole tune starts again.
This is of course super annoying. Fortunately, in most cases you can solve the problem yourself quite simply. Hopefully, these 4 tips will help you.
1. Reset
It is not a cliché in the world of technology for nothing. You can solve most problems by resetting your device. By forcibly turning your iPad off and on, it starts with a clean slate. That is how it works:
- Short press the volume up button and then the volume down button;
- Press and hold the power button until iPad restarts.
Note: These instructions only apply to iPads without a physical home button (such as the iPad Pro 2021). Do you have an Apple tablet with a home button and therefore without Face ID, such as the iPad 2020? Then you have to press the physical home button and top button at the same time until the Apple logo appears on the screen.
2. A fresh start
Does your iPad get stuck on the Apple logo, or do you see a blue or red screen? Then it’s time to grab the Mac(Book). You can get the iPad into ‘Recovery mode’ via a computer and then update the software. It goes like this:
- Open Finder on your Mac(Book);
- Grab your iPad and briefly press the volume up button and then briefly press the volume down button. Press and hold the top button until the device reboots and continue to hold it until the device enters recovery mode;
- Do you have an iPad with a home button? Then press and hold the home button and top button (or side button) at the same time until you see the recovery mode screen.
- Find iPad on your computer and choose Update. This will reinstall your iPad’s operating system (iPadOS) without erasing your personal data;
- Your iPad is now downloading the new software. This takes about 15 minutes;
- Do you see the familiar startup screen appear? Then you can start resetting the iPad.
The above steps apply to Apple computers that are at least on version Catalina, the Mac software version that came out in 2019. So the instructions also work when you’re running macOS 11 (Big Sur) or macOS 12 (Monterey).
If your Mac(Book) is still on a lower software version, you will need iTunes to put the iPad into recovery mode. Windows users also use iTunes for this.
Also interesting: Does your iPhone get stuck at the Apple logo during startup? You can do this
3. Drain the battery
Still no success? Then try to drain the battery. This can sometimes help when your iPad is in a so-called ‘bootloop‘ sit. The tablet continues to automatically start up and shut down, but never gets past the Apple logo.
This reboot consumes a lot of energy, so over time the iPad battery will run out of energy. You can then try to see if it does pass the logo on the home screen this time.
4. Claim your warranty
Is your iPad stuck on the Apple logo and the above steps didn’t help? Then it’s time to turn to Apple.
Contact Apple Customer Service or knock on the door of an authorized repair shop. These kinds of things are allowed to carry out repairs on behalf of the iPad maker. Examples of this type of business are Amac.
First aid for iPad problems
On iPhoned you will find a lot of tips to solve iPad problems. For example, what should you do if your iPad gets stuck in recovery mode? And what do you do if you want to know how old an iPad is? Also handy: our guide to transferring data from an old to a new iPad.
