iPhone 5 screen keeps going dark and restarting iPhone.

Question

iPhone 5 screen keeps going dark and restarting iPhone.

Recently my iPhone 5 (iOS 9.3.4)'s screen has been dimming and turning off, or dimming, darker vertical lines appearing and then turning off. It then turns back on and goes through the whole startup sequence. Sometimes when it turns back on the screen is flickering slightly, although I'm still able to use it until it restarts again. It seems to happen randomly but around once a week, although when it does happen it is repeatedly, every minute or so, regardless of whether I'm using it or not. It has been doing it intermittently for around a month and a half now. I've no idea why it's doing it and hasn't coincided with anything as far as I know. Here is a video to demonstrate what is happening.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=e6oSjOpnFfA

Thanks in advance, Jack

iPhone 5, iOS 9.3.4

Posted on Sep 1, 2016 1:26 AM

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Answer 1

SnickZ.

Community Specialist

Sep 1, 2016 2:16 PM in response to Bristol Buses

Hi there, Bristol Buses!
Thanks for the information about the iPhone 5 screen issue you're seeing. I'll do my best to help.
Start with the following articles:
How to back up your iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch -- Sometimes these types of problems can be related to software or hardware issues. Since the next step in this process will completely erase your phone, I highly recommend backing up your phone to keep your personal data safe.
Use iTunes on your Mac or PC to restore your iPhone, iPad, or iPod to factory settings -- Next, use iTunes to completely erase your iPhone to allow you to install a fresh, clean copy of the iOS.
The first time through, you'll select "Set up as a new iPhone" so you're able to test. You should sign into iCloud and the iTunes & App Store on your phone to be able to sync the data you'll need. If the symptoms return, let me know. If they don't and you're comfortable with how it's acting now, continue onto the next step.
Restore your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch from a backup -- Follow the direction here to replace your personal data back on your phone.

Take care and thanks for using Apple Support Communities!

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Answer 2

Sep 1, 2016 3:28 PM in response to SnickZ.

HI, thanks for the reply, I tried doing so earlier but my phone didn't appear on iTunes, but now I have that article I may have found a solution to that problem. Does the phone need to be switched on to back up with itunes? As if it does that could be a problem as it now restarts every two minutes, with no breaks where it is working.

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Answer 3

raina_b22

Community Specialist

Sep 1, 2016 3:49 PM in response to Bristol Buses

You're welcome, but I'm sorry to hear that your iPhone is now restarting so frequently. But yes, you're correct in that your iPhone does need to be on for a backup to complete usually. The only time it hasn't taken more than a minute or so was right after I'd back up mine and tried it again to see how fast it went. I was hoping to catch the phone during a non-restarting phase.
If you've recently backed up your phone and aren't concerned with losing anything recent, you could restore your iPhone to factory settings now instead. If you're not comfortable that, wait for a time when your iPhone isn't restarting.

Hope this helps!

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Answer 4

Sep 2, 2016 3:30 PM in response to Bristol Buses

I've now factory reset my iPhone, but the problem is still occuring, the the extent that I can't restore a backup on to it (restarts before it can finish). I guess the only option is going to an Apple Store, unless anyone has more suggestions? I'm assuming it's a hardware issue if it's still doing it after the reset. Anyway, thanks for your help all, I hope I can get it sorted soon.

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Answer 5

Sep 3, 2016 2:40 PM in response to raina_b22

I Have now managed to perform a factory reset and restore, but the issue is still there. I think I've worked out the cause now, or at least a pattern. The battery percentage is stuck at the moment, so it doesn't warn me when it's getting low. It then runs out and that's when the issues start, and only when it restarts does the percentage change. For example, today it's said its been on 100% all day until about 10 minutes ago, when it turned off. When I plugged it in, and it turned back on it had 1%.

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Answer 6

Sep 24, 2016 8:35 AM in response to raina_b22

TThe problem has returned again and it's now also affecting scrolling and typing, and the screen is turning off in yet more elaborate ways! I'm now assuming it's hardware and it's not the screen, although it's still possible that it could be a software issue.

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