How To Fix iPhone Stuck on Hello Screen After Update (iOS 17 Guide)

For the most part, you can download and install iPhone updates without a hitch, but major issues, like your device getting stuck on the “Hello” screen, aren’t impossible. This is especially alarming because it renders your device completely unusable. It appears on brand-new and newly reset iPhones — all functions will be unavailable until you find a solution.

Ideally, you’d want to fix this problem with simple fixes so that you can skip calling for repairs. I’ll show you what you can do to bypass this error.

How to Fix Your iPhone Stuck on Hello Screen After Update

1. Force Restart Your iPhone

NOTE

On rare occasions, you may notice that your Apple logo keeps blinking. Reboot loops may need comprehensive attention, which could include putting your iPhone in DFU mode. If you’re experiencing this problem, check this guide on what to do if you’re stuck in a reboot loop.

2. Use Apple Configurator

If you’re still experiencing the same problem after force restarting your iPhone, turn to your Mac. Apple Configurator lets you configure your iPhone (and other Apple devices) from a single interface. Follow these steps closely to avoid any missteps:

1. Download Apple Configurator.
2. Connect your iPhone to your Mac via the USB port.
3. Select your iPhone.
   
4. Press control + trackpad on your computer and click on Advanced.
   
5. When the dropdown menu appears, select Revive Device.

The above steps will only work if your iPhone is in Recovery Mode, which will probably happen if you keep seeing the Hello screen. You can put your iPhone in Recovery Mode by following the same steps as Force Restart, but with your iPhone connected to your computer.

3. Complete the Restore Process and Download Your iCloud Backups

If you see the Hello screen on your device, it isn’t the end of the world. Thanks to iCloud providing the ability to back up your iPhone easily, you can restore everything with minimal fuss.

When you see the setup screen, you should — after selecting your language — see an option to restore your device from iCloud. This iPhone setup guide will help you complete all the necessary steps. While you’ll need to invest the initial start-up time, you should be up and running before too long.

4. Connect Your iPhone to a Computer and Force Restart

After setting up your iPhone through iCloud Backup, you should be able to use your device normally again. But if that’s not the case, force restart your device with it connected to your computer.

Simply plug your iPhone into your device via the USB port. Then, follow steps one to four in the first section of this article.

5. Restore iPhone to Factory Settings Via Your Computer

Restoring your iPhone to Factory Settings via your computer might also solve the problem once and for all. If possible, you should back up your device to ensure that all of your data is easily accessible after.

After plugging your iPhone into your computer, follow these steps to back up your device before restoring to Factory Settings:

1. Open Finder and select your iPhone in the left-hand toolbar.
   
2. Go to Backups and select Back Up Now.
   
3. Wait for your iPhone to back up.

Afterward, you can then restore your iPhone. Since you need to turn off Find My, you should do that from your smartphone first. If you can’t do that, the only other option is to remove your device via iCloud.

Doing so will remove all of the data on your device, but you’re already at that point anyway. So, it won’t make a huge difference; you can still restore your device from a previous backup after reconnecting your iPhone. Here’s how to remove your iPhone from iCloud on your computer:

1. Sign into the iCloud website.
2. Go to your iPhone, select it, and click on Remove This Device. You can add it back to iCloud later.
   

Once you’ve turned off Find My, you’re then ready to restore your iPhone from your computer. Open Finder and follow these steps:

1. Select your iPhone.
2. Under Software, select Restore iPhone.
   
   

6. Put Your iPhone Into Recovery Mode

If none of the above has worked so far, consider putting your iPhone into recovery mode and restoring from a backup. Here are the steps to do that:

1. Press the two volume buttons on your iPhone before holding the power button with your device plugged into your computer.
2. Go to Finder and select your iPhone.
3. A pop-up window should appear. When it does, tap Restore.
   

Contact Apple Support if none of the above solutions work. Unfortunately, your only option now is to have certified technicians check for more complex software issues and hardware defects.