iPhone 16 Stuck on Hello Screen: Why It Happens and How to Move Past It

You just unboxed the titanium beauty. It’s sleek, it’s fast, and then—bam. Your iPhone 16 stuck on hello screen becomes a very expensive paperweight before you’ve even sent your first iMessage. Honestly, it’s one of the most soul-crushing things that can happen during a new phone setup. You swipe up, the passcode screen flickers for a microsecond like a ghost, and then you’re right back at that multilingual "Hello" greeting.

It’s frustrating. It's weirdly common. And most importantly, it’s usually not a hardware "brick," even if it feels like one right now.

Most people think they’ve broken the phone by tapping something wrong. They haven't. Usually, this happens because the initial iOS update—which Apple basically forces you to do during setup—got interrupted or hit a server snag. The phone thinks it’s done, but the software is actually in a half-baked state.

Why your iPhone 16 is acting like a brick

Basically, when you transfer data from an old phone to a new iPhone 16, the system tries to do three things at once: move your photos, download your apps, and update the operating system. That’s a lot of heavy lifting. If your Wi-Fi hiccuped or the Apple activation servers were having a bad day, the "Hello" screen loop is the result.

Sometimes, the phone gets incredibly hot during this process. I’ve seen reports on Reddit where users say their 16 Pro felt like a hand warmer while it was stuck. This thermal spike can actually pause the setup process to protect the internals, leaving you staring at "Hola" and "Bonjour" indefinitely.

Another culprit? Full storage on your old phone. If your previous iPhone was 99% full, the backup file might be slightly corrupted or too messy for the new hardware to index properly on the first go.

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The "Magic" button sequence (Force Restart)

Before you drive to the Apple Store, try the "secret handshake." Most people just hold the power button, but that won't work here. You need a force restart.

1. Press and quickly release the Volume Up button.
2. Press and quickly release the Volume Down button.
3. Press and hold the Side button (the big one on the right).
4. Keep holding it. Ignore the "Slide to Power Off" slider if it appears. Keep holding until you see the Apple logo.

If you're lucky, the phone will reboot, realize it was being silly, and let you finish the setup. If it goes right back to the "Hello" loop, we need to bring in the big guns.

When the swipe-up fails: Using Recovery Mode

If your swipe-up gesture is literally doing nothing, or the screen flashes and resets, you have to use a computer. You'll need a Mac (Finder) or a Windows PC (with the Apple Devices app or iTunes).

Hook your iPhone 16 to the computer using the USB-C cable that came in the box. Now, do that same button sequence: Up, Down, and then hold the Side button. But this time, do not let go when the Apple logo appears. Keep holding that Side button until you see a screen that shows a laptop icon and a cable. This is Recovery Mode. Once your computer sees the phone, it’ll give you two choices: Update or Restore.

Important Note: Try "Update" first. This attempts to reinstall the software without nuking your data. If that fails (which it sometimes does in this specific loop), you’ll have to hit "Restore." This wipes the phone to factory settings. Since you’re still in the setup phase, you haven’t really "lost" anything on the new phone yet, so don't panic.

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The DFU Mode: The nuclear option

So the "Update" failed and "Restore" gave you a weird error code? It's time for DFU (Device Firmware Update) mode. This is the deepest level of restore possible. It doesn't even load the "Hello" screen software; it just talks straight to the hardware.

Entering DFU mode on an iPhone 16 is like a rhythm game. Connect to your computer, then:

• Quickly press Volume Up.
• Quickly press Volume Down.
• Hold the Side button for 10 seconds. The screen will stay black.
• While still holding the Side button, press and hold Volume Down for 5 seconds.
• Release the Side button but keep holding Volume Down for another 10 seconds.

If you did it right, the screen will stay completely black, but your computer will say it has "detected an iPhone in recovery mode." From here, you can perform a clean factory restore. This usually fixes 99% of the software glitches that cause the hello screen hang.

Real talk about the SIM card and eSIM

Wait, did you move your SIM already? Some users have found that the iPhone 16 gets stuck because it’s trying to activate an eSIM while also trying to ping a physical SIM that isn't there anymore.

If you have a physical SIM tray (depending on your region), try popping it out. If you're eSIM-only, sometimes simply getting away from your home Wi-Fi and using a different network—or even a mobile hotspot—can kickstart the activation process. I know it sounds like "voodoo tech," but network handshakes are often the silent killer of a smooth setup.

Surprising things that actually work

I've spent way too much time in Apple Support communities, and here are a few "weird but true" fixes for the iPhone 16 stuck on hello screen:

• The "Let it Die" Method: Some people just leave the phone alone until the battery hits 0%. Once it's completely dead, they charge it and turn it on. For whatever reason, the cold boot after a total power drain sometimes clears the cache that was causing the loop.
• The "Old Phone First" Fix: Make sure your old iPhone is updated to the absolute latest version of iOS (likely iOS 18 or 19 depending on when you're reading this). If the old phone is on an older software version than the iPhone 16, the data transfer can "confuse" the new hardware.
• The Apple Configurator: If you have a Mac, download the "Apple Configurator" app from the App Store. It’s a tool for businesses, but it has a "Revive" feature that is much more stable than the standard Finder restore process.

Actionable steps to get your phone back

If you're staring at that screen right now, here is exactly what you should do in order:

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1. Force Restart: Up, Down, hold Side button. If it works, great.
2. Wait 30 Minutes: Seriously. Sometimes the phone is just processing a massive background update. If it's hot, put it on a cool surface (not the fridge!) and wait.
3. Computer Restore: If it’s still stuck after an hour, use a cable and a computer to enter Recovery Mode. Choose Restore, not Update.
4. Set up as New: When the phone finally reboots, do not restore from your backup immediately. Set it up as a "New iPhone" first. Get to the actual home screen. Then, go to Settings > General > Software Update. Install any pending updates. Once the phone is on the newest software, then erase it and try the transfer from your old phone again.

Most of the time, the software just needed to be "leveled out" before it could handle your 200GB of cat photos and old texts. If you’ve tried a DFU restore and the phone still won't get past "Hello," it’s officially time to visit the Genius Bar. There's a small chance you have a faulty NAND chip, and that’s a hardware issue only Apple can swap out for you.

Check your Wi-Fi stability, grab a sturdy USB-C cable, and give the computer restore a shot. You'll likely be back to customizing your Lock Screen in no time.

Next steps for you:

• Check your Wi-Fi signal strength; a weak connection is the #1 cause of setup hangs.
• Locate a high-quality USB-C cable (the one in the box is best) for the computer restore.
• Ensure your computer's OS and the Apple Devices app are fully updated before connecting the phone.