ITJungles

Okay, picture this: you press the lock button on your shiny new iPhone 16 or 16e, expecting that sweet, battery-saving darkness. But nope! The screen just… stays on. It’s like your phone’s having a little rave and forgot to turn off the lights. Annoying, right? Not only is it a major battery drain – goodbye, afternoon scrolling! – but it can also be a privacy bummer with your screen just chilling there for anyone to peek at. Nobody wants their personal stuff illuminated for the world to see.

But don’t panic and think your iPhone’s gone full poltergeist. This is actually a fairly common glitch, and thankfully, there are usually some pretty simple fixes you can try before you start considering an exorcist. We’re talking about getting your phone back to its power-napping ways, saving your precious battery life for the stuff you actually want to do, and keeping your screen private when it’s supposed to be. So, let’s dive into the super easy steps to send that stubborn screen back to sleep!

iPhone 16/16: Fix Screen Stays On When Locked, Won’t Turn Off – Quick Steps

How to Fix an iPhone 16e/16 Screen That Stays On When Locked:

1. Force Restart Your iPhone: This is the classic “have you tried turning it off and on again?” for iPhones. Quickly press and release the Volume Up button, then quickly press and release the Volume Down button, then press and hold the Side button until the Apple logo appears. Let go of the Side button and let your iPhone restart.  
2. Check Your Auto-Lock Setting: Maybe your iPhone is set to never lock automatically. Go to Settings > Display & Brightness > Auto-Lock. Make sure it’s set to a reasonable time (like 30 seconds or 1 minute).
3. Look for Wake Screen Settings: Some features can temporarily prevent the screen from locking. Go to Settings > Face ID & Passcode (or Touch ID & Passcode). See if “Raise to Wake” is turned on. While handy, try turning it off temporarily to see if that helps. Also, check Settings > Notifications – excessive notifications might be keeping the screen active.
4. Inspect Accessibility Settings: Certain Accessibility features can interfere with the lock screen. Go to Settings > Accessibility and check options like “VoiceOver,” “Zoom,” and “Guided Access” to see if they are enabled and might be causing the issue. Try turning them off one by one to see if it makes a difference.
5. Update iOS: Make sure your iPhone is running the latest version of iOS. Go to Settings > General > Software Update and install any available updates. Software updates often include bug fixes.  
6. Reset All Settings (Use with Caution): If none of the above work, you can try resetting all settings. This won’t delete your data, but it will reset things like Wi-Fi passwords, wallpaper, and notification settings. Go to Settings > General > Transfer or Reset iPhone > Reset > Reset All Settings.
7. Restore Your iPhone (Last Resort): If the problem persists, you might need to restore your iPhone to its factory settings. Make sure you back up your iPhone first! Go to Settings > General > Transfer or Reset iPhone > Erase All Content and Settings. This will completely wipe your phone, so only do this as a last resort.
8. Contact Apple Support: If you’ve tried everything and your screen is still stubbornly staying on, it’s time to reach out to Apple Support or take your iPhone to an authorized service provider. It could be a hardware issue.