iPhone 11 has frozen & lost screen visiblility

[Raven]

My iPhone 11 stopped working!  The screen is frozen and won’t turn on or off. My phone does ring for a call, but I can’t answer it, as nothing on the screen swipes. I had the timer on before, and now it rings and goes to Snooze EVERY 10 minutes. I had to wrap it into a pillow to shut it up! lol

I did a hard RESET several times. (Volume up. Volume down. Hold power button until it reboots). That hasn’t worked.

I connected it to my iMac to try the RECOVERY process. Took an hour, but nothing improved.

The iPhone icon does not show up on my Desktop or on iTunes as a device when it's plugged into my iMac. More confusing is that iTunes shows my previous iPhone devices  from 2015, 2016, 2018 but NOT before I purchased the 11 and backed up the old one in 2020. Why is that? 

Troubleshooting tells me I should try a RESTORE to factory settings. If I do that, what information will I lose… Contacts? Text messages? calendar events? Apps? email accounts? Voice recordings?
My photos are stored in iCloud. I have very few songs saved.

I use my iPhone for business and volunteer projects a LOT. Hope someone at TS has an answer. You’ve saved me before! :-)

[Xairbusdriver]

I have heard that the iPhone 11 has had problems with "Touch" control. However, it sounds like you can still access Settings?

what information will I lose…

I actually did an "Erase All Content and Settings" on my iPhone 13 (iOS 15.3). I did NOT lose Contacts, Photos, Messages, Calendar events, etc. I DID have quite a wait for all my apps to reload. Obviously, your milage may vary.

[Raven]

 The first screen that I see when it comes up is -
Timer - Snooze/Stop.
Nothing swipes.
I cannot access any other page or settings.

When I push the power button twice, I get a list of Notifications.
Nothing swipes.
At the top of notifications, I can see the Snooze bar counting down to 0 minutes.
Then the ringing starts.
Pushing the power button stops the ringing, and Timer starts again.
When I muffle it and hide the damn phone, the ringing eventually stops.

And back to the start of this page/screen.

I may have to give RESTORE a try, but very nervous what I may lose.
Do I call Apply Support without any insurance package on my part?

[Raven]

This is related to a problem [iPhone is frozen] I just posted that I am trying to fix as I cannot access anything on my iPhone. The screen will not swipe. Even after hard resets.

The second problem seems to be the when I attach the power cord to my iMac, the iPhone icon does not show up on my desktop or on DEVICES in iTunes. When I tried the RECOVERY mode procedure, the icon does not show up anywhere, although a revolving gear seems to be at work that took an hour to stop. How can I access my iPhone anywhere and anyhow?

[Larry]

You can still get support for this from Apple Care, being as its a fault on the phone they may cover it at no cost - worth giving them a call

[Xairbusdriver]

The "not visible" problem has be merged with the "frozen" thread.

Please post there to discuss either problem.

[Raven]

I chatted with Apple Support today. We did the hard Reset and Recovery Mode UPDATE. Same as I tried before. But still no changes to my frozen iPhone. Three days without is a huge issue! Will try again tomorrow with Apple Care and try RESTORE. Hopefully I do not lose files  or data.

[Xairbusdriver]

I've never heard of "Apple Career".

As I said before, even an "Erase and Reset" (in iOS 15) does not 'mess' with your data. In fact, it makes a complete backup to iCloud, no matter how much space you have there. There is no space restriction because that backup will only be in iCloud for 21 days.

The big problem with this function is that you have to be able to actually see your phone and it must work with touch. Since you have neither, it would appear you probably need some hardware repairs. Both Touch and screen back light can be repaired, for a fee. You can also get the repair company to simply download all your data and send it back to you on a thumb drive. There may be some stores where you live but I recommend a couple of companies in the US of A:
STS Telecom and iPadRehab

[Raven]

Thanks Xairbusdriver.
Hey, I never heard of Apple Career before either! lol
If this is a hardware problem, it's now a big problem for me. I live 500 miles from any Apple store or repair place. Plus I'm  going on holidays next week for 3 weeks. Gotta have my phone for business reasons.
I will try Apple CARE one more time today.
I may just have to buy a new iPhone and download everything from iCloud. Will that work, as expensive as that may be? 

[Xairbusdriver]

Only encouragement I can offer: As a business expense, I assume that you can deduct the costs on your federal taxes.

[Raven]

I had to buy a new iPhone 12. Was able to get everything back from iCloud onto the new iPhone 12 after several days of stress. 
Just have to reload many apps when I remember which ones I had. :-)
Now I have to see what the options are to find someone who can repair one frozen iPhone 11 in Canada. Need to get some of my money back.  The Bell store said it's worth $500 Can, if I can get it fixed. The phone stays frozen. It gives notification tabs, phone calls come in, clock works, etc. Just the screen does not accept any swipes or touches!
Any suggestion who might be able to fix this in Canada?
Xairbusdriver, Much thanks for all your help here.

[Paddy]

There are a number of mail-in repair places in Canada. I've never used any of them, so can't recommend one.

https://www.tecfix.ca/mail-in-repair/ - this one is in Winnipeg, so at least it's a little closer to you than the others!
https://ibroken.ca
https://www.phoneguru.ca/mail-in-repair/
https://www.cellclinic.ca/repairs-by-mail

[Raven]

CONTINUING SAGA... iPhone 11. 128 GB.

Thanks Paddy.
Found a certified Apple Repair Centre in Winnipeg (500 miles away).
Took it there on my way on holidays. They solved the problem the same day. Said they fixed a loose connector for $60 Cdn (repair #1). Said it must have come from an impact. Hmmm. I can't remember dropping it, and I use a good Otterbox case. But it was working! Yahoo!

When I came home yesterday and tried it again, it would not work. Screen is frozen again and will not swipe or respond to touch.
I called the repair shop, and they suggested it might need a new screen ($160 - repair #2) or a new motherboard ($600 -  repair #3). Which he explained to me the first time. I called Apple Canada, and they said they could fix it whatever the problem is for $595 plus shipping. The phone is 14 months old and out of warranty. And may be worth $600-700. Grrr!

Apple suggested I could take it back to the first repair centre and ask for a full diagnostic. So I called their shop again, and they said they could put in a new screen (repair #2), and that MAY solve the problem. If not, it might then require a new motherboard (repair #3). Do I feel like I am getting the runaround? Why can they not do a diagnostic and define the problem and cost to repair? I am willing to do #1 and #2, but not #3. I don't think that's worth it because I could never get my money back. It's already cost me a bundle to cancel my 2 year contract and buy a new iPhone 12 and new contract.

What would you do?

[Xairbusdriver]

Both the links I gave you are in the USofA. But both of them often repair the "repairs" of other shops.

"Certified Apple Repair" shops only means that they cannot do any repairs except what Apple says they can. A reputable repair facility will agree to take another look at any device that they worked on that does not work when you get it back. Also, a reputable shop will advise you of what they find and quote a cost. At that point, you can allow or decline the fix. A NON-certified shop can repair/replace anything that they determine to be faulty. Those parts may be from non-repairable, donated devices, after market parts (usually from China) or parts that may come from defective products from the same factory that built your phone!.

[Raven]

Thanks Xair! Good to know.

I'm not impressed when the first repair shop says, "if we fix the screen, then you can sell it, and if it breaks down again, it will be someone else problem."

I'll try one of Paddy's shops she found in Winnipeg and see what they say.