Why won’t my iPad turn off?

I’ve been struggling with my iPad not turning off, no matter what I do. Pressing and holding the power button doesn’t work; the screen stays on, or the iPad restarts itself. Sometimes the screen freezes, or it gets stuck in an endless loop attempting to power off. I find this problem incredibly frustrating, especially since I use my iPad daily for both work and personal activities. I’ve closed all my apps, tried a hard reset, but nothing seems to help. I’m curious whether this is a hardware issue or a software bug that’s causing the problem.
6 Answers

A malfunctioning power button could be causing this problem. Here’s how you can deal with it:
- Inspect and clean the power button: Use a brush or compressed air to remove any debris around the button.
- Enable AssistiveTouch: Go to Settings > Accessibility > Touch and turn on AssistiveTouch to control the iPad through the screen.
- Shut down via software: Head to Settings > General > Shut Down to power off the device without using the physical button.
These tips provide temporary solutions until you can get your iPad serviced.

If the problem persists despite trying all these solutions, there might be a deeper issue with your iPad that requires professional intervention. I recommend:
- Contacting Apple Support: They can guide you through advanced troubleshooting steps or identify deeper issues.
- Visiting an Apple Store: Schedule an appointment so a technician can perform diagnostics and suggest repair options.
Sometimes, getting expert help is the best way to efficiently and accurately resolve your iPad’s problem.

One common reason for an iPad refusing to turn off is due to active apps not closing properly. To troubleshoot this:
- Close all running apps: Double-click the Home button or swipe up from the bottom to see open apps. Swipe each app up to close it.
- Attempt to turn off the iPad: Once all apps are closed, try powering off your device again.
If it shuts down successfully, it’s likely one of the apps was causing the issue.

A similar situation happened to me, and it turned out to be a software glitch. Here’s what I did to fix it:
- Perform a hard reset: Press and quickly release the Volume Up button, then the Volume Down button, and finally hold down the Power button until the Apple logo appears.
- Update the iOS: Navigate to Settings > General > Software Update and install any pending updates.
These steps resolved the issue by addressing potential software bugs.

Battery-related issues can sometimes prevent an iPad from turning off. Here’s what you could try:
- Charge your iPad: Attach it to a power source and let it charge for at least half an hour.
- Power off while charging: Attempt turning it off while it’s plugged in.
- Check battery health: Go to Settings > Battery > Battery Health to see if the battery needs replacing.
Managing battery health can help resolve shutdown issues.

Background processes might be why your iPad won’t turn off. Here’s how to handle it:
- Disable background app refresh: Go to Settings > General > Background App Refresh and turn this feature off.
- Free up storage: Navigate to Settings > General > iPad Storage and remove unneeded apps or data to free up space.
- Clear app caches: For example, clear Safari’s cache by going to Settings > Safari > Clear History and Website Data.
Reducing background activity and freeing up storage can improve your device’s responsiveness.