White Screen of Death: What Causes It and How to Fix It
If an app, browser tab, or your whole device suddenly shows a blank white screen and nothing else, that is a software crash pattern known as the white screen of death. It is fixable in most cases without a repair shop.
The white screen of death is a software crash pattern, not a hardware fault. An app, browser tab, or an entire device suddenly shows a blank white screen with no content, no error message, and no way to proceed. It is common enough to have a name of its own, and it is almost always fixable without a repair shop or a new device.
Fix it by platform
| Platform | First thing to try | If that fails |
|---|---|---|
| iPhone / iOS app | Force close the app and reopen it | Forced restart of the device |
| Android app | Clear the app’s cache and storage | Uninstall and reinstall the app |
| WordPress site | Deactivate all plugins, reactivate one at a time | Switch to a default theme, check PHP memory limit |
| Browser tab | Hard refresh the page | Clear cached data, try a private window |
Common triggers
Update and memory issues
A corrupted or incomplete app update, a failed operating system update, or the device running critically low on available memory.
Code and data issues
A JavaScript error that stops a page from rendering further, corrupted local storage or cache data an app depends on, or a network request that hangs during startup.
WordPress specifically
A plugin or theme conflict is common enough on WordPress that site owners refer to this specific case as “the WordPress white screen of death.”
Is it hardware or software?
Software (most common)
If the white screen only appears inside one specific app or website, and everything else on your device works normally, it is a software problem with that app, not your display.
Hardware (less common)
If your entire screen is white, including the status bar or system UI, and does not respond to a restart, hardware becomes more likely. See white spots and screen diagnosis to check for a display cable or panel issue.
A useful test either way: if you can still see a status bar, notification, or any system element on top of the blank white area, the problem is isolated to that one app, confirming software rather than hardware.
Fixing it on a phone
- Step 1
Force close the affected app, then reopen it. Many cases resolve right here.
- Step 2
If it happens again, check the app store for a pending update.
- Step 3
If already up to date, uninstall and reinstall to clear corrupted local data.
- Step 4
If it affects your entire device, restart your phone.
- Step 5
As a last resort, back up your data and consider a factory reset, reserved for a white screen that persists across restarts and affects the whole device.
iPhone and Android specifics
iPhone
A white screen limited to one app usually clears with a force close: swipe up from the bottom and hold, then swipe the app away. If the entire iPhone shows white, try a forced restart: press and quickly release volume up, then volume down, then hold the side button until the Apple logo appears. If it persists through multiple forced restarts, that points toward hardware, and a visit to Apple support is the next step.
Android
Clearing an individual app’s cache and storage through Settings, Apps, then the specific app, often resolves a white screen tied to one app without a full uninstall. Android also shows a white screen briefly right after a system update while background optimization runs; give it a few minutes before assuming something is broken.
Fixing the WordPress white screen of death
- Step 1
Enable debug mode by adding
define('WP_DEBUG', true);towp-config.php. - Step 2
Via FTP or hosting file manager, rename the
pluginsfolder to deactivate all plugins at once. - Step 3
If the site loads, rename it back and reactivate plugins one at a time to find the conflict.
- Step 4
Still broken with all plugins off? Switch to a default theme to rule out a theme conflict.
- Step 5
Increase your PHP memory limit through your hosting provider or by editing
wp-config.php. - Step 6
Check hosting error logs directly if debug mode doesn’t reveal a clear cause.
Fixing it elsewhere
Browser tab
Hard refresh, clear cached data and cookies for the specific site, and try a private window to rule out an extension conflict. Check the developer console for a visible error. If broken for every visitor, the fix is on the site’s end.
React Native
A white screen on startup usually points to an unhandled JavaScript error during the initial render. Check the Metro bundler logs or device logs for a stack trace.
Xcode storyboard
A white screen after launch commonly means the initial view controller failed to load from the storyboard, often a broken outlet connection or the wrong initial view controller. Check the storyboard’s entry point arrow and confirm the class name matches your code exactly.
Common mistakes when troubleshooting
- Jumping straight to a factory reset or reinstall before trying a simple force close and reopen.
- Assuming a white screen limited to one app means your whole device or display is failing.
- On WordPress, editing live files without a backup first.
- Not checking whether an update was in progress, since a white screen right after an update is often temporary.
Reading browser error output
For a deeper technical breakdown of debugging blank-screen JavaScript errors, see MDN’s documentation on the browser Console API, which explains how to read the error output that usually reveals the cause of a broken page render.
When to seek further help
If a white screen of death persists after a restart, reinstall, and cache clear, and affects your entire device rather than one app, contact the manufacturer’s support directly. For WordPress sites, if debug mode and plugin deactivation both fail to reveal the cause, your hosting provider’s support team can check server-level logs you do not have direct access to.
Not the same as an intentional white screen: if you are looking for a tool that deliberately fills your screen with white, for cleaning a monitor, testing for dead pixels, or as a light source, that is a different, controlled use with no connection to a crash. See the white screen tool for that.
Tools used in this guide
Frequently asked questions
What causes the white screen of death?
It is most often a software crash where an app or website fails partway through loading and never renders its actual content, leaving a blank white background. Common triggers are a corrupted app update, a JavaScript error on a website, a plugin conflict on WordPress, or a device running critically low on memory.
Is white screen of death a hardware problem?
Rarely. If the white screen appears only inside one specific app or website and other apps display normally, it is a software issue with that app, not your display. If your entire screen is white including the status bar and every app, and force-restarting does not help, hardware is more likely; see our guide on white spots and screen diagnosis.
How do I fix a white screen of death on my phone?
Force close the affected app and reopen it. If that fails, restart your device. If only one app is affected, check for a pending update or try uninstalling and reinstalling it. If every app shows white or the issue persists after a restart, back up your data and consider a factory reset as a last step.
How do I fix a white screen of death on WordPress?
This is almost always caused by a plugin or theme conflict, or a PHP memory limit being exceeded. Enable WordPress debug mode to see the underlying error, then deactivate recently added or updated plugins one at a time to isolate the cause.
My browser tab is showing a white screen. What do I do?
Hard refresh the page, clear the site's cached data, or try opening it in a private/incognito window to rule out an extension conflict. If the site itself is broken for all visitors, the fix is on the site owner's end, not yours.