iPhone Stuck on Notification Canceled? 5 Tips to Try

I accidentally called 911 and when I terminated the call, notification canceled appeared on the screen and the screen is frozen.

—— virtuosoguitarist from Apple Support Community

If you accidentally called 911 on your iPhone and then got stuck on the "notification canceled" screen when you terminated the call, it can be very frustrating, especially if you were doing something important. The screen refusing to respond can be a major inconvenience.

Fortunately, there are simple solutions to bring your phone out of this state. This post contains all the tips you need to fix the issue and get your iPhone back to normal again.

Reboot Your iPhone

Numerous issues on your iPhone, including being stuck on the notification canceled screen, can often be resolved with a straightforward restart. It's a simple process that takes just 1-2 minutes.

For iPhones with Face ID:

Simultaneously press and hold the side button and either volume button until the sliders appear; then, drag the Power Off slider.

For iPhones with the Home button:

Press and hold the side button, then drag the slider.

Force Restart Your iPhone

The second solution for an iPhone being stuck on the notification canceled screen is a force restart. Apple suggests that you force restart your iPhone if its screen is frozen or if it doesn't respond when you touch it.

Keep in mind that it is primarily a temporary solution for most software-related issues. If your phone has frozen due to a hardware problem, a hard reset might not work at all. Nevertheless, we will try this method before anything else to unfreeze your phone as quickly as possible.

Force restart iPhone 6s and earlier:

Press and hold the Home button (the circular button at the bottom of your phone) along with the Sleep/Wake button for at least 10 seconds until you see the Apple logo on the screen.

Force restart iPhone 7 or 7 Plus:

Holding the Power button and Volume Down button together for more than 10 seconds. Once the Apple logo appears on the screen, you can let go of the buttons. 

Force restart iPhone 8 or later:

Press and release the Volume Up button and then let it go. Now press and release the Volume Down button, and follow that up by pressing and holding the Side button till the screen displays the Apple logo.

Your iPhone should be up and running at this point and you should be able to use it normally. But we recommend that you keep reading this guide to investigate the reason why your phone froze in the first place.

A frozen iPhone screen can be the indicator of a deeper issue that is leading to this malfunction. It is the right time to recall if your phone has been hanging up lately, getting very hot while using or the battery is draining very fast.  

Fix iPhone Frozen Issue with TinyFix

If your device still gets stuck on the notification canceled screen, do not hesitate to use an iOS system repair tool like TinyFix to resolve the issue. This program can fix a wide range of iOS issues and get your phone's operations back to normal in no time and without data loss.

It not only fixes the frozen iPhone screen but also addresses common iPhone system issues such as not turning on or off. Moreover, this tool does not require technical know-how and is easy to implement.

Here's how to use TinyFix in detail.

Step 1: Connect the iPhone

Download and install TinyFix on to your computer. Open it after installation and then connect the iPhone to the computer using its original lightning cable.

In the program's main window, click on "iOS System Repair" from the left column and then select "Standard Repair Mode".

In the next window, you should see some information about how the program works. Simply click on "Fix Now " to begin the repair process.

Step 2: Download the Firmware

The program will need to download the latest firmware for the device and it will provide you with a number of options, depending on the available firmware.

Choose the one that you would like to use and click "Download" to continue. The program will begin downloading the firmware package. The download may take a few minutes.

Step 3: Fix Your iPhone

When the download is done, click on "Fix Now" and allow the program to begin repairing the frozen issue. The repair process will also take a few minutes and your iPhone will restart in normal mode when it is complete.

Put Your iPhone in Recovery Mode

If your iPhone's screen still got stuck after the upper fixes, or you prefer not to use iOS system repair tools, consider restoring your device in Recovery Mode. Here is what you can do:

Step 1. Connect your iPhone to your computer. Open the Finder on a Mac running macOS Catalina. Open iTunes on a Mac running macOS Mojave or earlier, or on a PC. Determine which macOS your Mac is running.

Step 2. Select your iPhone from iTunes or Finder on your computer.

Step 3. While your iPhone is connected, perform the following steps to put your device in Recovery mode:

iPhone 8 or later: Press and release the Volume Up button, do the same with the Volume Down button, and press and hold the side button till the recovery mode shows up.

iPhone 7 or 7 Plus: Press and hold the Volume Down button and the Side buttons together until you see the recovery mode screen.

iPhone 6s and older: Press and hold the Home button and the side button, or the top button until the recovery mode screen shows. 

Step 4. When prompted to restore or update, select Update.

Your computer will start downloading software on your device. Just wait for a while. Your device will exit recovery mode if it takes more than 15 minutes. Repeat steps 2-4.

Diagnose Hardware Problems

If the restoration steps are continuously failing or your iPhone is not appearing on iTunes, it can be a hardware problem that is causing your phone to freeze. For example, a little splash of water can deteriorate the internal components of your iPhone.

In some hardware-related cases, the phone does not turn off but everything stops working smoothly. Apple provides repair services for all kinds of hardware-related issues, but those services can be expensive. But if you want Apple's qualified technicians to resolve the issue, you can call and book an appointment. 

What to Do to Avoid Notification Canceled Stuck Issue on iPhone?

Your iPhone should be back to normal after using the above methods. However, it is still necessary to follow the steps below to avoid your iPhone getting stuck on the "notification canceled" screen in the future.

Back Up Your iPhone

If you successfully rebooted your iPhone, we recommend backing it up next. Screen freezes are often caused by software or hardware issues, so having a backup is crucial to avoid data loss in future.

Backup to iCloud

1. Connect your iPhone to Wi-Fi.
2. Open Settings and tap your name at the top.
3. Select iCloud, then iCloud Backup, and turn on the toggle switch.
4. Tap Back Up Now.

By backing up to iCloud, you ensure your data is safe if your phone gets stuck again.

Backup via iTunes

For computers or Macs with iOS 10.14 or older:

1. Connect your iPhone to the computer using a lightning cable and authorize the connection.
2. Open iTunes and click the iPhone icon in the upper-left corner.
3. Select This Computer and check the box for Encrypt Local Backup.
4. Click Back Up Now.

Backup via Finder

For Macs running macOS Catalina 10.15 or later:

1. Connect your iPhone to the computer using a lightning cable.
2. Open Finder and select your iPhone under Locations.
3. Choose Back up all the data on your iPhone to this Mac and check Encrypt Local Backup.
4. Enter a password if prompted, and click Back Up Now.

By following these steps, you ensure your data is protected and minimize issues from future screen freezes.

Free Up Storage on iPhone

If your iPhone screen frequently becomes stuck, it's advisable to consider freeing up storage on your device. Insufficient space on the iPhone can impede its overall performance and, in more severe cases, lead to your iPhone freezing.

To free up storage on your iPhone and improve its performance, follow these steps:

1. Open Settings.
2. Tap General.
3. Select iPhone Storage.

Here, you'll see a breakdown of your storage usage and recommendations for freeing up space. You can try to delete unused apps, clear cache and data for some apps, or check for large videos and photos that you can delete or move to cloud storage to free up space on your iPhone and improve its performance.

Delete Suspicious Apps and Update Your Apps

If your iPhone starts freezing on the notification canceled screen after downloading a new app from the App Store, remove that app.

1. Tap and hold the app icon until the menu appears.
2. Select Remove App.
3. Tap Delete App and confirm by tapping Delete.

To update all apps on your device:

1. Launch the App Store from your Home screen.
2. Tap your Apple profile icon at the top right.
3. Scroll down to the Updates section. If no apps are listed, drag the screen down to refresh.
4. Tap Update All to install all pending updates.
5. Check the Recently Updated section for the list of newly updated apps.

After updating, restart your device to apply the changes.

Reset All Settings on iPhone

Deleting all current settings and restoring them to default can solve issues caused by incorrect settings. To reset all settings on your iPhone, follow these steps:

1. Open the Settings app from your Home screen.
2. Tap on General.
3. Scroll down and tap on Reset.
4. Select Reset All Settings.
5. Enter your phone's passcode if prompted.
6. Tap the prompt to confirm the action.

Your phone will start the reset process. Once it restarts, you can select the settings you want to apply. Be mindful of changes that could cause your phone to freeze in the future.

Ensure Your iOS is Up to Date

Regularly update your iPhone to the latest iOS version provided by Apple. These updates typically include bug fixes and improvements that address known issues, including screen freezes. Regularly checking for and installing updates helps maintain optimal performance and stability for your iPhone.

Wrap Up

In summary, the steps we discussed have been tried and proven by many iPhone users to help with the problem of notifications getting stuck on the iPhone. If these steps don't work, you can also try using TinyFix, a top-notch tool for fixing frozen iPhones. We hope this guide helps resolve the issue with notifications getting canceled on your iPhone.