A force restart is useful when an iPhone is frozen or will not respond to the normal power-off controls. It does not intentionally erase your apps, photos, messages, or settings.
Force Restart iPhone 8 and Later
- Quickly press and release Volume Up.
- Quickly press and release Volume Down.
- Press and hold the Side button.
- Keep holding until the Apple logo appears.
- Release the Side button.
Force Restart iPhone 7 or iPhone 7 Plus
- Press and hold the Side button and Volume Down button together.
- Keep holding until the Apple logo appears.
- Release both buttons.
Force Restart iPhone 6s and Earlier
- Press and hold the Home button and Side or Top button together.
- Keep holding until the Apple logo appears.
- Release the buttons.
Force Restart vs. Factory Reset
A force restart simply forces the device to reboot. A factory reset erases content and settings. Do not confuse the two procedures when troubleshooting a frozen screen.
If the iPhone Still Does Not Start
Charge it and try again. If the device remains unresponsive, Apple’s recovery-mode or service procedures may be the next appropriate step.
When a Restart Is the Right Fix
A restart is especially useful after an app freezes, Bluetooth or Wi-Fi behaves oddly, or the interface stops responding normally but the iPhone is still usable. It is low risk because it does not remove personal data. If the same problem returns immediately after every restart, look for an app update, iOS update, storage shortage, or a more specific setting problem instead of repeatedly rebooting.