How to Shut Down or Force Restart Any iPhone
Share
Use a normal shutdown and restart when your iPhone is responding. If the screen is frozen or the iPhone will not respond to taps, Apple recommends a force restart instead. On iPhone 8 and later, including current Face ID models and recent iPhone SE models, the force-restart sequence is: quickly press Volume Up, quickly press Volume Down, then hold the Side button until the Apple logo appears.
A force restart is a troubleshooting step for an unresponsive iPhone; it is not the same as erasing, resetting, or restoring the device. You do not need to clear RAM, delete caches, or use a computer just to restart an iPhone.
How to shut down an iPhone normally
iPhone with Face ID
- Press and hold the Side button and either Volume button at the same time.
- When the sliders appear, drag slide to power off.
- After the iPhone turns off, press and hold the Side button until the Apple logo appears to turn it back on.
iPhone with a Home button
- Press and hold the Side button until the power-off slider appears. On very old models such as iPhone SE (1st generation), iPhone 5, and earlier, the power button is on the top.
- Drag the slider and wait for the iPhone to turn off.
- Press and hold the Side or Top button, as applicable, to turn it back on.
Apple's current iPhone User Guide also provides two software methods if the screen works: open Control Center, touch and hold the Power button in the top-right corner, or go to Settings → General → Shut Down. See Apple's current shutdown instructions.
How to force restart iPhone 8 or later
Use this sequence when the iPhone is not responding and you cannot turn it off normally:
- Press and quickly release Volume Up.
- Press and quickly release Volume Down.
- Press and hold the Side button.
- Release the Side button when the Apple logo appears.
This is the sequence shown in Apple's current iPhone User Guide for force restarting.
How to force restart iPhone 7 or iPhone 7 Plus
- Press and hold the Side button and Volume Down button at the same time.
- Keep holding both buttons until the Apple logo appears, then release them.
How to force restart iPhone 6s or earlier
- Press and hold the Home button and the Side button or Top button at the same time.
- Keep holding until the Apple logo appears, then release the buttons.
Apple's current unresponsive-iPhone support page documents the older iPhone 7/7 Plus and iPhone 6s-or-earlier button combinations separately.
Restart vs force restart: which should you use?
| Situation | Best action |
|---|---|
| iPhone works but an app or feature is behaving strangely | Normal shutdown and restart |
| Screen is frozen or iPhone does not respond | Force restart |
| iPhone will not power on | Charge it, then follow Apple's power-on troubleshooting |
| You want to erase the phone | Do not use a restart; use the appropriate erase/restore workflow instead |
What if the iPhone still will not restart?
Apple currently advises charging an iPhone that will not turn on for one hour and then trying again. If the screen remains black, the Apple logo remains stuck, or the device still will not respond after the correct force-restart sequence, move to Apple's startup troubleshooting or service options. Repeatedly force restarting a device that cannot boot does not diagnose a battery, display, charging, or logic-board problem.
Common mistakes
- Holding all buttons together on a newer iPhone: the iPhone 8-or-later sequence is sequential, not simultaneous.
- Using the iPhone 8 sequence on an iPhone 7: iPhone 7 and 7 Plus use Side + Volume Down.
- Releasing the Side button too early: keep holding until the Apple logo appears.
- Using force restart for every small problem: if the device is responsive, a normal restart is the simpler first step.
- Confusing restart with reset: restarting does not mean Reset All Settings or Erase All Content and Settings.