How to Hard Reset an iPhone
This article was co-authored by wikiHow staff writer, Nicole Levine, MFA. Nicole Levine is a Technology Writer and Editor for wikiHow. She has more than 20 years of experience creating technical documentation and leading support teams at major web hosting and software companies. Nicole also holds an MFA in Creative Writing from Portland State University and teaches composition, fiction-writing, and zine-making at various institutions.
The wikiHow Tech Team also followed the article’s instructions and verified that they work.
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Is your iPhone unresponsive? Performing a hard reset (or hard restart) of your iPhone is an easy way to restart your iPhone when pressing buttons or using the on-screen menu items isn’t working. Hard-resetting your iPhone requires pressing a certain button combination that varies by model. This wikiHow guide will teach you how to force a locked-up iPhone to restart, and show you what do if you can’t reset your phone.
Force-Restarting an iPhone 8 and Later
- This method will work on the iPhone 8, 8 Plus, XR, XS, XS Max, 11, 11 Pro, 11 Pro Max, and iPhone SE (2nd Generation).
Press and release the Volume Down button. [2] X Research source It’s on the left side of the phone below the Volume Up button.
Press and hold the side button. It’s on the right side of the phone. Continue holding the button until the Apple logo appears.
- If your iPhone still won’t restart, try charging it for an hour and then trying again. [4] X Research source If you still can’t restart your iPhone, see Fixing an iPhone that Won’t Force-Restart.
Force-Restarting an iPhone 7 or 7 Plus
Press and hold the Volume Down button and Sleep/Wake button. The Volume Down button is on the left side of the iPhone, and the Sleep/Wake button is on the top-most edge. Continue holding these buttons down until the Apple logo appears. [5] X Research source
- If your iPhone still won’t restart, try charging it for an hour and then trying again. If you still can’t restart your iPhone, see Fixing an iPhone that Won’t Force-Restart.
Force-Restarting an iPhone 6, 6s Plus, or iPhone SE (1st Generation)
Press and hold the Sleep/Wake button and the Home button. The Sleep/Wake button is on the top-most edge of the iPhone, while the Home button is the large round button at the bottom-center part of the screen. Continue holding the buttons down until you see the Apple logo. [6] X Research source
- If your iPhone still won’t restart, try charging it for an hour and then trying again. If you still can’t restart your iPhone, see Fixing an iPhone that Won’t Force-Restart.
Fixing an iPhone that Won’t Force-Restart
Connect your iPhone to a computer. If your iPhone gets hung up on the Apple logo or a solid-color screen when forcing it to restart, you can try using your PC or Mac to repair it without losing data. Start by connecting the iPhone to the computer using its charging cable.
Open Finder (Mac) or iTunes (PC). If you’re using Mac Catalina or later, click the two-toned face on the Dock to launch Finder. If you have Windows or an earlier version of macOS, open iTunes from the Start menu or Applications folder.
Locate your iPhone. If you’re using Finder, click your iPhone’s name in the left panel under Locations. If you’re using iTunes, click the button with an iPhone icon near the top-left corner of the app (to the right of the drop-down menu). [8] X Research source
- Models with Face ID: Press and release the Volume Up button, then press and release the Volume Down button. Press and hold the button on the top edge until your iPhone restarts in recovery mode.
- iPhone 8 or Later: Press and release the Volume Up button, then press and release the Volume Down button. Press and hold the button on the right side until the iPhone boots into recovery mode.
- iPhone 7/7 Plus: Press and hold the top button (or right-side button on some models) and the Volume Down buttons at the same time. Lift your fingers when the phone boots into recovery mode.
- iPhones with Home buttons, iPhone 6, and earlier: Press and hold the Home button and the top (or right-side) buttons at the same time. Lift your fingers when the recovery mode screen appears.
- If this process fixes the iPhone, it will restart as normal.
- If it takes longer than 15 minutes to download the update, the iPhone will exit recovery mode automatically. In this case, repeat Step 4 to get back into recovery mode and then try again.
- If updating the iPhone was successful but you still can’t use it, you may have success with a factory reset. Just repeat this method and select Restore instead of Update. This will erase all of the data on your iPhone, so do this as a last resort.
Contact Apple Support if your iPhone still won’t restart. Apple recommends contacting their support team if you continue to experience any of these issues: The screen remains black or another solid color, the screen comes on but the iPhone won’t respond to your touch, or the iPhone remains stuck on the Apple logo. [10] X Research source To reach out for support, visit https://getsupport.Apple.com, select your model, and follow the on-screen instructions.
Community QA
If you’ve recently backed up your iPhone, you’ll be able to restore that backup after resetting your device, which will save your data. If you haven’t backed up your iPhone before, then there is no way to restore functionality and save your data. Everything will be wiped from the iPhone when you reset it.
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If you’ve forgotten your Restrictions passcode, you’ll need to restore your iPhone using iTunes. If you don’t have access to iTunes, you can sign into the iCloud website and select Find My iPhone. Select your device and choose Erase to reset it.
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If you can’t remember your passcode to access the Settings, you’ll need to put your iPhone into Recovery mode and connect it to your computer. You can then use iTunes to reset the iPhone. See How to Put an iPhone into Recovery Mode for detailed instructions. Note that you’ll still need the Apple ID password after restoring the device.
Thanks! We’re glad this was helpful. Thank you for your feedback. As a small thank you, we’d like to offer you a 30 gift card (valid at GoNift.com). Use it to try out great new products and services nationwide without paying full price—wine, food delivery, clothing and more. Enjoy! Claim Your Gift If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even 1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow
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Forced Restart Not Working on iPhone X Series (XS/XR/X) or 8?
Got a new iPhone X Series and can’t figure out how to force it to restart? Just like the iPhone 8 and original X, Apple changes its method to restart the newest lines of iPhone–again!
Unfortunately, if you try and force a restart using iPhone 7’s way of pressing Volume Down and Power, you get a very loud and disturbing emergency alert (this series of buttons now activates your iPhone’s Emergency SOS feature.) And from personal experience, it’s quite distressing.
Why Force a Restart?
A forced restart is a hardware level restart while a normal restart (powering off and powering back on) is at the software level. That’s why a forced restart works even when your iDevice is completely frozen or somehow malfunctioning.
Remember first to try a regular restart (powering your device off and then back on) before you try a forced restart.
That’s because a forced restart prevents iOS from following normal shutdown procedures–things that actually protect your phone or iDevice.
A forced restart is like pulling the plug on your computer when it’s not working or unresponsive–there are times when we need to do this because there aren’t other options.
But we need to tread carefully. So always, always try a normal restart first!
How-To Force Restart Your iPhone X, XS, XR, and the 8 and 8 Plus
Now, it’s a 3-Step process
- Tap (quickly push in release) the Volume Up button
- Then Tap (quickly push in release) Volume Down button
- Press and hold the Side button until you see the Apple logo, then release
- If you see the slide to power off option, keep holding down the Side button until the Apple Logo appears on your screen
Force Restart Older Model iPhones
- On an iPhone 7 or iPhone 7 Plus
- Press and hold both the Side (Power) and Volume Down buttons until you see the Apple logo
Force Restart With Your Settings App in iOS 11
For folks using iOS 11 and above, there’s an additional way to force your iDevice to restart using an accessibility feature called AssistiveTouch in iOS 11’s Settings App.
Assistive Touch adds a round and white on-screen button that has quick action options, including Restart. To use this feature, you must first toggle on AssistiveTouch and add in Restart to your customized menu options.
Using AssistiveTouch to Restart
- Go to Settings General Accessibility
- Scroll down and tap AssistiveTouch
- Toggle Assistive Touch ON
- A small circular button appears on-screen–this is your quick action menu
Use AssistiveTouch Restart Option
- Go to your Home Screen
- Tap the Assistive Touch on-screen button and select Restart
- Your device restarts and the Apple logo appears on-screen
What happens if I force restart the old ways?
If you’re trying to force a restart using the iPhone 7 way, you’ll get the Emergency SOS features–and boy, you’ll know it! An emergency alert sounds, your SOS screen appears, and everything on your device lets you know this is for serious business ONLY.
If you try the older way of pressing Home (for iPhone 8 and 7) and Power, you’ll get a lovely screenshot of whatever’s on your display at that moment!
Believe me; I’ve done this a million times and counting! I’m thankful that in iOS 11, there’s a quick way NOT to save those inadvertent screenshots. If you don’t know this trick, it comes in very useful!
How-To Delete Accidental Screenshots on iPhones with iOS 11 and above
Immediately after you accidentally take a screenshot, tap that screenshot’s preview in the lower left corner of your screen.
When the edit menu opens, press Done in the upper-left corner followed by Delete Screenshot from the pop-up menu. That’s it! And thankfully, you won’t have a bunch of undesired screenshots taking up space in your Photos library.
Have A Lot of Accidental Screenshots?
If you forget to delete the accidental screenshots and it grows over time, there’s another way in which you can review all the screenshots on your iOS device and get rid of the accidental ones.
In order to review your screenshots on your iPhone X Series phone or iPhone 8/8, tap on Photos app to open it.
Next, tap on albums at the bottom right corner of your screen. This will bring up all the albums in your photos app.
Scroll down till you see the folder “Screenshots”.
If you have many albums, you can also use the search button on top right of the screen and search for Screenshots to locate the folder.
Once you are in the folder, you can review the screenshots and delete the ones that were accidentally taken.
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How to reset or restart the new iPhone X in three easy steps
The arrival of the new iPhone X is a new change in the way to do a hard reset or reboot the device in case it gets caught for any reason. And it is that in the iPhone models prior to the iPhone 7 and 7 Plus, the way to restart the computers was by pressing the home button and the power button at the same time. With the arrival of the new iPhone 7 and the disappearance of the physical button, Apple modified the way to reset or restart the iPhone, this time it was time to press the power button and the volume down button at the same time.
For new model that opens in its stores today Apple, we change the process again and this time with hardly any buttons on the new iPhone X what we have to do are three simple steps that we will describe after the jump.
How to reboot or reset iPhone X / XR / XS
When the screen of the iPhone, iPad or iPod touch goes black or the device is unresponsive to any of the buttons or interactions that we perform on the screen, we must force a restart of our device.
How to restart or reset the iPhone X in case it is do not answer in any way:
- We press the volume up button and we release
- We press the volume down button and we release
- We keep pressed the side button «On / Off» until the Apple logo appears
In the event that this complete restart of the device does not solve the problem, what we have to do is access or try to access the iPhone settings. We make a backup in iTunes, iCloud or wherever we want and we go to Settings. Settings. General. Restart. This should restart the iPhone X and solve the problem, in any case we always have to make backup copies in case a problem of this type arises that we have to restore the iPhone.
How to turn off iPhone X, iPhone XS, iPhone XR, or iPhone XS Max
Until the launch of the iPhone X, the start / rest button of the iPhone also allowed us to turn off the device if we held it down for a few seconds. However, with the launch of the iPhone X everything changed. If we want to turn off our iPhone X, and later models we must jointly press the side home / sleep button together with any of the volume buttons.
At that moment, the screen of our iPhone will show a slider that invites us to slide our finger following its path to turn off the device.
This is not the only way we have to turn off our iPhone X, since through the Settings menus, we also have the option to turn off our iPhone, regardless of the model. For this we must go to Settings General Power off. This option is also available on the iPad, regardless of the model.
How to restart iPad Pro with Face ID
The iPad Pro 2018 range was the first to hit the market without the home button that had accompanied this device since its first model. In order to offer a larger screen size in the same size, Apple decided to add Face ID technology to the iPad Pro range in 2018, so the start button disappears and we cannot restart the device as we did until then.
The process to restart the iPad Pro with Face ID and later models is very simple and it will not take us long, we just have to follow the steps below:
- Press and quickly release the volume up button.
- Press and quickly release the volume down button.
- Press and hold the Home / Sleep button until the device restarts.
How to turn off iPad Pro with Face ID
The process to turn off iPad Pro with Face ID It is the same as we do to turn off the iPhone X and later models. We just have to press the start / sleep button and without releasing press either of the two volume buttons until a slider appears on the screen that invites us to turn off the device.
I shut down or reboot the device
Like a computer, restarting is not the same as shutting down. If we proceed to turn off our iPhone, the operating system will be in charge of closing all open processes to proceed to a safe shutdown of the operating system and that it does not present operating problems when we start it again. This same theory applies to computers.
On the other hand, if we restart the device, the operation of the operating system is completely cut off, without giving time for the applications and services to close correctly on our device. As in the previous case, this theory also applies to computers. The problem with restarting our computer is that not only can we lose data in the process, since part of the operating system can be corrupted, but also this process takes a longer time for the device to be operational again.
When we are forced to restart our iPhone, because it does not respond to any function, nor to the one that allows us to turn off the system, we will not suffer any risk of data loss or that these have the opportunity to be corrupted, since the system is completely stopped and is not performing no action.
Why does my iPhone hang
The main reason why our iPhone can show operating problems can be found both in the operating system and in specific applications. Apple designs each new version of iOS for a certain number of devices, so it adapts each and every one of them, so that the performance of our iPhone must be the best possible.
With each new version of iOS, developers have to update your apps to make them 100% compatible with the new version of iOS. Fortunately for users, most developers quickly update their applications to be compatible and have no performance issues. If they take longer than necessary, Apple contacts them to speed up the update process if they don’t want to be seen outside of the App Store.
Since 2017, Apple has made available to all users a iOS public beta program, so any user who wants to test the news of the next version of iOS can do so without being a developer. As a general rule, Apple usually releases a couple of betas of the next version of iOS for developers only first, before releasing the public beta.
The reason is none other than system stability. The stability of the system is secondary for developers, since its purpose is for them to begin to update their applications to the new version of iOS and incidentally add compatibility with the new functions that Apple has implemented.
The stability of our device managed by an iOS beta is not the most adequate if we use our iPhone daily as the main device, since it can be restarted from time to time and for no apparent reason, applications can be closed or directly not open at any time in addition to taking a long time to open. It is a beta and like any beta of an operating system, It is under development until the final version is released.
If you are going to test an iOS beta, we strongly recommend that you back up your device with a program like iCarePhone with which you can restart your device and make backup copies of all your data, export information from the apps you have installed and restore your iPhone or iPad to the same point it was before testing the beta.
How to Restart iPhone 14 (All Models) with iOS 16
Last Updated on Oct 17, 2022 How to Tips for restart or reset iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch. If you might want to power off your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch for the time of period, or you may want to restart it. Do you know that in which situation you’ve to need your iDevice to restart your reset? Read here, if your iOS app not responding, stop automatically, or won’t open at that time you should first prefer the device restart option. Sometimes, you’re bothered by your iOS device when it has frozen so, that time also this tip is helpful for you if you don’t know much. Also Read – How to close or Stop unresponsive app on iPhone, iPad
Steps for Restart or reset iPhone, iPad or iPod Touch – iOS
How to Force Restart iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch or Hard Reset or Reboot
You can force restart your iPhone or iPad as a last option if it does not restart properly. To reset the iPhone you can follow the given steps. iPhone 14/13 Pro Max/ iPhone 12/ 8/8 Plus and iPhone X/ iPhone XS/ iPhone XS Max/ iPhone XR/iPhone 11/iPhone 11 Pro Max/iPhone 11 Pro:
- Press and Quickly Release Volume Up button,
- Next, Press and Quickly Release Volume Down Button,
- After that only, Press and Hold Side Button [Approx 20 seconds. more] until you see the Apple logo on Screen.
Hands-on Video for iPhone X or later
To Start the iPhone, Again press the Side button until the startup Apple logo on the screen.
iPhone 7 Plus/ 7 and Earlier
- Press and Hold Volume Down button Power button at once until you see the Apple logo on the screen.
iPhone 6S/6S Plus, iPhone 6/5S
- Press and Hold Volume Up Button Home button at once until you see the Black screen and Apple logo on your iPhone screen.
How to Normal Restart iPhone, iPad or iPod Touch
Note: iPhone 6/6S, iPhone 6 Plus/6S Plus, iPhone 7/7 Plus, iPhone 8/8 Plus, iPhone X.
Step 1. Turn off your iPhone, Press and hold the sleep/wake button, and hold until you can’t see
Slide to Power off button on your device screen.
Step 2.Now Drag the slider to make your device completely off.
Step 3. In last, After Completely Turn off the device, again Press and hold the sleep/wake button, hold until you can’t appear Apple logo.
iPhone 6S and Earlier: Press and hold the sleep/wake Home buttons for least 10 Seconds, until you don’t appear in the Apple logo.
iPhone 7/7: Sleep/Wake Volume Down button
Alternate Ways to Turn off iPhone
Or Shut Down iPhone: Go to the Settings General Shut Down. [Without Home button, Sleep/Wake or Power Side button turn off iPhone in iOS 11 or later iOS version]
Now For Reset: Different reset option
Apple gave options for which types of data you want to reset from your iPhone, iPad or iPod touch. By going to the Setting General Reset For Whole Data or network Settings and more Choose from this screen. Erase all data from iPhone, iPad and iPod touch
Don’t miss- related troubleshooting tips for recovery mode/ DFU Mode. Learn in deep how to Put iPhone in DFU mode Steps, why, when we use DFU mode.
Hello, dear Apple beginner user how to seem for using this tutorial, how to restart or reset iPhone. kindly keep in touch with us to know more tips for iOS and Mac Devices.
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How to restart the iPhone
Though it may appear to be a basic task, a significant number of individuals often find themselves wondering how to restart their iPhones. This article will provide you with a comprehensive guide, offering everything you need to understand the process of rebooting your iPhone effectively.
There could be myriad reasons prompting you to want to restart your iPhone. Often, you may be dealing with an unexpected issue on your device, and in such instances, a simple reboot can be the magic bullet to resolve the problem. Technical glitches, sluggish performance, and unresponsive applications, these are just a few examples of issues that a restart can rectify.
When faced with a challenge concerning my iPhone, one of the initial troubleshooting steps I adopt is executing a swift reboot of the device. This seemingly simple action can address a variety of minor hiccups, restoring your iPhone’s functionality swiftly and effortlessly.
However, it’s worth noting that the exact procedure for restarting or rebooting your iPhone can differ marginally depending on the specific model you have. Whether you are using one of the latest iPhones or an older model, each has a slightly unique method for restarting. This guide will cater to a broad spectrum of models, ensuring that most, if not all, iPhone users will find the necessary instructions to restart their device.
As I mentioned the way that you reboot your iPhone can vary by device, you can use the quick links below to select your specific iPhone.
How to restart the iPhone 5 or iPhone SE (1st Gen)
If you want to quickly restart your iPhone 5 or your first-generation iPhone SE, this can be done from the top power button on your iPhone.
Press and hold the top power button in the handset until the ‘slide to power off’ slider appears, swipe this to the right and your iPhone will shut down.
Once the device has shut down, press and hold the power button at the top until you see the Apple logo, your iPhone will now reboot.
How to reboot the iPhone SE (2nd and 3rd Gen), iPhone 6, iPhone 7 or iPhone 8
If you own any model of the iPhone 8, iPhone 7, iPhone 6, or the 2nd and 3rd generation iPhone SE, then the power button is located on the side of your device.
To reboot the iPhone, press and hold the power button until you see ‘slide to power off’ swipe the slider to right and your iPhone will shut down.
Wait around twenty to thirty seconds and your device will have shut down. To turn the handset on again, press and hold the power button on the side of the iPhone until you see the Apple logo. Your iPhone will take a few seconds to turn on and it will return to its normal state.
How to reboot the iPhone X, iPhone 11, iPhone 12, iPhone 13, or iPhone 14
On the iPhone X, 11, 12, 13, and iPhone 14 models you will need to press two buttons at the same time to reboot your device.
To do this on these handsets, press and hold either the volume down button or the volume up button on the left-hand side along with the power button on the right-hand side. You must only use one of the power buttons, it does not matter which one you choose.
You will now see the power off slider appear on the display, swipe this to the right and your iPhone will now shut down.
To turn your iPhone back on, all you need to do is to press and hold the power button on the right-hand side of the device, as soon as you see the Apple logo, let go of the power button and your iPhone will turn back on.
How to force restart an iPhone
If you are having an issue with your iPhone and it won’t turn on or off, you can try to force a restart on the handset.
The way this is done will depend on which device you have and also which version of Apple’s iOS you are running. There are differences between iOS 16 and iOS 15 devices.
You can follow the instructions below to force restart your iPhone depending on the model and also your iOS version.
Force restart an iPhone on iOS 16
- Press and release the volume up button.
- Press and release the volume down button.
- Press and hold the side power button.
- As soon as the Apple logo appears, release the side button.
Force restart your iPhone on iOS 15
iPhone SE or iPhone 6s
- Press and hold the Sleep/Wake button and the Home Button at the same time.
- When the Apple logo appears, release both buttons.
iPhone 7
- Press and hold the volume down and the Sleep/Wake buttons at the same time.
- Let go of both buttons when the Apple logo appears.
iPhone SE (2nd Gen) or iPhone SE
- Press and quickly release the volume up button.
- Press and quickly release the volume down button.
- Now press and hold the side button.
- As soon as the Apple logo appears, release both buttons.
Phone X, iPhone XS, iPhone XR, or any iPhone 11, iPhone 12, or iPhone 13 model (with iOS 15)
- Press and quickly release the volume up.
- Press and quickly release the volume down.
- Press and hold the side Sleep/Wake button.
- Let go of the side button when you see the Apple logo.
As we can see, the exact method you will need to restart or force restart your iPhone is different depending on which model you have.
We hope that you find this guide useful, you can find out more details about how to reboot your device over at Apple’s website. If you have any Комментарии и мнения владельцев, questions or any suggestions, please let us know in the Комментарии и мнения владельцев section below.
