iPhones are generally highly stable devices, but occasionally, things go wrong. Whether an app crashes completely, the screen freezes and ignores your touch, or the device becomes entirely unresponsive, a standard restart may not be possible.
When you cannot swipe the screen to power off the device normally, you need to perform a Force Restart (sometimes called a hard reset). This process cuts power at a hardware level and forces the operating system to reboot.
Crucially, a force restart will not delete any of your data, photos, or apps. It is completely safe and is the first troubleshooting step you should take for any frozen iPhone.
The method to force restart your iPhone depends entirely on which model you own.
Method 1: iPhone 8, iPhone X, iPhone 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, and 16 (and iPhone SE 2nd/3rd Gen)
For almost all modern iPhones lacking a physical, clickable Home button (and the newer SE models), the process requires a specific sequence of button presses. You must perform these steps relatively quickly.
- Quickly press and release the Volume Up button on the left side of the device.
- Quickly press and release the Volume Down button on the left side of the device.
- Press and hold the Side button (the power button on the right side) immediately after releasing Volume Down.
- Keep holding the Side button. The screen will turn completely black. Do not let go yet.
- Continue holding the Side button until you see the silver Apple logo appear on the screen.
- Release the button and wait for the iPhone to boot up to the lock screen.
Method 2: iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus
The iPhone 7 introduced a solid-state Home button that relies on software to register clicks. Because a frozen phone’s software cannot recognise a Home button press, Apple changed the force restart combination for this specific generation.
- Press and hold the Volume Down button (left side) and the Sleep/Wake button (right side) at exactly the same time.
- Keep holding both buttons simultaneously.
- The screen will go dark. Keep holding until the Apple logo appears.
- Release both buttons.
Method 3: iPhone 6s, iPhone 6s Plus, and iPhone SE (1st Generation)
If you are using an older iPhone that features a physical, mechanical Home button that physically depresses when you push it, you will use the classic restart method.
- Press and hold the physical Home button (bottom centre) and the Sleep/Wake button (located on the top or right side, depending on the model) at the same time.
- Keep holding both buttons down simultaneously.
- Wait for the screen to turn black and for the Apple logo to appear.
- Release both buttons.
What to do if a Force Restart Fails
In 95% of cases, a force restart will resolve a frozen screen or unresponsive app. However, if the Apple logo never appears or if the phone remains stuck on a black screen despite holding the buttons for over 30 seconds, try the following:
- Charge the device: The battery may be completely depleted. Plug it directly into a wall charger using an official Apple cable for at least 30 minutes, then try the force restart process again while it is still plugged in.
- Connect to a Computer: If the phone boots but gets stuck on the Apple logo, you may need to connect it to a Mac (using Finder) or a PC (using iTunes/Apple Devices app) to perform an iOS update or restore via Recovery Mode.
Memorising the force restart sequence for your specific iPhone model is one of the most valuable troubleshooting skills you can have, instantly resolving the vast majority of software lock-ups.
