Restarting your iPhone is one of the fastest ways to clear minor glitches—like a frozen app, laggy performance, dropped connections, or unusual battery drain. This guide explains the safest way to do a normal restart and, when necessary, a force restart for every iPhone model.

Before you start: restart vs. force restart

  • Normal restart (recommended first): properly shuts iOS down and turns it back on. Use this for general troubleshooting.
  • Force restart (use when the phone is unresponsive): triggers a hardware-level reboot without going through the usual shutdown process.

How to do a normal restart (standard shutdown)

Use a normal restart whenever your iPhone still responds to buttons and the screen.

iPhone X, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16 series (Face ID models)

  1. Press and hold Side button + either Volume button until the power-off slider appears.
  2. Drag slide to power off.
  3. Wait about 20–30 seconds.
  4. Press and hold the Side button until the Apple logo appears.

iPhone 6, 7, 8, SE (2nd/3rd gen) and other Touch ID models with a Side/Top button

  1. Press and hold the Side button (or Top button on older models) until the power-off slider appears.
  2. Drag slide to power off.
  3. Wait about 20–30 seconds.
  4. Press and hold the Side/Top button until the Apple logo appears.

Restart from Settings (no button hold)

If your buttons are hard to use, you can shut down via iOS:

  1. Open Settings.
  2. Go to General.
  3. Tap Shut Down.
  4. After the device turns off, turn it back on with the Side/Top button (or connect it to power if needed).

How to force restart (when your iPhone is frozen or won’t turn off)

If the screen doesn’t respond, apps won’t close, or the power slider won’t appear, use the force-restart steps for your model.

iPhone 8 and later (including SE 2nd/3rd gen)

  1. Quick-press Volume Up.
  2. Quick-press Volume Down.
  3. Press and hold the Side button until you see the Apple logo (this can take 10–20 seconds).

iPhone 7 / 7 Plus

  1. Press and hold Side button + Volume Down together.
  2. Keep holding until the Apple logo appears, then release.

iPhone 6s and earlier (including SE 1st gen)

  1. Press and hold Home button + Side (or Top) button together.
  2. Keep holding until the Apple logo appears, then release.

If your iPhone won’t restart: quick checks

  • Charge first: connect to a known-good charger and cable for at least 15–30 minutes, then try starting again.
  • Try a different power source: swap cable, adapter, and wall outlet. A weak cable can make a dead phone look “bricked.”
  • Wait for the Apple logo: on a force restart, it can take longer than expected—keep holding through the black screen.
  • Computer recovery (advanced): if it still won’t boot, connect to a Mac/PC and use Finder/iTunes recovery options. Choose an update/repair option first if available to avoid data loss.

When a restart helps (and when it won’t)

  • Often helps: frozen UI, Bluetooth/Wi‑Fi weirdness, apps crashing, sluggish performance after long uptime.
  • May not help: a failing battery, water damage, or persistent boot loops—those usually require deeper troubleshooting or service.

Best practice

Start with a normal restart. Use a force restart only if the phone is unresponsive. If you’re seeing the same issue repeatedly after restarting, check for iOS updates, remove recently installed apps, and consider backing up and running more advanced diagnostics.