How to restart iPhone (A Step-by-Step Guide)

Believe it or not, the best solution for most tech issues is to turn your device off and on again.

This can help you resolve many common problems on your iPhone — such as sound issues, app crashes, or call failures — by refreshing the software on your iPhone and clearing out any glitches.

And if your iPhone is so messed up that you can’t even turn it off normally, you can use a force restart instead. This method “forces” your iPhone to shut down, even if stuck.

Here are the steps to restart or force restart any iPhone.

How to restart an iPhone

Different iPhone models have different methods for restarting them. To find out which model you have and how to restart it, read our article on identifying your iPhone.

If you have an iPhone X, iPhone 11, iPhone 12, or iPhone 13

1: Keep pressing the Power button and one of the Volume buttons at the same time.

2: To turn off the device, move the slide to power off the slider to the right at the top of the screen.

• Drag the slider at the top of the screen that says slide to power off to the right if you want to power off the device.
• The device will power off when you move the slide to power off the slider at the top of the screen to the right.

3: Let the iPhone switch off completely, and the screen becomes dark before proceeding.

• The screen should be black, and the iPhone should be fully off. Wait until then.
• Don’t do anything until the iPhone is shut down and the screen is blank.

4: Keep the Power button pressed until you see the Apple logo.

If you have an iPhone SE, iPhone 8, or earlier

1: You need to use the Power button to turn your on or off your device. This small button is usually located on the side or the top of your device. You must press it firmly and hold it for a few seconds. You will then see a screen that gives you some options to choose from. You can release the Power button after you see this screen.

2: To turn off your device, swipe right on the bar that says Slide to power off.

3: Please do not touch your iPhone until it is completely off. You will know it is off when the screen is black, and nothing is displayed on it. This may take a few seconds or minutes, depending on your device.

4: To turn on your device, hold down the button that says Power. Keep holding it until you see a picture of an apple on the screen. This means your device is starting up.

How to force restart an iPhone

If your iPhone stops responding, the power slider may not appear on the screen. Then, you have to make your iPhone reboot by force.

Rest assured — this will not damage your iPhone in any way. However, you should be aware that any data you have not saved on your project may be lost.

Depending on the model of your iPhone, the steps may vary.

• The steps are different for all iPhones. They depend on which one you have.
• Your iPhone model determines the steps you need to follow. They will change accordingly.

If you have an iPhone 8, iPhone SE (2nd and 3rd generations), iPhone X, iPhone 11, iPhone 12, or iPhone 13

Tap the Volume Up button and let go, then tap the Volume Down button and let go.

• Keep the Power button pressed down.
• Hold down the Power button.
• Do not release the Power button.

Don’t let go of the Power button until you see the Apple logo.

If you have an iPhone 7

1: Keep pressing both the Power and Volume Down buttons at the same time.

2: Don’t let go of the buttons until you see the Apple logo.

If you have an iPhone SE (1st generation), iPhone 6, or earlier

Keep both the Power button and Home buttons pressed.

Wait for the Apple logo to show up before releasing the buttons.

How to reset an iPhone

Your iPhone has a more serious problem if it still doesn’t work after you’ve tried restarting and force restarting it. Some files or software might be damaged and will always cause trouble.

To solve these problems, try restoring your iPhone to its original settings. This will delete everything on your iPhone and make it new again, just as when you first got it from the factory. It may seem drastic, but it’s a great way to fix almost any software issue.

Restart Your iPhone with Siri

You can use Siri to restart your iPhone if it has iOS 16 or later. This is the easiest method because you must say and confirm a voice command. Your iPhone will do the rest for you (no buttons required).

If you want to restart your iPhone, you can say “restart my iPhone” to Siri and then tap “Yes” on the confirmation screen. Ensure you have enabled some way of talking to Siri in Settings > Siri & Search before you try this.

To reboot your iPhone, tell Siri, “restart my iPhone,” and then press “Yes” on the pop-up screen. Ensure you have turned on some option to talk to Siri in Settings > Siri & Search before doing this.

To reboot your iPhone, say “restart my iPhone” to Siri and confirm by tapping “Yes” on the screen. Ensure you have enabled the option to speak to Siri in Settings > Siri & Search before doing this.