A frozen iPhone often will not respond to normal taps or swipes. A force restart makes it reboot using the physical buttons, so you can get back to the Lock Screen and use it again. The button sequence is quick, but the final button press needs to stay held until the display turns off and the Apple logo appears.
This method is useful when your iPhone is stuck, frozen, or otherwise not responding. It is a reboot, not a reset process, so you do not need to erase the iPhone to try it.
Video Tutorial
Force restart your iPhone
You will use the two volume buttons and the Side button, which may also be called the power button. The first two presses are short presses. Do not hold either volume button.
- Quickly press and release the Volume Up button.
- Quickly press and release the Volume Down button.
- Immediately press and hold the Side button.
- Keep holding the Side button when the slide to power off screen appears. Do not drag the slider.
- Continue holding until the iPhone screen turns completely black.
- Release the Side button when the Apple logo appears.
- Wait for the iPhone to finish starting up, then unlock it as usual.
The Apple logo can take a few seconds to show up. In the demonstration, it appeared after about 10 seconds. Once you see it, the force restart has started. Give the phone time to load back to the Lock Screen before trying to use apps again.
Why the slide to power off screen appears
Holding the Side button can bring up the normal power-off screen. That is expected during this process. The important part is to keep holding the Side button instead of swiping the power-off slider.
If you release the button at that screen, you will not complete the force restart. Start the sequence again from the beginning: short press Volume Up, short press Volume Down, then hold the Side button. The order matters, and the first two button presses should happen one after the other.
When to use a force restart
Use this button combination when the iPhone is not behaving normally and you cannot reliably interact with the screen. For example, the display may be frozen, the phone may be stuck on a screen, or it may not respond to normal controls.
A force restart is also different from simply turning the device off with the power slider. With a frozen screen, you may not be able to use that slider at all. The physical button sequence lets you restart the iPhone even when the touchscreen is not cooperating.
Keep the button sequence straight
The most common mistake is holding a volume button or pausing too long between the first two presses. Treat those first actions as quick taps:
- Tap Volume Up.
- Tap Volume Down.
- Hold the Side button until the screen goes black and the Apple logo appears.
Do not worry if you see the power-off slider while holding the Side button. Keep holding. Do not release the button just because the screen changes. The restart is complete only after the display turns off and the Apple logo shows.
What happens after the reboot
Your iPhone will power back on and return to its usual startup process. Wait until it reaches the Lock Screen, then enter your passcode or use your normal unlock method. You can then check the app or screen that was causing the problem.
If the iPhone was frozen before the reboot, give it a moment after unlocking before opening several apps at once. The key result is that the phone has restarted and is ready for you to use again.
Quick reboot checklist
- Use a short press for Volume Up.
- Use a short press for Volume Down.
- Hold the Side button afterward.
- Keep holding through the power-off slider.
- Release after the screen turns off and the Apple logo appears.
- Wait for the iPhone to start, then unlock it.
That is all you need to reboot an iPhone that is frozen or unresponsive. The sequence is short, and keeping the Side button held long enough is the part that makes the force restart work.
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