Ask Siri to “restart my iPhone” and tap “Yes” to confirm. Without Siri, you have to turn your iPhone off and on again. Long press the side button and a volume button (on iPhones with Face ID) or just the side button (on iPhones with a Home button) to find the power off option.
Restarting your iPhone can fix all sorts of issues such as software issues, strange iOS behavior, or unexplained connectivity issues. We’ll show you how to reboot your iPhone no matter what model you have.
How often do you need to restart your iPhone?
You don’t need to restart your iPhone often. In general, iOS, the operating system that powers the iPhone, should remain performing and responsive even after weeks or months of use.
Sometimes you may run into issues that require a reboot. For example, if a “core” iOS service or feature is working, it could indicate that some aspect of the operating system has crashed. Restarting your iPhone’s operating system can help.
Some examples are not being able to make calls, encountering a “black screen” when trying to use the camera, stuttering behavior when scrolling through apps on the home screen, or notifications that don’t appear at all. Other issues can include low frame rates when scrolling, audio stuttering or crackling, or long pauses when launching apps.
Some connectivity issues can also be resolved by rebooting, especially unresponsive mobile services. Try toggling Airplane Mode on and off first to reset the connection between your iPhone and your carrier, but if that doesn’t work, try rebooting. It may also be worth a try if you have persistent Wi-Fi or Bluetooth issues.
If the problem appears to be related to a third-party app (e.g. Facebook), the problem may persist even after a reboot. Some issues with these apps can be fixed, but you may want to dig a little deeper and try uninstalling and reinstalling malfunctioning apps.
There is no need to reboot your iPhone frequently or simply because you haven’t done so in a while. Most users won’t restart their devices until due to software updates or when the battery is low.
Restart your iPhone with Siri
If your iPhone is running iOS 16 or later, you can reboot using Siri. This is the best way to reboot your iPhone as all you need to do is give a voice command and confirm it. Your smartphone does the rest (no need to hold any buttons).
To do this, tell Siri to “restart my iPhone” and tap “Yes” in the confirmation that appears on the screen. For this to work, you’ll need to have a method of talking to Siri enabled under Settings > Siri & Search.
You can either say “Hey Siri” to launch the assistant, press and hold the side button (on Face ID models such as the iPhone X and iPhone 11 or later), or press and hold the Home button on models with a Home button below. the screen.
After confirming that you want your iPhone to reboot, sit down and wait for the process to complete. Once you see the lock screen, you can enter your passcode and use your iPhone again.
Restart your iPhone by turning it off and on again
Unlike a Mac or Windows PC, there is no “Restart” option on an iPhone. You have to turn your iPhone off and on again to reboot. The instructions for doing this depend on the device you own.
Restart your iPhone with Face ID
If your iPhone uses Face ID (and has a “notch” at the top of the screen), you can disable it by pressing and holding the side button and one of the volume buttons.
The device will vibrate and show the “Slide to Power Off” slider. Swipe this slider to the right and wait for your iPhone to turn off. You may have to wait about 30 seconds for it to turn off completely.
Once your iPhone is turned off, press and hold the side button again until you see the white Apple logo appear on the screen. Your iPhone will now start up. If you don’t see the white Apple logo, wait a little longer and try again (your iPhone is probably not completely shut down).
Restart your iPhone with the Home button
If your iPhone has a Home button below the screen (including both Touch ID and non-Touch ID models), press and hold the side button and swipe the “Slide to Power Off” slider to the right. Some much older models may only have a button on the top of the unit.
Wait for your iPhone to completely shut down, then press and hold the side (or top) button to start it up. You know it’s working when you see the white Apple logo. If nothing happens, make sure your iPhone has enough battery by plugging it into a power adapter.
RELATED: How to Restart a Phone Without the Power Button
Force restart an iPhone after it crashes
If your iPhone becomes unresponsive, it may have completely crashed. Instead of waiting for the battery to drain, you can force a restart to get things working again. You should do this when your iPhone is completely unresponsive to inputs, in circumstances where the screen has frozen, or where the standard reboot or shutdown instructions have failed.
Remark: The methods below depend on knowing which iPhone model you have. Unfortunately, checking your model in the Settings app is usually impossible when your iPhone becomes unresponsive. You can always check out the Find My app on iCloud.com, or you can check which model you have on your Mac or iPad (under Devices).
You may need to try all of the techniques below. You’re not going to break anything with this, especially an iPhone that already needs a force restart.
Force restart iPhone using Face ID, iPhone 8, iPhone SE (2020) or later
If you have an iPhone with Face ID with a “notch” at the top of the screen, the iPhone 8, a second-generation iPhone SE released in 2020 (or the third-generation iPhone SE released in 2022), you can you force restart your device with a series of button presses.
First press and release the volume up button and then press and release the volume down button. Finally, press and hold the side button until you see the Apple logo. Release the side button and wait for your iPhone to reboot.
You have to act fast when you push the buttons. If it doesn’t work the first time, keep trying. If you’re sure you’re right, you may have a different iPhone model, so try the instructions below instead.
RELATED: How to restart an iPhone 11?
Force restart iPhone 7
The iPhone 7 is the only model with unique instructions to force a restart. Fortunately, this is quite easy to achieve. Press and hold the Volume Down and Side (Sleep/Wake) buttons. Then release them when the Apple logo appears.
Your iPhone should now reboot. If nothing happens, try again. If you’re still out of luck, try the other instructions here in case you’re using a different iPhone model.
Force restart iPhone 6s, iPhone SE (2017) and earlier
If you have an older iPhone model that uses Touch ID or a standard Home button, you can force restart your iPhone by pressing and holding the Home button and the Sleep/Wake button until you see the Apple logo.
Depending on your device, the Sleep/Wake button may be located on the side or top of the device.
How to stop iPhone boot loop
Getting your iPhone to restart is one thing, but repeatedly restarting is another. This problem is known as a boot loop and has a separate set of solutions.
You can use the forced reboot method above. However, you may need to put your iPhone into DFU mode using a precise sequence of button presses to perform an advanced low-level restore solution.
If your iPhone is particularly old and nothing seems to help, it might be time to check in for the iPhone 14 or the budget-friendly iPhone SE (2022).