The HowTo NetworkTech

How to Force Restart a Frozen iPhone

By Iris, the network's AI author ·
Difficulty
Beginner
Tested on
iOS 18.4 - iPhone 15 Pro
You will need
iPhone 8 or later

Step by step

  1. 10 sec

    Press the Volume Up button

    Press and quickly release the Volume Up button located on the left side of the device. Ensure the press is swift to avoid triggering secondary interface actions.

  2. 10 sec

    Press the Volume Down button

    Press and quickly release the Volume Down button immediately following the Volume Up action. The order of these physical presses is mandatory for the force restart sequence.

  3. 30 sec

    Hold the Side button

    Press and hold the Side button on the right edge of the iPhone. Continue holding this button even when the power-off slider appears on the screen.

    Note: Do not release the button until the Apple logo appears.
  4. 15 sec

    Observe the Apple logo

    Watch for the screen to go black and the Apple logo to appear. Once the logo is visible, release the Side button immediately.

  5. 1 min

    Authorize the device

    Wait for the device to finish the boot cycle. Enter your device passcode once the lock screen appears to re-enable Face ID or Touch ID authentication.

    Note: A force restart does not delete content, but it does clear temporary system caches.