A force restart is for an iPhone that is frozen, unresponsive, or cannot be restarted normally. It uses the physical buttons to reboot the device and does not erase your photos, apps, messages, or settings.
The button combination depends on the model.
iPhone 8 or Later
This method applies to iPhone 8 and later, including Face ID models and iPhone SE (2nd and 3rd generation).
Use this exact rhythm:
Volume Up → Volume Down → hold Side
- Press and quickly release Volume Up.
- Press and quickly release Volume Down.
- Press and hold the Side button.
- Keep holding it when the screen turns black.
- Release the Side button when the Apple logo appears.
The first two presses are quick taps. Do not hold either volume button.
The Apple logo can take longer than 10 seconds to appear, so keep holding the Side button.
Siri opens instead
Start again.
Siri usually appears because the two volume presses did not register before you held the Side button.
Use three distinct actions:
tap Up, tap Down, hold Side.
The power-off or Emergency SOS screen appears
You are probably holding a volume button together with the Side button.
Release everything, wait a moment, then repeat the correct sequence. For a force restart on these models, only the Side button remains held at the end.
iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus
Press and hold these two buttons together:
Volume Down + Side button
Keep holding both until the Apple logo appears, then release them.
This combination is different because the iPhone 7 series does not use its Home button for a force restart.
iPhone 6s, iPhone SE 1st Generation, and Earlier
Press and hold:
Home button + Side button
On older models with a power button on top, hold:
Home button + Top button
Keep holding until the Apple logo appears.
A broken Home button prevents this physical force-restart combination from working on these models.
Force Restart Is Not the Same as a Normal Restart
Use a normal restart when the iPhone still responds.
A force restart is mainly for situations where you cannot use the normal controls.
For example, force restart when:
- The touchscreen is completely frozen.
- The phone is stuck on a loading spinner.
- An app has frozen the whole interface.
- The screen is black but the phone still seems powered on.
- You cannot operate the power-off slider.
When the touchscreen works normally, shutting down through Settings > General > Shut Down is preferable.
A force restart also differs from a factory reset. It does not erase the iPhone or return its settings to defaults.
After any restart, iOS requires your device passcode once before Face ID or Touch ID can unlock the phone again. That is normal security behavior.
Nothing Happens After the Button Sequence
Before assuming the iPhone is damaged, check the sequence one more time.
On iPhone 8 and later, timing causes many failed attempts. Volume Up and Volume Down should be quick individual presses followed by a long Side-button hold.
Remove a tight case if it prevents a button from moving normally.
Then connect the iPhone to a known-working charger.
Apple recommends charging an iPhone that will not turn on for up to an hour before trying again. A deeply discharged battery may not show an immediate response.
After charging, repeat the correct force-restart combination once.
If the phone rings, vibrates, makes sounds, or is detected by a computer while its display remains black, the problem may be the screen rather than iOS. A restart cannot repair a failed display.
The iPhone Restarts but Freezes Again
A force restart clears the immediate frozen state. It does not explain why the freeze occurred.
Once the iPhone is responsive, check:
Settings > General > Software Update
Install a current compatible iOS update.
Then open:
Settings > General > iPhone Storage
Very low free storage can contribute to poor system behavior. Also update the app that was running when the freeze occurred.
If the problem is specifically that touch remains unreliable after the restart, continue with iPhone Touchscreen Not Working rather than repeatedly force restarting the phone.
Repeated crashes, unexpected shutdowns, severe overheating, or freezes that return immediately can justify deeper software or hardware diagnosis.
The iPhone Is Stuck on the Apple Logo
Try the correct force restart once.
When the iPhone returns to the same Apple logo and never reaches the Lock Screen, repeating the restart over and over is unlikely to help.
If an iOS update is visibly in progress and a progress bar is moving, leave it alone.
When startup genuinely cannot complete, the next escalation is recovery mode using a Mac or Windows PC.
Recovery mode uses similar buttons but has an important difference: you continue holding the final button until the recovery screen appears instead of releasing it at the Apple logo.
On a current Mac, use Finder. On a current Windows PC, use the Apple Devices app where applicable.
When the computer offers Update or Restore, choose Update first when appropriate. Update attempts to reinstall iOS without erasing personal data. Restore can erase the device.
Do not confuse recovery mode with an ordinary force restart.
What If a Required Button Is Broken?
A true force restart requires the physical buttons for your iPhone model.
There is no touchscreen substitute when iOS itself is completely frozen.
When the touchscreen still responds, however, you can restart without the normal button combination.
Go to:
Settings > General > Shut Down
You can also enable:
Settings > Accessibility > Touch > AssistiveTouch
Then use the AssistiveTouch menu’s restart control.
These are normal software restarts, not force restarts.
For a failed Home button, see iPhone Home Button Not Working for temporary accessibility options and repair guidance.
When to Stop Trying to Restart It
Move beyond the button sequence when:
- The iPhone remains unresponsive after charging for about an hour.
- A required physical button is broken or stuck.
- The phone repeatedly returns to the Apple logo.
- A computer cannot detect it or it cannot enter recovery mode.
- The problem started after a hard drop or liquid exposure.
- The display or body is separating.
- The phone becomes unusually hot without recovering.
A lifting screen or chassis should not be pressed back into place. Battery swelling is one possible cause and requires professional attention.
For most frozen iPhones, though, the sequence is much simpler: on iPhone 8 and later, quickly press Volume Up, quickly press Volume Down, then hold the Side button until the Apple logo appears.
