Force Restarting an iPhone or iPad works as a quick fix for many iOS and iPadOS issues. If your device won’t boot up, or if you’re experiencing a system-level bug, before rushing to the Genius Bar, see if a force restart will fix the issue.
When Should You Force Restart?
Now and then, your iPhone or iPad might suffer some form of a software glitch. It can be an iOS update gone wrong, a rogue app, or just an iOS or iPadOS bug that won’t go away.
Force restarting is most helpful when your iPhone or iPad is stuck and unresponsive. When you can’t even turn off your device, try force rebooting it—it usually fixes the issue.
How to Force Restart an iPhone
The process of force restarting an iPhone differs between phone models. While the process is different, the result is the same.
iPhone 8, iPhone X, and Higher
An iPhone without a physical home button has a new process for force restarting it. If you’re using an iPhone 8 or 8 Plus (which have a capacitive Home button), or the latest iPhones that don’t have a Home button at all (iPhone X, XS, XS Max, XR), follow the steps below to force restart your handset.
First, press and release the “Volume Up” button. Then, press and release the “Volume Down” button. Finally, press and hold the “Side” button until you see the Apple logo appear on the screen. It can take up to 30 seconds for the logo to show up.
Once the logo pops up, you can let go of the Side button. Your iPhone will now finish the rebooting process.
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