Force Quit iPhone – How to do a hard restart

Force restart iPhone with locked or completely black screen

If a normal restart of your iPhone doesn't work, you may need to do a hard reboot. Follow the instructions for your iPhone model.

iPhone 16, 15, 14, 13, 12, 11, X, 8, and SE (2nd and 3rd generation)

1. Quickly press volume up and release.
2. Quickly press volume down and release.
3. Press and hold the side button until the Apple logo appears (takes about 10 seconds).
4. If your iPhone still doesn't restart, charge it for an hour and try again.
   

iPhone 7

1. Press and hold the Volume Down + Side button simultaneously until the Apple logo appears (takes about 10 seconds).
   
2. If your iPhone still doesn't restart, charge it for an hour and try again.

iPhone 6s or earlier and iPhone SE (1st generation)

1. Hold down the Home button + Side button at the same time until the Apple logo appears (takes about 10 seconds).
   
2. If your iPhone still doesn't restart, charge it for an hour and try again.
   

If the device starts but gets stuck on startup

If you manage to turn off your device, but the Apple logo hangs on startup, or you see a red or blue screen, you need to do a hard restart of your iPhone through your computer.

1. First, make sure you have the latest version of macOS (or iTunes if you're using a PC).
   
2. Connect your iPhone to your computer using a USB cable.
3. Find your iPhone in Finder (if you're using a Mac with macOS Catalina or later) or in iTunes (if you're using a PC or macOS older than Catalina).
   
4. Put the iPhone into recovery mode (same steps as for the forced restart above).
   
5. Instead of the Apple logo appearing, you will enter recovery mode.
6. Click Update if you want to try to keep your data and just reinstall iOS. Click Restore if updating doesn't work (NOTE: This will erase all data).
   
7. The computer will download iOS and install it on your iPhone.
8. If it takes more than 15 minutes, the phone will restart automatically – then you will need to put it into recovery mode again.
   

How to force quit an app on iPhone

For iPhone with Face ID (without home button)

1. Swipe up from the bottom of the screen and pause in the middle of the screen.
   
2. Swipe sideways to find the app that is not responding.
3. Swipe up on the app to force quit it.

For iPhone with home button

1. Double-click the home button.
   
2. Swipe sideways to find the app that is not responding.
3. Swipe up on the app to force quit it.
   

You may need to force shut down your iPhone if the screen freezes or an app becomes unresponsive. This can happen whether you have a new phone or one of the many used iPhones that still works perfectly. At reNewed we sell quality-tested mobiles that get a new life.

common questions and answers

Why does my iPhone freeze sometimes?

This could be because an app is crashing, your storage is almost full, or an update is needed. A restart can often fix temporary problems.

Will a forced restart negatively affect my phone?

No, not per se. It is a safe way to get your device working if it is unresponsive, but should not be used as a daily routine.

What do I do if the phone still doesn't work after a forced restart?

Check for an iOS update. If it still doesn't work, try restoring your phone via iTunes/Finder or contact Apple Support.