Your iPhone screen is frozen. The touch is unresponsive, you cannot swipe, and the power off slider will not appear. If you are wondering how to force restart an iPhone that is frozen and won’t turn off, you are in the right place.
I have helped dozens of friends and family members through this exact scenario over the years, and the good news is that a force restart fixes the problem in under 30 seconds almost every time. No data gets lost, and you do not need a computer or any special tools.
This guide covers the exact button sequence for every iPhone model, what to do if the force restart does not work, and how to tell the difference between a frozen phone and something more serious like a boot loop. I will also clear up the common confusion between force restart, hard reset, and factory reset so you know exactly what you are doing to your device.
Quick Answer: The Force Restart Sequence
For iPhone 8 and newer (which covers the vast majority of iPhones in use in 2026), here is the exact sequence:
Press and quickly release the Volume Up button.
Press and quickly release the Volume Down button.
Press and hold the Side button (the power button on the right side) until the screen goes black and the Apple logo appears.
Release the Side button when you see the Apple logo.
That is it. Your iPhone will boot back up within 20 to 30 seconds. This method works on every model from the iPhone 8 through the latest iPhone 16 and iPhone 17 series.
How to Force Restart an iPhone That Is Frozen and Won’t Turn Off (All Models)
The button combination depends on which iPhone model you own. Apple changed the force restart sequence when it removed the Home button, and changed it again with the iPhone 7 series. Here is every model covered.
iPhone 8 and Later (Including iPhone 16 and iPhone 17 Series)
This covers the iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus, iPhone X, iPhone XR, iPhone XS, iPhone 11 series, iPhone 12 series, iPhone 13 series, iPhone 14 series, iPhone 15 series, iPhone 16 series, and iPhone 17 series. It also covers all SE models from the second generation onward.
The sequence uses the two volume buttons and the side button:
Press and quickly release the Volume Up button on the left side of the phone. A quick press is all you need.
Press and quickly release the Volume Down button, also on the left side, directly below the Volume Up button.
Press and hold the Side button on the right side of the phone. Keep holding it.
After about 5 to 15 seconds, the screen will go completely black. Keep holding.
The Apple logo will appear on screen. Release the Side button immediately when you see it.
One important tip from my own experience and from community reports on Reddit: sometimes you need to hold the Side button for 30 seconds or more before the Apple logo appears. If nothing happens after 10 seconds, do not panic. Keep holding. The phone will eventually restart.
A common mistake is releasing the Side button too early. If you see the “slide to power off” screen appear, you held the button without doing the volume presses first. Dismiss that screen and start the full sequence over from step one.
iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus
The iPhone 7 series has a unique force restart method because Apple changed the Home button to a solid-state design on these models. The old method (holding Home and Power together) does not work here.
Here is the correct sequence for the iPhone 7 and 7 Plus:
Press and hold both the Volume Down button (on the left side) and the Sleep/Wake button (on the right side) at the same time.
Keep holding both buttons simultaneously.
When the Apple logo appears on screen, release both buttons at the same time.
Hold both buttons firmly for about 10 to 20 seconds. The Apple logo will appear and your phone will restart.
iPhone 6s and Earlier (iPhone 6, iPhone 6 Plus, iPhone SE 1st Gen, iPhone 5s)
For older models with a physical, clickable Home button, the force restart uses the Home button and the Sleep/Wake button combination.
Press and hold both the Home button (the circular button below the screen) and the Sleep/Wake button (on the top or right side) at the same time.
Keep holding both buttons.
When the Apple logo appears, release both buttons simultaneously.
These older models are less common in 2026, but if you are still using one or helping a family member with an older device, this is the method that works.
Why Force Restart Works (and What It Actually Does)
When you perform a force restart, you are triggering a hardware-level system interrupt. The button sequence tells the iPhone’s power management controller to cut power to the processor and immediately restore it. This is different from a normal shutdown, which goes through an orderly software shutdown process.
Think of it like flipping the breaker switch on your home’s electrical panel instead of turning off each appliance one by one. The sudden power cycle clears out whatever software state was causing the freeze, including crashed apps, stuck processes, and corrupted temporary memory. Your photos, contacts, messages, and apps remain untouched because they are stored in non-volatile flash memory.
This is also why a force restart does not erase your data. It only clears the working memory (RAM), not the storage. You might lose unsaved progress in an app that was actively running, but everything saved to your device stays intact.
Force Restart vs Hard Reset vs Factory Reset: What’s the Difference?
One of the biggest sources of confusion I see in forums is the terminology. People use “force restart” and “hard reset” interchangeably, but they can mean very different things depending on who you ask. Here is what each term actually means.
Force restart is what we have been describing in this article. It is a button-driven hardware restart that forces the iPhone to reboot. No data is lost. This is the safest troubleshooting step and should always be your first move when your phone is frozen.
Hard reset is an older term that originally meant the same thing as a force restart. However, many people now use “hard reset” to mean a factory reset, which creates confusion. When Apple and most reputable sources say “force restart,” they are referring to the safe button-sequence restart we described above.
Factory reset is completely different. This erases all data and settings from your iPhone and returns it to the state it was in when you first took it out of the box. A factory reset wipes everything: photos, contacts, apps, messages, and accounts. You should only do a factory reset after backing up your data, and it is typically used when selling the phone or as a last-resort troubleshooting step for persistent software issues.
The short version: force restart is safe and loses no data. Factory reset wipes everything. If your phone is frozen, always try a force restart first.
What to Do If Force Restart Doesn’t Work
Sometimes the force restart sequence does not produce the Apple logo on the first try. Forum reports from Reddit and Apple Discussions show this is a common experience. Here is the escalation path I recommend, going from simplest to most advanced.
Step 1: Try the Sequence Again
Timing matters with the volume button presses. If you press Volume Up and Volume Down too slowly or hold them too long, the sequence may not register. Try the full sequence two or three more times, pressing each volume button in a quick, firm motion.
Also make sure you are holding the Side button long enough. Some users report needing to hold for 30 to 45 seconds before the Apple logo appears, especially on iPhones with severe software crashes. Keep holding past the point where you think it should have worked.
Step 2: Charge Your iPhone for 30 Minutes
If your iPhone battery is completely depleted, the screen may appear frozen or show a black screen even though the phone is technically just out of power. Plug it into a wall charger using a known-good cable and power adapter, then wait at least 30 minutes before trying the force restart sequence again. If you see a red battery icon on screen after plugging in, the battery was indeed dead.
Step 3: Enter Recovery Mode via Computer
If force restart fails and charging does not help, recovery mode is your next option. This requires a Mac or PC and a USB cable.
Connect your iPhone to a computer using a USB cable.
Open Finder on a Mac (macOS Catalina or later) or iTunes on a Windows PC or older Mac.
Perform the force restart button sequence while connected, but keep holding the Side button (or Volume Down on iPhone 7) even after the Apple logo appears.
Release the button when you see a connect-to-computer icon (a cable pointing to a computer) on your iPhone screen.
Your computer will display a message offering to Update or Restore your iPhone. Choose Update first to try reinstalling iOS without erasing data.
If the Update option fails or is not available, Restore will erase the device and reinstall a fresh copy of iOS. You can restore your data afterward from an iCloud or computer backup.
Step 4: DFU Mode (Device Firmware Update)
DFU mode is the deepest type of restore you can perform without specialized hardware tools. It bypasses the iPhone’s bootloader entirely, allowing a firmware-level restore. This is typically needed when recovery mode fails or when the iPhone is stuck in a continuous boot loop where the Apple logo appears and disappears repeatedly.
The DFU mode button timing is precise and can take several attempts to get right:
Connect your iPhone to a computer and open Finder or iTunes.
Press and quickly release Volume Up, then Volume Down.
Press and hold the Side button until the screen goes completely black (about 5 seconds).
While still holding the Side button, press and hold Volume Down as well.
After 5 seconds, release the Side button but keep holding Volume Down for another 10 seconds.
If the screen stays completely black and your computer detects an iPhone in recovery mode, you are in DFU mode.
Your computer will prompt you to Restore the device. This will erase everything, so only use DFU mode as a last resort before contacting Apple Support.
Step 5: Contact Apple Support
If none of these steps work, the issue may be hardware-related rather than software. A failing battery, logic board problem, or display issue can all mimic a frozen screen. Contact Apple Support or visit an Apple Store or authorized service provider for a hardware diagnosis.
How to Tell If Your iPhone Is Frozen vs Stuck in a Boot Loop
One question that comes up frequently in forums is how to distinguish between a frozen iPhone and one stuck in a boot loop. The troubleshooting approach differs depending on which problem you have.
A frozen iPhone displays a static screen that does not respond to touch. The screen might show an app, the home screen, or any interface, but nothing happens when you tap or swipe. A force restart resolves this almost every time.
A boot loop is different. The iPhone repeatedly shows the Apple logo for a few seconds, the screen goes black, and the Apple logo appears again, over and over in a continuous cycle. This usually indicates a corrupted iOS installation or a failed update. A force restart rarely fixes a boot loop. You will need to use recovery mode or DFU mode with a computer to reinstall iOS.
If your screen is completely black and unresponsive even after charging and force restart, plug the phone into a computer. If the computer recognizes the device, the phone is on but the display may be malfunctioning. If the computer does not detect anything, the phone may have a hardware failure.
How to Prevent Your iPhone From Freezing
While occasional freezes can happen on any device, frequent crashes often point to underlying issues you can address:
Keep iOS updated. Apple releases bug fixes and stability improvements in every update. If you are running an older version of iOS, updating can resolve known freezing issues.
Check your available storage. iPhones need at least 1 to 2 GB of free space to operate smoothly. Go to Settings, then General, then iPhone Storage to check. Delete unused apps or old photos if storage is nearly full.
Close background apps you are not using. While iOS manages memory well, having dozens of apps open can occasionally cause resource conflicts.
Restart your iPhone weekly. A simple power off and power on once a week clears temporary files and refreshes system memory. This is different from a force restart and should be done proactively.
Remove problematic apps. If your phone consistently freezes while using a specific app, that app may be the culprit. Check for app updates in the App Store or uninstall and reinstall the app.
What NOT to Do While Your iPhone Is Frozen
When your phone freezes, panic can lead to actions that make things worse. Here is what to avoid:
Do not mash all the buttons at once. Random button combinations will not trigger the correct force restart sequence and may open Emergency SOS or take accidental screenshots. Follow the specific sequence for your model.
Do not attempt to remove the battery. Unlike some Android phones, iPhones have sealed batteries that are not user-removable. Trying to open the phone yourself will damage the device and void any warranty or AppleCare coverage.
Do not immediately jump to a factory reset from Settings. If your screen is frozen, you probably cannot access Settings anyway, but even if you can, a factory reset erases everything. Always try a force restart first.
Do not ignore the problem if it keeps happening. A one-time freeze is normal. If your iPhone freezes multiple times per week, something deeper is wrong and you should investigate potential causes like a failing battery, corrupted iOS, or a problematic app.
FAQs
What do I do if my iPhone won’t let me turn off?
If your iPhone will not let you turn off normally because the screen is frozen or unresponsive, perform a force restart. Press and quickly release Volume Up, press and quickly release Volume Down, then press and hold the Side button until the Apple logo appears. This forces the phone to restart without using the on-screen power off slider.
How do you restart an iPhone with an unresponsive screen?
You can restart an iPhone with an unresponsive screen using the hardware button sequence. For iPhone 8 and newer: press Volume Up, press Volume Down, then hold the Side button until the Apple logo appears. For iPhone 7: hold Volume Down and the Sleep/Wake button together until the Apple logo appears. For iPhone 6s and earlier: hold the Home button and Sleep/Wake button together until the Apple logo appears. The screen does not need to respond to touch for this to work.
How do you restart an iPhone if you can’t slide to power off?
If the slide to power off screen is stuck or you cannot swipe it, use the force restart button sequence. Press and quickly release Volume Up, press and quickly release Volume Down, then press and hold the Side button past the slide to power off screen until the screen goes black and the Apple logo appears. Do not release the Side button when you see the slider. Keep holding until the Apple logo shows.
Why is my iPhone frozen and won’t restart?
Your iPhone may be frozen due to a software crash, insufficient storage, a problematic app, or a failed iOS update. If the force restart button sequence does not work, try charging the phone for 30 minutes (a dead battery can mimic a freeze), then attempt the force restart again. If it still does not respond, connect to a computer and use recovery mode to reinstall iOS. Hardware failures like a dying battery or logic board issue can also cause persistent freezing.
Will force restarting my iPhone delete my data?
No, force restarting does not delete any data. A force restart only clears the working memory (RAM) and forces the system to reboot. Your photos, contacts, messages, apps, and settings remain completely intact. You may lose unsaved progress in an app that was actively running when the freeze occurred, but all saved data is preserved.
How long should I hold the Side button to force restart?
Hold the Side button for 10 to 20 seconds after pressing Volume Up and Volume Down. The screen will first go black, then the Apple logo will appear. Some users report needing to hold for 30 seconds or more on severely frozen phones. Release the button the moment you see the Apple logo.
Conclusion
Knowing how to force restart an iPhone that is frozen and won’t turn off is a skill every iPhone owner should have in their back pocket. The button sequence is simple: Volume Up, Volume Down, hold the Side button until the Apple logo appears. It works on every modern iPhone, takes under a minute, and does not erase your data.
If the force restart does not work on the first try, hold the Side button longer, charge the phone for 30 minutes, and try again. For persistent issues, escalate to recovery mode or DFU mode using a computer. And if freezes keep happening, check your storage, update iOS, and consider whether a specific app might be the cause.
Bookmark this page so you have it handy the next time your iPhone freezes, or share it with a friend or family member who keeps calling you for tech support. The fix is always just three button presses away.