How to Force Restart a Frozen iPhone (Every Model)

Few things are more annoying than an iPhone that suddenly stops responding. The screen is on, but taps do nothing, swipes go nowhere, and even the side button seems dead. Apps freeze, software glitches pile up, and the phone simply gets stuck.

The good news is that a frozen iPhone almost never means a broken iPhone. Apple built a hardware-level restart into every model, and it works even when the touchscreen is completely unresponsive. Better still, a force restart does not erase anything. Your photos, messages, apps and settings stay exactly where they were.

In this guide you will learn the exact button sequence for every iPhone model, what to do while the phone restarts, and which steps to try if the freeze keeps coming back.

Quick Answer

To force restart a modern iPhone (iPhone 8 and later, including the iPhone 18 series), quickly press and release Volume Up, then quickly press and release Volume Down, then press and hold the Side button until the Apple logo appears, which takes about 10 seconds. Keep holding even if the screen goes black. This does not delete any data. Older models use different button combinations, covered below.

Force Restart Steps for iPhone 8 and Later (Including iPhone 18)

Every iPhone from the iPhone 8 onwards, including the X, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17 and the latest iPhone 18 models, uses the same three-step sequence. The timing matters: the first two presses must be quick, and only the last one is a long hold.

1. Press and quickly release the Volume Up button.
2. Press and quickly release the Volume Down button.
3. Press and hold the Side button (the long button on the right edge).
4. Keep holding for around 10 seconds. The screen may go black first. Do not let go yet.
5. Release the Side button only when you see the Apple logo.
6. Wait 30 to 60 seconds while the phone boots, then enter your passcode to unlock it.

After a force restart, Face ID and Touch ID will not work for the first unlock. That is normal Apple security behaviour after any restart, not a fault. Enter your passcode once and everything returns to normal.

Force Restart Steps for iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus

The iPhone 7 family does not use the three-step sequence, because its Home button is electronic rather than mechanical. Use this combination instead:

1. Press and hold the Volume Down button and the Sleep/Wake (Side) button at the same time.
2. Keep holding both buttons for about 10 seconds.
3. Release both buttons when the Apple logo appears.

If you hold the buttons for too long the phone may enter recovery mode instead. If you see a cable-and-computer screen, simply repeat the steps and release the moment the Apple logo shows.

Force Restart Steps for iPhone 6s and Earlier

Models with a physical, clickable Home button, including the iPhone 6s, 6, 5s and the first-generation iPhone SE, use the oldest combination of all:

1. Press and hold the Home button and the Sleep/Wake button together.
2. Hold both for roughly 10 seconds.
3. Let go when the Apple logo appears on the screen.

These older phones can take a little longer to boot, sometimes up to two minutes on a nearly full storage drive. Give it time before assuming the restart failed.

What to Do Right After the Force Restart

Once the phone is back, spend two minutes checking a few things so the freeze does not return within the hour. Small software problems are the usual cause, and they are easy to clear.

• Update the app that froze, or delete and reinstall it if it keeps crashing.
• Check for an iOS update in Settings, General, Software Update, and install it.
• Check your free storage in Settings, General, iPhone Storage. A phone with less than 1 GB free can freeze often.
• Note whether the freeze happens during one task, such as filming video or gaming, which points to overheating or one faulty app.

If your phone also restarts on its own at other times, read our guide on why an iPhone keeps restarting by itself and how to stop it for the deeper checks.

Why iPhones Freeze in the First Place

Understanding why the freeze happened helps you prevent the next one. An iPhone freezes when iOS or an app gets stuck in a loop it cannot escape, or when memory and storage run so low that the system has nowhere to work. The screen stops responding because the software that reads your touches is the thing that is stuck, which is exactly why the fix lives in the hardware buttons rather than on the display.

The most common triggers are a recently updated app with a bug, an iOS update that did not settle cleanly, weeks of uptime without a single restart, and storage filled to the last megabyte. Heat plays a role too: a phone left on a sunny dashboard or pushed hard by a game while charging can protectively slow down and then lock up. None of these mean the phone is dying; they mean it needs the clean slate a restart provides.

Make one habit from this: restart your iPhone once a week, even when it feels fine. It clears temporary files, resets misbehaving background processes, and dramatically reduces how often freezes happen. Think of it as the difference between dealing with a freeze in a panic at midnight and never meeting one at all.

Common Mistakes and Helpful Tips

• Do not hold Volume Up and Volume Down together. The sequence is one quick press each, then a long hold on the Side button.
• Ignore the ‘slide to power off’ screen if it appears. Keep holding the Side button until the Apple logo shows.
• Take off a thick case if the buttons feel unresponsive. Some cases stop the buttons travelling fully.
• Charge the phone for 20 minutes first if the battery was low. A force restart cannot work on a completely flat battery.
• A force restart is not a factory reset. It never deletes data, so you can use it as often as needed.

Apple’s own support pages describe the same button sequences. If your phone still will not restart, the official Apple guide to restarting an unresponsive iPhone lists the model-by-model steps and the next support options.

Conclusion

A force restart is the fastest, safest fix for a completely frozen iPhone, and it takes under a minute on any model. Remember the pattern: quick Volume Up, quick Volume Down, then hold the Side button until the Apple logo appears. If freezes return regularly, update iOS, clear some storage, and look for one problem app. When the phone will not respond to any button combination even after charging, that is the point where a hardware fault is likely and an Apple Store visit makes sense.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will a force restart delete my photos or messages?

No. A force restart only reboots the system, like restarting a computer. Your photos, messages, apps, settings and files are all untouched. Only an erase or a restore from a computer deletes data.

My iPhone screen is black and nothing happens when I hold the buttons. What now?

The battery may be fully drained. Connect the phone to a charger and leave it for at least 30 minutes, then try the force restart sequence again while it is still plugged in.

What if I see a computer and cable icon instead of the Apple logo?

That is recovery mode, which appears if the buttons are held too long. Force restart again and release the Side button the moment the Apple logo appears. Nothing is harmed by entering recovery mode by accident.

How is a force restart different from turning the iPhone off normally?

A normal shutdown needs a working touchscreen to slide the power control. A force restart uses the hardware buttons only, so it works even when the screen, an app, or the whole system is frozen.

My iPhone freezes every day. Is force restarting bad for it?

Occasional force restarts do no harm, but daily freezes are a symptom, not the problem itself. Update iOS, free up storage, and remove any app that crashes often. If it continues, back up the phone and consider a full restore, or ask Apple to run a battery and hardware check.