How to force restart your iPhone or iPad

There are many times when a hard reboot of your iPhone or iPad is necessary. You may be experiencing a frozen or black screen or simply a lack of response from it. And while a force restart can fix these types of issues, it will only work if you know how to do it.

With so many iPhone and iPad models over the years, there is no single way to hard reset the device that covers them all. To keep you up to date with how to force restart your latest and greatest iOS device, here’s how hard reboot every model, including the latest iPhone 15 series.

iPhone 14 and iPad

How to force restart your iPhone

Check below for your iPhone model and follow the right steps for it to perform a force restart.

iPhone 8 up to iPhone 15

This applies to iPhone 15, 15 Plus, 15 Pro, 15 Pro Max, 14, 14 Plus, 14 Pro, 14 Pro Max, SE (2022), 13, 13 mini, 13 Pro, 13 Pro Max, 12, 12 mini, 12 Pro, 12 Pro Max, SE (2020), 11, 11 Pro, 11 Pro Max, XS, XS Max, XR, X, 8 Plus, and iPhone 8:

  1. Press and immediately release the Volume Up button.
  2. Press and immediately release the Volume Down button.
  3. Press and hold the Sleep/Wake button until you see the Apple logo.

Important: You must quickly follow steps 1 to 3 one after another.

Image showing the steps to force restart iPhone 14, iPhone 13, 12, 11, X, and iPhone 8

iPhone 7 and 7 Plus

  • Press and hold the Sleep/Wake button together with the Volume Down button until you see the Apple logo.
How to force restart iPhone 7 and 7 Plus

iPhone 6S and earlier iPhone models

Follow these steps to force restart iPhone 6S, 6S Plus, 6, 6 Plus, SE (1st generation), 5S, and previous models:

  • Press and hold the Home and Sleep/Wake buttons together until you see the Apple logo.
Image showing how to force restart iPhone 6S, SE and earlier models

How to force restart your iPad

The steps for force restarting an iPad are similar to an iPhone but depend on whether or not you have the Home button.

iPad without a Home button

Follow these steps to force restart your iPad with Face ID or one with Touch ID on the top:

  • Press and quickly release the Volume Up button. This button is nearest to the top sleep/wake button.
  • Press and quickly release the Volume Down button.
  • Press and hold the Sleep/Wake button until you see the Apple logo.
Image composition showing how to force restart iPad models with Face ID or with Touch ID at the top

iPad with a Home button

  • Press and hold the Home and top Sleep/Wake buttons together until you see the Apple logo.
Image showing how to force restart iPad models with front Home button

Force restarting your iPhone or iPad isn’t something you’ll do often, but it’s sure to be necessary at least once while you own the device. Be sure to check back here if you purchase a new iPhone or iPad so that you know how to hard reboot it when the time comes.

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