Learning how to restart iPhone when frozen usually starts with the simplest fix and works up from there. A frozen or unresponsive screen doesn’t mean your data is at risk — force restarting uses the hardware buttons to reboot the device without erasing anything, and it solves the vast majority of freezes on its own.
How to Restart iPhone When Frozen
If your iPhone is sluggish but still reacting to touch, start with a regular shutdown rather than jumping straight to a force restart. Go to Settings, then General, then Shut Down, and drag the slider that appears. Wait about 30 seconds after the screen goes dark, then press and hold the Side button until the Apple logo reappears.
You can also reach the same shutdown slider through Control Center by touching and holding the battery icon in the top-right corner. Either path works identically, and both are gentler than a hardware force restart, so they’re worth trying first whenever the touchscreen still responds at all.
Force Restarting Face ID iPhones
For any iPhone with Face ID, along with the iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus, and iPhone SE 2nd generation or later, the button sequence is the same regardless of exact model. Press and quickly release the Volume Up button, then press and quickly release the Volume Down button, then press and hold the Side button until the Apple logo appears on screen.
That last hold matters more than it might seem. Apple’s own guidance notes it can take longer than 10 seconds before the logo shows up, so don’t let go and assume it isn’t working if the screen stays black for a few extra seconds.
Also worth noting: pressing a Volume button and the Side button together only brings up the power-off slider, which is a normal shutdown, not a force restart. If the phone isn’t responding to touch at all, that slider approach won’t help, since it still requires you to drag it manually.
Force Restarting Older Button-Based iPhones
Older iPhone designs use a different combination entirely, and using the wrong sequence for your model is one of the most common reasons force restart attempts fail. On an iPhone 7 or iPhone 7 Plus, press and hold both the Side button and the Volume Down button together until the Apple logo appears.
On an iPhone 6s or earlier, including the original iPhone SE, hold the Home button and the Side (or Top) button together instead, again waiting for the Apple logo before releasing.
These older combinations won’t work on newer Face ID models or the iPhone 8 generation, so it’s worth confirming which category your phone falls into before trying either sequence.
When Force Restart Doesn’t Work: Recovery Mode
If a force restart doesn’t bring the phone back, recovery mode is the next step, though it requires a computer rather than just the iPhone itself. Connect the iPhone to a Mac or PC with a USB cable, then open Finder on a Mac, or the Apple Devices app on a PC.
If your PC doesn’t have Apple Devices installed, or your Mac is running an older macOS version like Mojave, use iTunes instead.
With the cable still connected, use the same button sequence for your model as described above, but instead of releasing when the Apple logo appears, keep holding until you see the “Connect to computer” screen instead.
Once your device shows up in Finder, Apple Devices, or iTunes, choose Update first if that option is available, since it attempts to reinstall the software without erasing your data. Only choose Restore if updating doesn’t resolve the issue, since that option does wipe the device.
Resetting a Forgotten Passcode Through Recovery Mode
Recovery mode can also help if you’re locked out because of a forgotten passcode rather than a frozen screen, though this path always results in a full device wipe.
Turn the iPhone off completely, connect the cable to your computer first, then connect it to the iPhone while quickly holding the appropriate button for your model — Side for Face ID iPhones and the iPhone 8 generation, Volume Down for the iPhone 7 line, or Home for the iPhone 6s and earlier.
Keep holding that button through the Apple logo, releasing only once the computer and cable image appears on the iPhone’s screen. From there, open Finder on a Mac or Apple Devices on Windows, select your iPhone, and choose Restore.
Since this resetting method erases everything on the device, it should be treated as a last resort rather than a routine troubleshooting step.
If It’s a Work or School iPhone
Personal troubleshooting steps don’t apply the same way to an iPhone that’s owned and managed by an employer or school through mobile device management software. If your device falls into that category, the fastest fix is usually contacting your IT administrator directly and asking them to check the device’s management status.
An administrator with the right access can send a remote restart command to a supervised, organization-owned iPhone without needing physical access to it at all. If the device turns out to be a personal iPhone rather than a managed one, the standard force restart steps above will apply as normal.
FAQs
Does force restarting an iPhone delete any data?
No, a force restart only reboots the device using hardware buttons; it doesn’t erase anything, unlike a recovery mode restore.
How long should I hold the Side button during a force restart?
Hold it until the Apple logo appears, which can take more than 10 seconds on some Face ID models, so don’t release too early.
Why does my iPhone just show the power-off slider instead of restarting?
Holding a Volume button and the Side button together only opens the normal shutdown slider.
What should I try if force restart doesn’t fix a frozen iPhone?
Move on to recovery mode using Finder on a Mac or the Apple Devices app on a PC, choosing Update before Restore whenever possible.
Can I force restart a work-issued iPhone the same way?
Managed, organization-owned iPhones may need an IT administrator to send a remote restart command.
Is recovery mode the same thing as a force restart?
No, recovery mode is a computer-assisted repair process, while a force restart is a simple hardware reboot that doesn’t involve a computer at all.
