The iPhone has been a remarkable device, but like any gadget it has the potential to stop working properly from time to time.
One of the most common issues is a device freezing or becoming unresponsive, and the go-to method is normally to force a restart.
This is great because you won’t lose any data, and your phone should be back up and running in no time. In fact, this method will be no worse than a regular restart, so don’t worry about losing any of your personal files or settings.
On older iPhone models, a soft reset was as simple as pressing and holding the power and home buttons simultaneously until the screen turns black and the Apple logo appeared. However, that button combination changed with Apple’s move away from a physical button in 2016, and became more of an issue when it ditched the home button on 2017’s iPhone X.
In this article, we’ll explain how to force reset your iPhone, regardless of which model you have.
Don’t let this put you off buying an iPhone, but if you’re considering other options check out our best phone chart.
If you’re set on an Apple phone but not sure which model to go for, the iPhone buying guide on sister site Macworld should be able to sort you out.
iPhone 6s/6s Plus and earlier
As we mentioned above, this is probably the most recognisable way to force reset your iPhone:
- Press and hold the power and home buttons at the same time for a few seconds
- Wait for the screen to turn black and Apple logo to appear
It’s most likely this method will work on your iPad too, unless you have one of the latest Pro models.
iPhone 7/7 Plus
The situation changed slightly in 2016, as the iPhone 7 series replaced the physical home button with a touch-sensitive alternative. This meant the regular force reset wouldn’t work, as the unresponsiveness of the display stops the home button wouldn’t respond either. Luckily, the force reset just meant a change of buttons:
- Press and hold the power and volume down buttons at the same time for a few seconds
- Wait for the screen to turn black and Apple logo to appear
iPhone 11/11 Pro/11 Pro Max, iPhone XS/XS Max, iPhone XR, iPhone X, iPhone 8/8 Plus
As 2017 ushered in a new era for the iPhone, the method of force resetting the device changed across Apple’s lineup. The removal of the home button meant you had to rely more on the remaining physical buttons:
- Press and release volume up button
- Press and release volume down button
- Press and hold the power button for a few seconds
- Wait for the screen to turn black and Apple logo to appear
Although the iPhone 8 and 8 Plus were largely unchanged from their predecessors, they also moved to this method to ensure continuity across all of Apple’s recent releases.
Check out Macworld’s round-up of the best iPhone deals.
Author: Anyron Copeman, Mobile Editor, Tech Advisor
Anyron is Mobile Editor at Tech Advisor, where he’s been a mainstay of the editorial team since 2019. In his current role, Anyron is responsible for all smartphone, tablet and mobile network coverage on the site. A BA Journalism graduate, he has experience with a wide range of consumer tech products and services, including smartphones, tablets, foldables, wearables and more.