Restarting your iPhone is one of the simplest yet most effective ways to fix minor glitches, refresh performance, and get your device back on track when it’s acting up. Whether your apps are freezing, the screen is lagging, or the phone isn’t responding the way it should, a quick restart can often solve the problem without deleting any data.
But the steps can vary depending on your iPhone model, and if you’re new to iPhones—or simply haven’t had to restart yours in a while—you might be wondering: “How do you restart an iPhone correctly?”
In this complete, human-friendly 2000-word guide, we’ll walk you through the different ways to restart every iPhone model, when a restart is helpful, how it differs from a reset, and tips for troubleshooting if your phone won’t turn off or restart normally.
🔄 What Does Restarting an iPhone Do?
Restarting your iPhone—also known as a soft reboot—is a basic procedure that turns your phone off and then back on again.
A restart can help when:
- The phone feels sluggish or laggy
- Apps crash unexpectedly
- Bluetooth or Wi-Fi won’t connect
- The touchscreen isn’t responding properly
- System glitches appear after an iOS update
Importantly, restarting does not delete any data. It simply reloads the operating system and clears temporary memory, which can often solve performance hiccups.
🤔 Restart vs. Reset vs. Force Restart
Let’s clear up a common confusion: restarting is not the same as resetting your iPhone.
| Action | What It Does |
|---|---|
| Restart | Turns your phone off and on again—safe and non-destructive |
| Force Restart | Restarts your phone even if it’s frozen or unresponsive |
| Reset | Clears all settings or data (can be partial or full reset) |
In this guide, we’re focusing specifically on how to restart your iPhone safely—the normal way and the force restart method for emergencies.
📱 How to Restart an iPhone (Model-by-Model)
Restarting methods differ slightly depending on whether your iPhone has a Home button, Face ID, or is a newer model.
🔋 For iPhone X, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15 (Face ID models)
These models don’t have a Home button, so you’ll use the Side button and one of the Volume buttons.
Steps:
- Press and hold the Side button (right side) AND either Volume Up or Volume Down.
- Hold until the “slide to power off” slider appears.
- Drag the slider to the right to power off.
- Wait 10–15 seconds.
- Press and hold the Side button again until you see the Apple logo.
Your iPhone will restart and return to the lock screen.
🏠 For iPhone 6, 6s, 7, 8, and SE (2nd or 3rd Gen)
These models still have a physical Home button.
Steps:
- Press and hold the Side/Power button until the power off slider appears.
- Slide to power off.
- After the screen goes black, press and hold the Side/Power button again to turn it back on.
This method is straightforward and only takes a few seconds.
🔌 For iPhone SE (1st Gen), iPhone 5s, or earlier
Older models with a top-mounted power button follow a slightly different method.
Steps:
- Press and hold the Top button until the power off slider appears.
- Slide to turn off.
- After a few seconds, press the Top button again to restart.
Even older iPhones use the same logic—press, slide, and hold again to power back up.
⚠️ How to Force Restart (If Your iPhone Is Frozen or Unresponsive)
If your screen is stuck, buttons don’t work, or the phone won’t respond at all, a force restart is your best option. This doesn’t erase any data—it just forcefully refreshes the system.
🔧 Force Restart by Model:
iPhone 8, X, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15:
- Quickly press and release the Volume Up button.
- Quickly press and release the Volume Down button.
- Press and hold the Side button until the Apple logo appears.
iPhone 7 and 7 Plus:
- Press and hold the Volume Down and Power button simultaneously.
- Keep holding until the Apple logo appears.
iPhone 6s, SE (1st Gen), and earlier:
- Press and hold the Home button and Power button together.
- Hold until the Apple logo appears on the screen.
This is especially useful if your iPhone freezes during a software update or crashes unexpectedly.
🧠 When Should You Restart Your iPhone?
While modern iPhones are designed to run continuously for weeks, there are moments when a restart can give your device a fresh start.
Ideal times to restart:
- After a software update
- If your iPhone is heating up unusually
- When apps won’t open or freeze
- Before troubleshooting battery issues
- If connectivity features (Wi-Fi, AirDrop, Bluetooth) stop working
- After changing major settings
Restarting your iPhone once a week (or even once every few days) is a healthy habit that can help avoid buildup of system errors.
🛠️ What to Do If Your iPhone Won’t Restart
Sometimes, the iPhone might refuse to restart. Here’s how to troubleshoot that situation:
1. Check for physical button damage
If the Side or Volume buttons are broken, restarting manually may not work. Consider using AssistiveTouch (explained below).
2. Charge the phone
If your battery is drained, the phone may not restart until it has enough power. Plug it in and wait 10–15 minutes.
3. Use AssistiveTouch for virtual restart
To enable AssistiveTouch:
- Go to Settings > Accessibility > Touch > AssistiveTouch
- Turn on AssistiveTouch
You’ll see a floating menu appear on the screen.
To restart using AssistiveTouch:
- Tap the AssistiveTouch menu
- Go to Device > More > Restart
- Tap Restart again to confirm
This is useful if your physical buttons aren’t working properly.
🔋 Does Restarting Help Battery Life?
Not directly—but restarting your iPhone can close background apps, clear temporary memory (RAM), and fix buggy behavior that drains battery. So in a way, it can help indirectly.
If you’re noticing battery issues, try restarting your iPhone and observing its performance for a few hours afterward.
🔐 Is It Safe to Restart Without Losing Data?
Yes, 100%. Restarting does not delete photos, contacts, apps, or messages. It’s a non-destructive action and completely safe.
Only factory resets or specific “erase all content” actions will remove your data.
📊 Does Restarting Improve Performance?
Yes, especially if:
- Your device has been on for many days
- You’re running many apps simultaneously
- A system process has crashed
- Memory usage is unusually high
Restarting gives your iPhone a clean slate to run efficiently.
🧭 Final Thoughts
So, how do you restart an iPhone? Whether you’re using the latest iPhone 15 Pro Max or still holding onto a trusty iPhone 7, restarting your device is a simple and powerful troubleshooting tool.
It’s the fastest way to fix common problems, refresh system performance, and prevent small glitches from turning into bigger ones. And best of all, it only takes a few seconds and doesn’t affect any of your personal data.
So the next time your iPhone feels sluggish, your apps are misbehaving, or your screen freezes, remember: a quick restart might be all you need to bring it back to life.
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