If your iPhone is unresponsive, performing a hard reset is an easy way to restart your phone when pressing buttons or using the on-screen menu items isn’t working. Hard-resetting your iPhone requires pressing a certain button combination that varies by model.
This guide will teach you how to force a locked-up iPhone to restart, and what to do if you can’t reset your phone. While most of these steps are safe, the final “Restore” option will permanently erase all data on your iPhone. Use it only as a last resort.
The following instructions are organized by iPhone model, so find the method that matches your device to perform a hard reset and resolve unresponsiveness.
For iPhone 8 and later, to force-restart, press and release the Volume Up button, which is on the left side of the phone. Then, press and release the Volume Down button, located below the Volume Up button. Next, press and hold the side button on the right side of the phone until the Apple logo appears. Release your finger when the Apple logo appears to force-restart the iPhone. If it still doesn’t restart, try charging it for an hour before trying again.
For iPhone 7 or 7 Plus, press and hold the Volume Down button and the Sleep/Wake button simultaneously. Release both buttons when you see the Apple logo appear on the screen. If the reset fails, charge the phone for at least an hour and then repeat the steps.
For iPhone 6, 6s Plus, or iPhone SE (1st generation), press and hold the Sleep/Wake button and the Home button at the same time. Release the buttons once the Apple logo is displayed on the screen. If the iPhone does not restart, charge it for an hour and attempt the hard reset again.
If your iPhone won’t force-restart, connect it to a computer using its charging cable if it hangs on the Apple logo or a solid-color screen. Open the appropriate application on your computer. On a Mac, this is Finder (the two-toned face icon on the Dock). On a Windows PC, open iTunes. Locate your iPhone within the application. In Finder, click your iPhone’s name under “Locations.” In iTunes, click the small iPhone icon near the top-left corner.
Put your iPhone into recovery mode. The button combination varies by model: For models with Face ID, press and release Volume Up, then press and release Volume Down. Then, press and hold the top button until the recovery mode screen appears. For iPhone 8 or Later, press and release Volume Up, then press and release Volume Down. Then, press and hold the right-side button until the recovery mode screen appears. For iPhone 7/7 Plus, press and hold the top (or side) button and the Volume Down button at the same time until the recovery mode screen appears. For iPhone 6 and earlier, press and hold the Home button and the top (or side) button simultaneously until the recovery mode screen appears.
Click the Update button that appears on your computer. This will attempt to repair the operating system without deleting your data. If the download takes more than 15 minutes, your iPhone will exit recovery mode, and you must repeat the previous step. If updating fails, you can select Restore instead of Update. Warning: This is a factory reset that will erase all of your data and should only be used as a last resort.
If the screen remains black, is unresponsive to touch, or is stuck on the Apple logo, contact Apple Support for further assistance.
Regularly back up your iPhone to iCloud or a computer. This ensures that if you ever need to use the “Restore” option, you can recover your photos, contacts, and other important data without issue. Learning how to perform a hard reset is a fundamental troubleshooting skill for any iPhone owner. It serves as the first line of defense against common software glitches, freezes, and general unresponsiveness.
Mastering this simple procedure can often save you a trip to a repair shop or a lengthy call with support. It’s a quick and effective way to resolve many performance issues without affecting your personal data. By understanding the correct method for your specific model, you can get your device back up and running in a matter of minutes.
