How to force turn off an iphone

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Need to power off or force restart your iPhone 14? The methods aren't straightforward, and can seem confusing to users upgrading from Android phones.

Force restart the iPhone 14

Apple has released the iPhone 14, but are the ways to power off and restart the smartphone the same as previous iPhones? With every new iPhone, Apple adds new users to its ecosystem. Apple fans may decide to upgrade to the latest iPhone models or take advantage of discounts on older models.

But what if someone is migrating from Android to iOS? The operating systems are very different, and even basic tasks, such as switching off an iPhone, can be complicated for users who aren't familiar with how iOS works. Further, many iPhone users might not know this, but they can force restart the device when it's stuck.

Unlike Android smartphones such as Galaxy S22 Ultra or the Pixel 6a, users cannot turn off an iPhone by pressing the side button. This goes for the latest iPhone 14 as well. To power off an iPhone 14, users must press and hold the side button along with the volume up or volume down button and then drag the 'Power Off' slider on the screen. The method is the same for all devices in the iPhone 14 series, including the vanilla iPhone 14, iPhone 14 Plus, iPhone 14 Pro, and iPhone 14 Pro Max. There is another way to shut down an iPhone which doesn't involve buttons. Users can open the Settings app, tap 'General' and select 'Shut Down.' These methods will only work when the iPhone's display is responding properly.

Force Restart Your iPhone 14

Force restart the iPhone 14

Restarting a device can fix many problems due to underlying bugs or other glitches. Unfortunately, Apple does not provide a dedicated option to restart an iPhone. Instead, users have to power off the iPhone and then turn it back on. However, if the iPhone freezes due to reasons like insufficient memory, poor battery health, or other software/hardware issues, there is an option to force restart it. This is also called a hard reset, but it is different from a factory reset since it doesn't affect the data on the iPhone.

To force restart an iPhone 14, users must press the volume and the side buttons in a particular order. First, press and quickly release the volume up button. Second, press and quickly release the volume down button. Finally, press and hold the side button until the Apple logo appears on the screen. This is a three-step process to manually reboot an iPhone when it is acting up. However, this method should only be used as a last resort when the iPhone isn't responding. Misusing the force restart function can cause issues with the iPhone 14 in the long run.

Source: Apple 1, 2

  • To restart your iPhone, press and hold down the Power and Volume buttons until a slider appears on-screen.
  • If restarting doesn't work, you can trigger a "force restart" by pressing Volume Up, Volume Down, and then Power.
  • As a last resort, you can fix almost any glitch by resetting your iPhone.

It might sound like a joke, but it's true: You can fix most tech problems by turning your device off and back on again.

If you run into a weird glitch on your iPhone — maybe the sound won't work, or apps keep crashing, or you can't make calls — your first step should be to perform a quick restart. This will refresh the software on your iPhone and likely fix whatever's gone wrong.

And if your iPhone is so bugged that you can't even restart it, a force restart works just as well. This method "forces" your iPhone to turn off, even if it's frozen.

Here's how to restart or force restart any iPhone — and what to do if restarting doesn't fix the issue.

How to restart an iPhone

The exact steps to restart your iPhone will depend on what model you have. If you're not sure which iPhone model you own, check out our article on how to identify your iPhone.

If you have an iPhone X, iPhone 11, iPhone 12, or iPhone 13

1. Press and hold both the Power button and either of the Volume buttons

2. When a slider labeled slide to power off appears at the top of the screen, drag it to the right.

Restart newer iPhones by holding Power and a Volume button... Dave Johnson/Insider

3. Wait a few moments for the iPhone to completely turn off and for the screen to go black.

4. Press and hold the Power button until the Apple logo appears.

If you have an iPhone SE, iPhone 8, or earlier

1. Press and hold the Power button.

2. When the slide to power off appears at the top of the screen, drag it to the right.

The Power button is on the side of the iPhone. Dave Johnson/Insider

3. Wait for your iPhone to fully turn off and for the screen to go black.

4. Press the Power button until the Apple logo appears.

How to force restart an iPhone

When your iPhone freezes, it might not even be able to show you the power slider. In this case, you'll need to "force" your iPhone to restart.

Don't worry — this won't harm your iPhone at all. Just beware that if you were working on a project, this will likely erase any unsaved data.

Again, the steps will change depending on which iPhone you own.

If you have an iPhone 8, iPhone SE (2nd and 3rd generations), iPhone X, iPhone 11, iPhone 12, or iPhone 13

1. Press and release the Volume Up button, then press and release the Volume Down button.

2. Press and hold the Power button.

3. Keep holding the Power button until the Apple logo appears.

If you have an iPhone 7

1. Press and hold the Power button and Volume Down button.

2. Keep holding the buttons until the Apple logo appears.

If you have an iPhone SE (1st generation), iPhone 6, or earlier

1. Press and hold the Power button and Home button.

The Power button will either be on top or on the side of your iPhone. Apple; William Antonelli/Insider

2. Keep holding both buttons until the Apple logo appears.

How to reset an iPhone

If you've restarted and force restarted your iPhone but it's still not working, there's a deeper issue at play. Some files or pieces of software might be corrupted, meaning that they'll always cause an issue.

Your best chance at fixing these issues is to give your iPhone a factory reset. A factory reset will erase all of the data on your iPhone and return it to the state it was in when you first bought it, as if it just left the factory. This might sound extreme, but it's a fantastic way to fix nearly any software issue.

For details on how to reset your iPhone — and how to avoid losing your most important data in the process — check out our dedicated article on the topic.

Dave Johnson

Freelance Writer

Dave Johnson is a technology journalist who writes about consumer tech and how the industry is transforming the speculative world of science fiction into modern-day real life. Dave grew up in New Jersey before entering the Air Force to operate satellites, teach space operations, and do space launch planning. He then spent eight years as a content lead on the Windows team at Microsoft. As a photographer, Dave has photographed wolves in their natural environment; he's also a scuba instructor and co-host of several podcasts. Dave is the author of more than two dozen books and has contributed to many sites and publications including CNET, Forbes, PC World, How To Geek, and Insider.

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William Antonelli

Tech Reporter for Insider Reviews

William Antonelli (he/she/they) is a writer, editor, and organizer based in New York City. As a founding member of the Reference team, he helped grow Tech Reference (now part of Insider Reviews) from humble beginnings into a juggernaut that attracts over 20 million visits a month. Outside of Insider, his writing has appeared in publications like Polygon, The Outline, Kotaku, and more. He's also a go-to source for tech analysis on channels like Newsy, Cheddar, and NewsNation. You can find him on Twitter @DubsRewatcher, or reach him by email at .

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How do you force a frozen iPhone off?

If iPhone isn't responding, and you can't turn it off then on, try forcing it to restart..
Press and quickly release the volume up button..
Press and quickly release the volume down button..
Press and hold the side button..
When the Apple logo appears, release the side button..

Why can't I force shut down my iPhone?

If your iPhone won't turn off, try forcing it off by holding both the sleep/wake button and the home key for about five seconds. Continue to hold until the Apple logo appears. Your phone should now power on and off normally.

How do I force turn my phone off?

If you don't have a removable battery, keep reading. On most Android devices (phones and tablets), you can force restart your device by holding the Power button while pushing the Volume Down button at the same time. Hold them down until the phone goes 'blank' (finally powers off) and then boots up (starts) again.