Force restarting your iPhone can give it a fresh start. James Martin/CNET

All great tech fails every now and then, and thankfully there are ways to easily bring devices back to life when they freeze up. If your iPhone isn't responding and you're not able to power it off and then on again, you can force restart it to hopefully fix the issue. 

Forcing a restart is different than a normal restart. Though that's the first thing you should try in this situation, it may not be an option with an unresponsive phone. And as iPhone designs have changed over the years, so have the buttons and commands, which is why the steps for forcing a restart vary depending on the phone you have. That means forcing a restart on an iPhone 11 or 12 will be different than doing the same on an iPhone 7.

So, here's how to force a restart on any iPhone, from the latest iPhone 16 to older models like the iPhone 6S.

Force a restart on newer iPhones (8 and up)

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If you've got an iPhone that supports iOS 16 or later (iPhone 8 and up, and iPhone SE 2nd and 3rd generation), then you'll want to follow these steps:

1. Quickly press and let go of the volume up button.
2. Quickly press and let go of the volume down button.
3. Press and hold the side button, until the Apple logo appears on the screen. Then let go.

Force a restart on the iPhone 7

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The steps for what to do on an iPhone 7 are a little different. Instead:

1. Press and hold the volume down button and sleep/wake button at the same time.
2. Let go of both buttons when the Apple logo appears on screen. 

Force a restart on older iPhones

James Martin/CNET

If you have an older phone, like the iPhone 6 or the first-generation iPhone SE, the steps will look a little different. Here's what to do:

1. Press and hold the sleep/wake button and home button at the same time.
2. Let go of both once the Apple logo appears on screen.

Also, good to know: How to Use the Action Button on the iPhone 16 Series and iPhone 15 Pro

Force restart FAQ

What's the difference between force restart and regular restart?

A regular restart is a more straightforward and standard way to turn your iPhone on and off again. You'll want to try doing this first by holding down one of the volume buttons and the side button, and dragging the power off slider. To turn your iPhone back on, hold down the side button again until the Apple logo appears. (If you have an iPhone 8 or older, just hold down the side or top button, then drag the power off slider.) If your iPhone isn't responding to that, then you'll want to force a restart.

Restarting versus resetting an iPhone

Resetting an iPhone is a more drastic measure that'll wipe your device. You'll want to do this before selling your iPhone or trading it in. Restarting it will just give it a refresh while keeping all your data.

Why does it differ based on iPhone model?

As Apple has changed the design of its iPhones over the years, it's also moved around some buttons and commands. Thankfully, we've made it easy here by listing all the different ways to force a restart on your phone.

Is there another way to restart an iPhone?

Yes, you can actually set it up so that you can restart your iPhone with your voice, here's how.