What to do when your iPhone won't turn off

Dave Johnson

Oct 13, 2021, 02:32 IST

What to do when your iPhone won't turn off

The method to force restart an iPhone varies depending on the model of your device. Stanislav Kogiku/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images

If your iPhone won't turn off the usual way, you can force it to restart.
To force restart a recent iPhone that has Face ID, press and release the Volume Up followed by the Volume Down buttons, then hold the Side button until it restarts.
If you have an older iPhone, the button sequence to force a restart will vary slightly.

You probably don't turn off your iPhone often, but when you do, the usual method is to use a button combination and an onscreen slider to restart the device.

But what if that doesn't work, or your iPhone is frozen and won't respond to screen inputs? That's when it's time to force restart your phone.

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What to do when your iPhone won't turn off

Every iPhone has a sequence of buttons you can push to force restart your phone. It's a fail-safe method to ensure you can turn it off if the screen is unresponsive or the phone's software is misbehaving.

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The specific method to force restart your iPhone varies, though, depending on which model you have.

How to force restart an iPhone with Face ID

If you have any model in the iPhone X, iPhone, iPhone 11, iPhone 12, iPhone 13 families (including variations like the iPhone 11 Pro, iPhone 12 Pro Max or iPhone 13 mini), or later, do this:

1. Press and release the Volume Up button.

2. Press and release the Volume Down button.

3. Press and hold the Side button (the Sleep button).

4. Wait until you see the Apple logo, and then release the button.