How to Hard Reset iPhone: Force Restart Any Model (2026)

A frozen screen, an app that won't close or a black display that ignores your taps usually doesn't mean your iPhone is broken. This guide explains how to hard reset iPhone on every model using the button combinations Apple publishes, and what to try if the phone still won't respond.

First, an important point: a hard reset is not a factory reset. On iPhone, a "hard reset" means a force restart. It cuts power to the software and starts the phone again, and it doesn't erase your apps, photos or settings. A factory reset ("Erase All Content and Settings") wipes everything. If you actually want to erase your phone, read our guide on how to factory reset iPhone instead.

Quick answer: on iPhone 8 and later (every Face ID iPhone, iPhone 16e, iPhone 17e, iPhone Air, iPhone Duo and iPhone SE 2nd/3rd generation), press and quickly release volume up, press and quickly release volume down, then press and hold the side button until the Apple logo appears. On iPhone 7, hold side + volume down. On iPhone 6s, SE (1st generation) and earlier, hold Home + side (or top). Nothing is erased. If the buttons are broken, use AssistiveTouch > Restart or Settings > General > Shut Down instead.

The steps come from Apple's iPhone User Guide pages Force restart iPhone, Turn iPhone on or off and Use AssistiveTouch on iPhone, plus the Apple Support articles If your iPhone won't turn on or the screen is black, If you can't update or restore your iPhone and Identify your iPhone model, About Face ID advanced technology and Use SOS to contact emergency services on your iPhone. We checked them again on November 8, 2026.

Force restart buttons by iPhone model

Not sure which model you have? Go to Settings > General > About and look at Model Name, or match the model number with Apple's Identify your iPhone model list.

Hard reset vs factory reset: what's the difference?

Apple suggests a force restart when iPhone isn't responding and you can't turn it off and back on normally. If your phone still works, a normal restart is enough. See how to turn off iPhone.

How to hard reset iPhone with Face ID (and iPhone 8 or later)

These are the steps in Apple's current iPhone User Guide, which covers Face ID models and iPhone SE (2nd and 3rd generation). Apple's support article lists the same sequence for iPhone with Face ID, and its recovery-mode article groups iPhone 8 and later, including iPhone SE (2nd generation and later), under the same button sequence.

1. Press and quickly release the volume up button.
2. Press and quickly release the volume down button.
3. Press and hold the side button.
4. When the Apple logo appears, release the side button.

Apple notes it can take longer than 10 seconds for the logo to appear, so keep holding. Do the first two presses quickly, one after the other.

Force restart on iPhone Duo

Apple's guide adds a note for iPhone Duo: the "volume up" press is the volume button nearest the side button, and the "volume down" press is the other volume button. The rest of the steps are the same.

Force restart iPhone 7 or iPhone 7 Plus

1. Press and hold the side button and the volume down button at the same time.
2. Keep holding until you see the Apple logo, then release.

Force restart iPhone 6s and earlier

1. Press and hold the Home button and the side button (or top button) at the same time.
2. Keep holding until the Apple logo appears (Apple says about 10 seconds), then release.

Common force restart mistakes (and how to avoid Emergency SOS)

Most failed hard resets come down to timing or the wrong button combination:

• Pressing too slowly. On iPhone 8 and later, the volume up and volume down presses are quick taps, one right after the other. Then hold the side button.
• Letting go too early. Keep holding the side button through the power-off slider until the Apple logo appears. Apple says this can take longer than 10 seconds.
• Holding side + volume together on a Face ID iPhone. That combination doesn't force restart iPhone 8 or later. Apple uses it for the power-off and Emergency SOS sliders, and if you keep holding until the countdown ends, iPhone can call emergency services. In India, Apple's default SOS shortcut is pressing the side button three times quickly instead.
• Using iPhone 7 steps on a newer phone (or the other way round). Check the model table above first.

If you call emergency services by accident, Apple's advice is not to hang up. Wait for a responder to answer, then explain that you don't need help.

What happens after a hard reset

When the Apple logo disappears, iPhone starts up normally, and your apps, photos, messages and settings are all still there. Two things are normal afterwards:

• You need to enter your passcode once. Apple says Face ID asks for your passcode when the device "has just been turned on or restarted", so it won't unlock with your face until you type it.
• Apps start fresh. Anything that was open is closed, so a frozen app gets a clean start. If the same app freezes again, update it from the App Store or delete and reinstall it (see how to delete apps on iPhone).

Quick troubleshooting: what to try for each problem

What to do if a hard reset doesn't work

If the screen stays black after a force restart, Apple recommends:

1. Charge your iPhone for one hour, then try the force restart again.
2. If your iPhone shows a low-charge battery, Apple says to check your iPhone hardware, then charge it for 30 minutes or until it starts.
3. If it still won't turn on, it might need service. Contact Apple Support.

iPhone black screen or won't turn on

A black screen doesn't always mean the phone is off. If you still hear sounds, feel vibrations or get calls, do a force restart first (see the table above). If nothing happens:

• Keep holding the side button after the quick volume presses. Apple says the logo can take longer than 10 seconds.
• Plug in the charger, wait one hour, then force restart again.
• If you see a low-charge battery icon, Apple says to check your iPhone hardware, then charge for 30 minutes or until it starts.
• If it still stays black, Apple says it might need service.

iPhone stuck on the Apple logo or in a boot loop

Try a force restart first. If the Apple logo comes back and stays, Apple's article If you can't update or restore your iPhone says to use recovery mode when:

• The screen shows the Apple logo for several minutes with no progress bar.
• Your iPhone keeps starting up to Recovery Assistant, which can't recover it (a boot loop).
• You see the "Connect to computer" screen.
• Your computer doesn't recognize the iPhone or says it's in recovery mode.

If you see a progress bar on the screen for several minutes instead, Apple has separate steps for that case linked from the same page.

When to use recovery mode (and what it erases)

Recovery mode is the next step when a force restart can't get iPhone past the Apple logo. In short:

1. Connect your iPhone to a Mac (open the Finder) or a PC (open the Apple Devices app) with a USB cable.
2. Use the same button sequence as a force restart, but keep holding until the "Connect to computer" screen appears (on iPhone 8 or later: volume up, volume down, then hold the side button).
3. When you see Update or Restore, Apple says to try Update first if you haven't tried updating yet.
4. Restore reinstalls iOS and erases all your data, so only use it if you have a backup or nothing else works.

If the download takes more than 15 minutes, Apple says your iPhone may leave the "Connect to computer" screen. Let the download finish, then enter recovery mode again. Follow Apple's full steps in If you can't update or restore your iPhone.

How to restart iPhone if the buttons are broken

A force restart needs working buttons. If your side or volume buttons are broken or stuck but the screen still responds, you can restart or turn off iPhone from the screen:

Restart with AssistiveTouch

1. Go to Settings > Accessibility > Touch > AssistiveTouch and turn on AssistiveTouch. A floating menu button appears. (You can also ask Siri to "Turn on AssistiveTouch".)
2. Tap Customize Top Level Menu, tap an icon (or + to add one) and choose Restart.
3. Tap the floating button, tap Restart and confirm.

Apple lists "Restart iPhone" as one of the things AssistiveTouch can do in place of pressing buttons.

Shut down from Settings or Control Center

• Settings: go to Settings > General, scroll down, tap Shut Down, then drag the slider.
• Control Center: open Control Center, touch and hold in the top-right corner, then drag the slider.

Turning iPhone off this way is a normal shutdown, not a force restart, so it only works if the screen responds. See how to turn off iPhone for every method. If the screen is frozen and the buttons don't work, Apple says you might need service. That includes when you can't use recovery mode because a button doesn't work or sticks.

Typical scenarios

• An app froze and the screen won't respond: do a force restart. Your data stays put. If the frozen app is on a Mac instead, force quit it — that closes only the stuck app, without restarting the whole computer.
• The screen went black but you hear notifications: try a force restart before assuming the display is broken.
• The phone died completely: charge it for an hour, then force restart.
• You want to sell the phone: a hard reset won't help. You need a factory reset after backing up.

Verdict for each type of user

• iPhone X and later, 8, SE (2nd/3rd gen): volume up, volume down, then hold the side button.
• iPhone 7 users: hold side and volume down together.
• iPhone 6s and older: hold Home and side (or top) together.
• Anyone wanting a clean slate: skip the hard reset and follow a proper factory reset, after backing up.

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