How to Reset an Unresponsive iPhone

By Tyler Abbott

Feb 09, 2022

1 min read

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If your iPhone is completely unresponsive, it’s time to hard reset that puppy. No matter what iPhone model you currently have, resetting your iPhone is incredibly easy.

Force restart an iPhone with Face ID

If you have any new iPhone after the iPhone 8, then this hard reset process will work for you. For reference, here’s a complete list of the phones compatible for this kind of iPhone hard reset:

iPhone X
iPhone XR
iPhone XS
iPhone XS Max
iPhone 11
iPhone 11 Pro
iPhone 11 Pro Max
iPhone 12
iPhone 13
iPhone 13 Pro
iPad Pro (11-inch)
iPad Pro (12.9-inch, 2018 model)

If you see your phone above, then this is what you do to reset your device.

Press the volume up button for a second and let go.
Press the volume down button for a second and let go.
Hold down the side button.
Once you see the Apple logo, you can let go.

Here’s where you can find the buttons:

Source: Apple

How to force restart iPhone 8 or iPhone SE

Press the volume up button for a second and let go.
Press the volume down button for a second and let go.
Hold down the side button.
Once you see the Apple logo, you can let go.

This is where to find the right buttons:

Source: Apple

How to force restart iPhone 7

Hold the volume button and the Sleep/Wake button at the same time.
You can let go as soon as you see the Apple logo appear.

Source: Apple

Don’t be afraid to hard reset your phone if it’s completely unresponsive. You’d be surprised how many things can be solved with a simple restart. I worked IT for a few years in college, and can safely say a restart can work wonders.

Now that you know, here are your next steps.

If your phone constantly freezes up, it may be time for an upgrade.

BEST iPHONES

If you’re looking for a new phone on a budget, check out these recommendations.

BEST CHEAP SMARTPHONES

Written by

Tyler Abbott

Tyler has been obsessed with watching sports as efficiently as possible since the creation of the DVR. He is always on the lookout for the best tech in TV and wireless so he can watch all the sports and still have enough time to hang out with his baby. He has written about streaming, wireless, and TV for over three years. He hopes the Lakers will eventually get better.