How to restart a frozen iPhone and iPad

You were doing some stuff and then suddenly your iPhone or iPad screen is stuck and the display is no longer responding to your taps.

Apparently, your iPhone is frozen and therefore needs a restart. But since the iPhone screen is not responding to touches, performing the usual method won't be applicable. In this case, you will need to perform a force restart. As the name implies, it forces your apps to end and your iPhone system to shut down and then restart. This can help clear out minor software errors that caused the phone system to crash.

Below are various ways to force restart different iPhone and iPad models.

For iPhone 6s, SE or earlier models, a force restart is carried out this way:

• Press and hold down the Home button and the Power button simultaneously for at least 10 seconds or until the Apple logo appears.
• Release both buttons when you see the Apple logo on the screen.

The phone will then instigate the boot-up sequence.

To force restart an iPhone 7 or iPhone 7 Plus, follow these steps:

• Press and hold the Side/Power and Volume Down buttons simultaneously for at least 10 seconds.
• Release both buttons when the Apple logo appears then wait until your phone completes the boot-up sequence.

On an iPhone 8 or later models, a force restart is done this way:

• Press and quickly release the Volume Up button.
• Then press and quickly release the Volume Down button.
• Finally, press and hold the Side/Power button until you see the Apple logo.

To force restart a frozen or stuck iPad Pro 12.9-inch or iPad Pro 11-inch, simply follow these steps:

• Press and quickly release the Volume Up button.
• Then press and quickly release the Volume Down button.
• Finally, press and hold the Power button until the device reboots.

If your device remains stuck or unresponsive after performing a force restart, then you're likely dealing with a major system issue that requires a system restore (iOS restore). In that case, performing a recovery mode or DFU mode is often needed.