A manual restart clears temporary data and stops frozen apps without erasing anything
A manual restart—also called a force restart—forces your iPhone to shut down and turn back on, even if the screen is frozen or apps are unresponsive. Unlike a factory reset, it does not erase your photos, messages, passwords, or any other data. It straightforward clears the temporary memory your phone uses while running, which often fixes glitches, slow performance, or apps that have stopped responding.
The steps differ depending on which iPhone model you own, because older iPhones have a physical home button while newer ones do not. Both methods take less than a minute and are safe to do as often as you need.
Key Takeaways
- A manual restart clears temporary memory and fixes frozen apps without deleting any of your data, photos, or settings.
- iPhones with a home button (iPhone 8 and earlier) use a different restart method than newer models without one.
- The restart process takes about 30 seconds, and your phone will show an Apple logo while it powers back on.
- You should manually restart your iPhone if an app freezes, the screen becomes unresponsive, or your phone runs slowly.
How to restart an iPhone with a home button (iPhone 8 and earlier)
If your iPhone has a circular button at the bottom of the screen, follow these steps:
- Press and hold both the top (or side) power button and the home button at the same time.
- Keep holding both buttons for about 10 seconds, until you see the "slide to power off" screen appear.
- Release both buttons and ignore the "slide to power off" prompt—do not slide it.
- Wait for the Apple logo to appear on the screen. This usually takes 5 to 10 seconds.
- Keep holding the power button alone until the Apple logo disappears and the iPhone logo reappears. Your phone is now restarting.
The entire process takes about 30 seconds from start to finish. Your phone will feel like it is turning off, but you are forcing it to restart instead.
How to restart an iPhone without a home button (iPhone X and newer)
If your iPhone does not have a home button, the process is different:
- Press and quickly release the volume up button on the side of your phone.
- Press and quickly release the volume down button on the same side.
- Press and hold the power button (on the side of your phone) until the "slide to power off" screen appears. This usually takes about 10 seconds.
- Release the power button and ignore the "slide to power off" prompt—do not slide it.
- Wait for the Apple logo to appear. Your phone is now restarting.
The volume buttons do the actual work here; the power button just signals the restart. If you accidentally see the "slide to power off" screen, straightforward wait 30 seconds and your phone will restart on its own.
When to manually restart your iPhone
A manual restart is the right move when your phone is frozen or behaving strangely. Common situations include: an app that will not close or respond to taps, the entire screen that will not respond to any touch, your phone running much slower than usual, or Wi-Fi and Bluetooth that suddenly stop working.
You should also restart your iPhone after installing a major software update, even if everything seems fine. This clears out old temporary files that the update may have left behind and helps new features run smoothly.
A manual restart is not the same as turning your phone off and on normally. A normal shutdown gives apps time to close gracefully, while a manual restart cuts power when ready. This is why it fixes frozen apps—they do not get a chance to stay stuck.
What happens during and after a restart
When you hold the buttons, your iPhone will show the "slide to power off" screen, but you do not need to slide it. Keep holding the power button and the screen will go black. A few seconds later, the Apple logo appears in the center of a black screen. This logo stays visible for 10 to 30 seconds while your phone restarts.
Once the restart is complete, your iPhone will show your lock screen. Your phone may take a minute or two to fully load all your apps and settings, especially if you have a lot of data. This is normal. Do not force another restart during this time—let it finish on its own.
After the restart, all your data remains exactly as it was. Your photos, messages, contacts, passwords, and app data are all still there. The only thing that changed is that temporary memory was cleared, which is why the restart fixed the problem.
What to do if your iPhone stays frozen after a restart
If your phone is still frozen or unresponsive after a manual restart, try restarting it one more time. Sometimes a single restart is not enough if the problem is severe.
If a specific app keeps freezing, you can delete and reinstall it instead of restarting your whole phone. Go to Settings, tap General, then iPhone Storage. Find the app that is causing problems, tap it, and choose "Offload App" (this removes the app but keeps your data) or "Delete App" (this removes everything). Then reinstall it from the App Store.
If your phone remains frozen even after multiple restarts and you cannot access Settings, you may need to connect it to a computer and use Apple's recovery tools. Visit Apple's support website or contact an Apple Store for help with that step.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will a manual restart erase my photos or messages?
No. A manual restart only clears temporary memory that your phone uses while running. All your photos, messages, contacts, passwords, and app data stay on your phone. A factory reset is what erases everything, and that requires you to intentionally go into Settings and choose to erase your phone.
How often can I manually restart my iPhone?
You can restart your iPhone as often as you need without any harm. Some people restart once a week as routine maintenance. If you find yourself restarting multiple times a day to fix the same problem, that is a sign something else may be wrong—try deleting and reinstalling the problematic app, or contact Apple Support.
What if I accidentally slide the power off screen?
If you slide the power off screen, your phone will shut down normally instead of force-restarting. straightforward press the power button to turn it back on. This is not harmful, just slower than a force restart. You can try the force restart again if you want.
Does a restart fix battery drain or overheating?
A restart can help if an app is stuck and draining battery or causing your phone to overheat. However, if your phone continues to drain battery or overheat after a restart, the problem may be a failing battery or a hardware issue. Contact Apple Support or visit an Apple Store to have it checked.
Can I restart my iPhone while it is charging?
Yes, you can restart your iPhone while it is plugged in. In fact, it is often a good idea to restart while charging so your phone has power during the process. Just make sure you are using an official Apple charger or a certified third-party charger.