- To force restart your iPhone 8 or newer, quickly press the volume up, then volume down and hold the power button till the Apple logo appears.
- Force restarting unloads the operating system from the memory and starts from fresh, fixing any app crashes or unresponsive behavior in the process.
- Do not worry, as forcefully shutting down your iPhone will not result in any loss of data.
There can be instances when your iPhone is not responding, and you can’t use the touch screen to turn it off and on again. But thankfully, you can also forcefully restart your iPhone using just the hardware buttons. So if you are iPhone display is frozen or the device is unresponsive, then this guide will help you force restart your iPhone, whether it’s an old one or the latest iPhone 17 series.
What a Force Restart Does to Your iPhone
Force restarting the iPhone shuts down the software and clears the RAM and any apps loaded onto it. It then reloads the entire operating system from fresh, fixing any app crashes, freezes, or other unrelated bugs on your phone without losing any of your data in the process. It is completely safe to forcefully restart if your iPhone’s screen stops responding or the UI starts lagging.
How to Force Restart on iPhone 8 or Newer iPhone Models?
Unlike other changes in iOS, the method to force restart your iPhone has remained unchanged since the iPhone 8. So if you have the iPhone 8 or a newer model, this method should work on your device. Simply follow the steps below to hard restart your iPhone with just buttons:
- Press and release the Volume up button.
- Immediately after that, press and release the Volume down button.
- Now, press and hold the power button. You’ll see the slide to power off-screen. Simply ignore it and keep holding the button till you see the Apple logo.
- After that, your iPhone will restart and boot up normally.
Image Courtesy: Apple
How to Forcefully Restart iPhone 7 & 7 Plus
Now, those of you still hanging on to your iPhone 7 and 7 Plus can follow these steps to force restart the device since the steps are slightly different for these models.
- Press and hold the Volume Down and Sleep/Wake buttons simultaneously.
- When the Apple logo appears on the screen, release the buttons.
Image Courtesy: Apple
How Can You Force Restart an iPhone 6s or Older
If you’ve got a much older iPhone like the iPhone 6 or the first-generation iPhone SE, then follow these steps to force shut down on your device.
- Press and hold the Sleep/Wake button and the Home button simultaneously.
- Release both buttons when the screen goes black and the Apple logo shows up.
When Should You Force-Restart Your iPhone
There can come several instances when you might find the need to force restart an iPhone. Let me take you through some of the extreme cases where doing this is completely warranted.
- The iOS operating system stops responding or starts lagging.
- When an app freezes, in turn, blocking you from going back to the iPhone homescreen.
- In case you are not getting a proper signal and connectivity.
- If the touchscreen is unresponsive, and there is no way for you to control the phone.
- When the phone is sending files to another device, and stops working suddenly.
- In situations where your iPhone starts heating up, it is best to shut it down and force restart.
- It can also be handy in situations where your phone starts feeling slow, since force restarting also clears iPhone RAM .
That’s how you can force restart your iPhone using hardware buttons only. There is only so much that a restart can fix, and if you think that is not enough to fix your problems, then performing a factory reset on your iPhone might be the only solution left. But before you do that, make sure to back up your iPhone to avoid any data loss.
Force resatrting your iPhone every other week or so can be a good measure to clear up the RAM and reload the entire software from fresh, ensuring that you device keeps working smoothly without facing any hiccups in the process.
If you have an iPhone 8 or later, then you can forcefully restart the device by quickly pressing the volume up button, the volume down and then holding the power button till the Apple logo appears on the screen.
Performing a force restart unloads all the data from your iPhone’s RAM storage, and reloads the iOS software from fresh. It clears up any problem causing app, ensuring that it does not freeze or starts to lag upon restart.
No. Force restarting does not affect your data at all, unless you were in the process of transferring files and had to perform a force restart during it. All your files and apps will remain intact after the restart.
Kanika has been a loyal iPhone user since 2014 and loves everything Apple. With a Master’s in Computer Applications, passion for technology, and over five years of experience in writing, she landed at Beebom as an Apple Ecosystem Writer. She specializes in writing How To’s, troubleshooting guides, App features, and roundups for Apple users to help them make the best use of their gadgets. When not writing, she loves to try out new recipes and enjoy some family time.
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- Apple might change its launch strategy starting next year, and skip the base iPhone 18 in favor of the foldable iPhone.
- The company might reserve the latter half of the year for premium models, including the iPhone 18 Air, iPhone 18 Pro, iPhone 18 Pro Max, and the foldable iPhone.
- The iPhone 18 could still launch in 2027, alongside the iPhone 18e, totaling six iPhone releases per year.
Apple has launched a base iPhone every year since 2007, but next year, it may break tradition, entirely skipping the iPhone 18 in favor of a rumored foldable iPhone.
According to Korean outlet ET News , Apple may ditch the iPhone 18 next year . As per the report, Apple is expected to launch the affordable iPhone 17e in the first half of 2026, and reserve a premium lineup of iPhones for the second half. This will include the iPhone 18 Air, iPhone 18 Pro, iPhone 18 Pro Max, and the foldable iPhone.
Image Credits: Beebom
However, this does not mean Apple is doing away with base models entirely. Instead, it will resume selling the base model in the following year and launch the iPhone 18 with the budget “e” models . So, we could get an iPhone 18 and an 18e in the first half of 2027, followed by the rest of the devices later in the year.
Why Apple is Changing Its Yearly Launch Strategy
This change in launch strategy seems to be a direct response to slowing smartphone sales. Even though Apple recently sold its 3 billionth iPhone , recent data points to a dip in overall shipment numbers. So by staggering its launches, Apple hopes to keep its iPhones in the spotlight all year round, which could help boost sales.
That being said, with six iPhone launches a year , it could oversaturate the market and create confusion among consumers. This new strategy also depends on how the upcoming iPhone 17 Air model is received. And whether it delivers strong sales for Apple to drop the base iPhone, which has continued to sell well year after year.
With over 4 year of experience under the belt, I cover all facets of consumer tech, from smartphones to other consumer electronics, our favorite social media apps, as well as the growing realm of AI and LLMs. As an Apps and AI writer app Beebom, I provide my expertise in all these areas, weaving stories that help you get familiar with the tech around you. But you will find me playing NYT daily puzzles in my free time.
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- Apple and Google have officially confirmed their team-up for the next-gen Siri AI.
- The Cupertino Giant will be using Google’s Gemini for a more personalized Siri model as well as Apple Intelligence features.
- We can expect the next-gen Siri to come out with iOS 26.4, sometime in March or April.
Apple has officially confirmed joining forces with Google to use its Gemini AI model to power the next-generation Siri. It will offer a more personalized experience and will be coming out with the iOS 26.4 update. Apple also plans to leverage Gemini’s capabilities for other Apple Intelligence features as well, later down the line.
The Next-Gen Siri will be powered by Google’s Gemini AI
Apple officially confirmed that it will be partnering with Google in a statement to CNBC . Here’s what it stated, “After careful evaluation, we determined that Google’s technology provides the most capable foundation for Apple Foundation Models, and we’re excited about the innovative new experiences it will unlock for our users.”
Later, Google also shared a post on X confirming the tie-up, “Apple and Google have entered into a multi-year collaboration under which the next generation of Apple Foundation Models will be based on Google’s Gemini models and cloud technology. These models will help power future Apple Intelligence features, including a more personalized Siri coming this year.”
Image Credit: X/@NewsFromGoogle
Both statements clearly mention that the Cupertino Giant will be using Gemini to power its assistant Siri. This was already rumored, as Apple’s attempts to acquire Perplexity went nowhere. With Gemini, Siri will get a major AI update . It will be able to handle more nuanced conversations and provide better results. Something long-time Apple users have been asking for years.
The next-gen Siri will arrive with the iOS 26.4 update, which will launch sometime in March or April. And it is only going to be available for Apple Intelligence-supported devices .
Something else worth noting is how Google’s statement mentions that Gemini will power Apple Intelligence features. This leads us to believe that Apple could use Gemini’s multi-modal capabilities for its Writings tools , Image Playground , and Message summaries, too.
Elon Musk Not Happy With Apple and Google Tie Up
xAI CEO Elon Musk also responded to Google’s announcement post on X, sharing his thoughts on the matter by saying, “This seems like an unreasonable concentration of power for Google, given that they also have Android and Chrome.” Though we don’t expect either Apple or Google to respond to Elon, we will update the situation as it progresses.
It is worth noting that xAI is the company behind Grok, which is in hot water currently due to its inappropriate image generation fiasco , and has been getting backlash from multiple news outlets, X users, and even government authorities.
With over 4 year of experience under the belt, I cover all facets of consumer tech, from smartphones to other consumer electronics, our favorite social media apps, as well as the growing realm of AI and LLMs. As an Apps and AI writer app Beebom, I provide my expertise in all these areas, weaving stories that help you get familiar with the tech around you. But you will find me playing NYT daily puzzles in my free time.
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