To hard reset your iPhone, press and quickly release the volume up button. Press and quickly release the volume down button. Press and hold the side button. When the Apple logo appears, release the side button. This method “forces” your iPhone to turn off, even if it’s frozen.

If your iPhone becomes unresponsive and you can’t shut it down using the normal methods, it’s time to try a forced restart—sometimes called a "hard reset" (which is not to be confused with a factory reset). Luckily, it’s easy to force your iPhone to restart using just three button presses. Here’s how.

What Is a Hard Reset?

A hard reset will force your iPhone to power off and restart without the typical shutdown process. Shutting down the usual way is important because it tidies things up before powering off your iPhone. But if your iPhone becomes unresponsive, sometimes you’re forced to take a more drastic step by forcing a reboot.

Reasons You May Need to Hard Reset an Apple iPhone

There are many reasons why you may need to hard reset your Apple iPhone. Maybe your iPhone screen is unresponsive, or your phone is running slow.

Here are the most common reasons you may need to hard reset your iPhone

• Your iPhone is slow
• You have a frozen iPhone
• There is an error code
• Your iPhone won’t reboot

Whatever the reason, hard resetting an iPhone is a simple process that you can do in just a few minutes.

Be advised that a hard reset should only be used rarely. Using a forced reboot regularly may cause problems with your iPhone. Your iPhone should be shut down gracefully unless it’s frozen or otherwise unresponsive.

How to hard reset an iPhone

The instructions on how to hard reset an iPhone vary depending on the model of your device. If you’re not sure which iPhone model you own, check out Apple Support article to learn how to identify your iPhone.

Quick tip: The button we call the Power buttonis also sometimes called the Lock button or the Side button.

How to Hard Reset iPhone 8, iPhone SE (2nd and 3rd generations), iPhone X, iPhone 11, iPhone 12, iPhone 13, iPhone 14, iPhone 15, iPhone 16, iPhone 17, or iPhone Air

To hard reset an iPhone 8 or newer, you’ll need to do three button presses in rapid succession. On the last button press, you’ll need to keep holding the button. Here’s how:

1. Press and release the Volume Up button.

2. Press and release the Volume Down button.

3. Press and hold the Side button (the Sleep button).

4. Wait until you see the Apple logo, and then release the button.

How to Hard Reset iPhone 7

To hard reset an iPhone 7 or iPhone 7 Plus, you’ll need to press two buttons simultaneously. You’ll need to keep holding the buttons. Here’s how:

1. Press and hold the Volume Down and Side (Sleep) buttons at the same time.

2. Hold the buttons until the Apple logo appears, then release the buttons.

How to Hard Reset an iPhone 6s, iPhone SE (1st generation), or earlier

To hard reset an older iPhone, such as the iPhone 6s, the first-generation iPhone SE (from 2016), or older, you’ll need to press two buttons simultaneously. You’ll need to keep holding the buttons. Here’s how:

1. Press and hold the Home and Side (Sleep) or top buttons at the same time.

2. Hold the buttons until the Apple logo appears, then release the buttons.

How to force restart an iPhone without buttons?

You can use Siri to hard reset your iPhone without buttons.

As long as you have the "Hey Siri" feature enabled, which constantly listens for the two-letter command, you can say the following to force restart your iPhone without buttons:

• First, say ”Hey Siri” to activate Siri.
• Next, say ”Restart iPhone.”
• And last, say ”Yes” when Siri prompts you to confirm.
• Your iPhone will then restart. You’ll need to enter your passcode to unlock your screen.

If you don’t have "Hey Siri" enabled, you can go to Settings > Siri (or Apple Intelligence & Siri)) > Talk & Type to Siri and select “Siri” or “Hey Siri”.

The post How to hard reset iPhone (Step-by-Step) appeared first on nerdsmodo.

Most of the faults your iPhone software will develop can be solved with a few tricks or by resetting it using Recovery mode. On rare occasions, however, those options may not work. Before you search for the nearest Apple repair center, you should try to restore your iPhone using DFU mode instead.

In this article, we’ll check out how to put your iPhone in DFU mode and also how to exit this mode.

What Is DFU Mode?

Device Firmware Update mode — or DFU mode for short — is a state that an iPhone can be put in to get your device back into working order.

DFU mode is similar to the BIOS on Windows computers or Recovery Mode on a Mac. It exists "below" the operating system level — iOS — but can still communicate with iTunes or Finder on a Windows or Mac computer.

In DFU mode, your iOS device is accessible to iTunes or Finder at a more privileged level. This allows for more to be changed than normal. However, going into DFU mode on its own does not change anything on the iPhone.

Quick tip: DFU mode can be useful for installing older versions of iOS if a beta release does not allow you to install an update.

Does DFU Mode Delete iPhone Data?

Unfortunately, if you use this mode to install something or restore your iPhone, all of your iPhone’s data will be erased. This works similarly to the iTunes restore method, which also deletes all of your data.

It completely erases your iPhone, erasing all of your videos, photos, messages, apps, and even the previously configured settings. When you’re finished with this mode, you’ll have to reset your device to use it. We recommend backing up your files before entering DFU mode, then restoring them after the process.

Put an iPhone in DFU mode

To put an iPhone into DFU mode, follow the steps below.

Before you begin:

• Back up your iPhone if you can, as a DFU restore will erase your iPhone data.
• Install the latest version of iTunes or macOS on your Windows or Mac.
• Do not disconnect your iPhone when iTunes or Finder is actively reinstalling the system software and firmware.
• If your iPhone is damaged in any way, and especially if it’s water-damaged, a DFU restore may break your iPhone.

It is necessary to note that using DFU mode to downgrade iOS or jailbreak your device can cause damage and void the warranty.

Entering DFU mode on an iPhone involves a combination of pressing, holding, and releasing different buttons. You will also need a compatible USB cable to connect the device to a Mac or a Windows PC running the latest version of macOS or iTunes.

Important: Macs running macOS Catalina and later will use Finder. PCs and Macs running macOS Mojave or earlier will need iTunes.

Follow these steps to enter DFU mode on an iPhone 8 or later:

1. Quickly press and release the volume up button, then quickly press and release the volume down button, and then press and hold the side button until the screen goes black.
2. As soon as the screen turns black, press and hold the volume down button while continuing to hold the side button.
3. After 5 seconds, release the side button while continuing to hold the volume down button until your iPhone shows up in iTunes or Finder.
4. As soon as it appears in iTunes or Finder, release the volume button. Ta-da! Your iPhone is in DFU mode.

Note: If the Apple logo is appearing on the screen, you held down the volume down button for too long. Start the process over from the beginning and try again.

How to Exit DFU Mode on an iPhone

For iPhone 8 or later:

1. Quickly press and release the Volume up button.
2. Quickly press and release the Volume down button.
3. Press and hold the Side/Power button until the Apple logo appears on your phone screen.

DFU Is Powerful, But Not Perfect

If your iPhone isn’t working and you’ve tried all the other solutions, you might still be able to fix it using DFU mode. However, a DFU restore is not the ultimate fix for all iPhone problems. Some issues may be plain hardware faults and cannot be fixed with system software or firmware restore. If your iPhone stubbornly refuses to enter DFU mode, or the issues persist after performing a reset, consider seeking a professional repair instead.

see also: How to Put Your iPhone in Recovery Mode (Step-by-Step)

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Before we get started, you should know that you’ll need a computer (running macOS or Windows) and a cable to connect it to your iPhone. If you’ve got everything you need, follow the steps below to learn how to put your iPhone in recovery mode.

Data Loss Concerns With Recovery Mode

If you need to put your iPhone in recovery mode to restore it, you can ignore this section because you’re going to erase all your data anyway. However, if you’re using recovery mode to update or troubleshoot your iPhone, you should know that it comes with a risk of data loss.

This isn’t always the case; usually you can enter and exit recovery mode without losing any data on your iPhone. But if something goes wrong, you may need to erase and restore your iPad to get it out of recovery mode again.

For that reason, we strongly recommend that you back up your iPhone before putting it into recovery mode.

How to Enter Recovery Mode on iPhone

The below steps will work with iPhone 8 or later, including iPhone SE (2nd generation and later).

1. Make sure that your Mac is up to date. If you’re using a PC, make sure you have the latest version of the Apple Devices app or iTunes.
2. Connect your iPhone to your computer with a USB cable.
3. Open the Finder on your Mac, or open the Apple Devices app on your PC. If your PC doesn’t have the Apple Devices app, or your Mac is using macOS Mojave or earlier, open iTunes instead.
4. Keep your iPhone connected and wait until the Connect to computer screen appears.
5. Press and quickly release the volume up button. Press and quickly release the volume down button. Then, press and hold the side button until you see the Connect to computer screen.

After Putting an iPhone in Recovery Mode

Once your iPhone is in recovery mode, you need to use Finder or iTunes on your computer to update or restore the device.

Select your iPhone from the sidebar in Finder or from the top-left corner in iTunes, then go to the Summary or General tab and click Update or Restore, depending on your needs. Update will install the latest version of iOS without erasing any data. Restore will update iOS while also erasing all the data and resetting your iPhone to factory settings.

Force Restart Your iPhone to Exit Recovery Mode

If you need to exit recovery mode, but you don’t want to update or restore your iPhone, you should be able to do so by force restarting your iPhone. To do this, disconnect your iPhone from the computer, then quickly press and release the volume up button, then quickly press and release the volume down button, and then press and hold the side button until you see the Apple logo.

And if recovery mode didn’t help solve your software issues, consider using DFU mode with your iPhone instead, which offers a deeper level of software reset for your device.

iPhone Recovery Mode, Made Easy

We’ve seen how to enter recovery mode on iPhone 8 or later models. It’s a simple process once you know it, but the increasingly confusing button combinations are a bit obtuse. Hopefully, you won’t need to use these often, if ever.

See also: How to Restart, Force Restart, or Reset an iPhone

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It might sound like a joke, but it’s true: You can fix most tech problems by turning your device off and back on again.

If you run into a weird glitch on your iPhone — maybe the sound won’t work, or apps keep crashing, or you can’t make calls — your first step should be to perform a quick restart. This will refresh the software on your iPhone and likely fix whatever’s gone wrong.

And if your iPhone is so bugged that you can’t even restart it, a force restart works just as well. This method "forces" your iPhone to turn off, even if it’s frozen.

Here’s how to restart or force restart an iPhone — and what to do if restarting doesn’t fix the issue.

How to restart an iPhone

1. Press and hold either volume button and the side button until the power-off slider appears.
2. Drag the slider, then wait 30 seconds for your device to turn off.
3. To turn your device back on, press and hold the side button (on the right side of your iPhone) until you see the Apple logo.

How to force restart an iPhone

When your iPhone freezes, it might not even be able to show you the power slider. In this case, you’ll need to "force" your iPhone to restart.

Don’t worry — this won’t harm your iPhone at all. Just beware that if you were working on a project, this will likely erase any unsaved data.

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 until the Apple logo appears, then release the side button.

During this process, you will see a slider to power off the ‌iPhone‌. You’re going to want to ignore it and continue holding down the side button until the screen goes black. At that point, the Apple logo will pop up, and after the restart is complete, the screen will activate once again.

How to Reset an iPhone

If you’ve restarted and force restarted your iPhone but it’s still not working, there’s a deeper issue at play. Some files or pieces of software might be corrupted, meaning that they’ll always cause an issue.

Your best chance at fixing these issues is to give your iPhone a factory reset. A factory reset will erase all of the data on your iPhone and return it to the state it was in when you first bought it, as if it just left the factory. This might sound extreme, but it’s a fantastic way to fix nearly any software issue. To factory reset your iPhone, go to Settings > General > Transfer or Reset iPhone > Erase All Content and Settings.

See also: How to Soft Reset Your iPhone

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Let’s first quickly look at what an iPhone soft reset does. Then, we’ll go through the steps on how to soft reset an iPhone.

What Is an iPhone Soft Reset?

A soft reset is also known as a force restart. A soft reset differs from a "normal" restart. The latter simply involves turning off your iPhone and turning it on again.

Take note that a soft reset also differs from a hard reset. When you hard reset or factory reset your iPhone, the procedure erases your iPhone’s data and restores your device to its blank, default state, as though you just bought it.

You’ll likely soft reset your iPhone when it’s completely frozen. For example, when your iPhone is stuck on the Apple logo. A soft reset does not erase any data.

How to Soft Reset an iPhone

Follow these steps to soft reset your iPhone:

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 until you see the Apple logo. You can now release the side button.

It’s important to press each button in immediate succession. However, you don’t need to rush through the steps urgently. Pacing it at one button per second is sufficient.

Carry Out an iPhone Soft Reset Easily

Whenever you face issues with your device, a quick go-to solution is to simply soft reset your iPhone. The method is easy to carry out once you know the steps.

However, if the problem persists, you might need to put your iPhone in recovery mode and reinstall iOS. Just don’t forget to back up all your data before you do that.

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