The iPhone, like any other technological device, can sometimes experience errors or glitches. In some cases, a hard reset or force restart might be needed to bring your device back to normal functionality. Please remember that hard resets should only be used as a last resort after you’ve attempted less drastic solutions like soft resets or software updates.
Before we dive into the steps, let’s define what a hard reset is. A hard reset, also known as a force restart, is a more powerful reboot that can be used when your iPhone is unresponsive. Unlike a soft reset (regular restart), a hard reset does not turn the device off completely before turning it back on. Instead, it abruptly shuts off the iPhone’s power and turns it back on.
A hard reset does not erase your iPhone data. However, if you’re looking to delete all data and settings from your iPhone, you’re probably looking for a factory reset, not a hard reset.
How to perform a hard reset on the iPhone on iOS 16 devices?
If your iPhone is one of the later models that supports iOS 16, then you will need to follow the steps below to force restart your device.
- Press the volume up button on the iPhone and release it quickly.
- Press the volume down button on your device and release it quickly.
- Press and hold the side button on the iPhone until you see the Apple logo
- When you see the Apple logo let go of the side button
This works on all iOS 16 compatible devices which include the iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus, the iPhone X, iPhone XR, iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max, iPhone 11, iPhone 11 Pro, iPhone 11 Pro Max, iPhone 12, iPhone 12 Mini, iPhone 12 Pro Max, iPhone 13, iPhone 13 Mini, iPhone 13 Pro and 13 Pro Max, the iPhone 14, iPhone 14 Plus, iPhone 14 Pro and the iPhone 14 Pro Max. You can find out more details over at Apple’s website.
If you have an older iPhone than the ones listed below, you can find out details below on how to perform a hard reset on these devices.
How to perform a hard reset on the iPhone on iOS 15 devices?
Performing a Force Restart or Hard Reset on older iPhones which can only run iOS 15 is slightly different to iOS 16 devices.
To do this will depend on which device you own, if your handset is the iPhone 7 or iPhone 7 Plus then you can see the steps below.
- Press and hold the volume down button and the sleep-wake button at the same time.
- Continue to hold these buttons until you see the Apple logo.
- Let go of the buttons on your iPhone when the Apple logo appears.
- Your device will restart and it may have fixed the issue.
To do this on the iPhone 6S or the 1st generation iPhone SE, follow the steps below.
- Hold the Home Button and the sleep-wake button at the same time.
- Continue to hold both buttons until the Apple logo appears.
- Let go of the buttons when the Apple logo appears.
- Your device will restart and you can see if this had fixed any issues.
You can find out more details about what to do on iOS 15 supported iPhones over at Apple’s website.
Conclusion
Remember, it’s best to perform a hard reset only if your iPhone is not responding at all or if an app is not working correctly and the issue persists after closing and reopening the app. For minor issues, a soft reset (normal restart) should be your first attempt, followed by updating your device’s software. If you’ve followed the steps correctly but your iPhone still isn’t working properly, you might want to contact Apple Support or visit an Apple Store or a third-party repairer.
We hope that you find out guide on how to perform a hard reset on your iPhone useful, if you have any comments, questions or any suggestions, please let us know in the comments section below.
Image Credit: David Grandmougin
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