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Just like computers, iPhones sometimes stop responding during use. Rarely, they become so unresponsive they can't be powered off. However, it's possible to force an iPhone to restart in these situations and bring it back to life.

Forcing an older iPhone to restart was easy---all you had to do was press and hold the Volume and Home buttons. But the iPhone X and later don't have a Home button, so the process had to change.

Apple does provide a method to force restart all modern iPhones, but you need to know the particular combination for it to work.

How to Force Restart a Modern iPhone

In quick succession, press, and then release the Volume Up button, and then press and release the Volume Down button.

Next, press and hold the power button (Apple calls it the Side button). You can release it when the Apple logo appears on the iPhone screen.

Press volume up. Press volume down. Hold the side button

When your iPhone restarts, it should work as usual. The next time you want to power off your iPhone, you can turn it off using the conventional method.


The removal of the Home button means other standard functions have been remapped to new combinations of key presses, too. Taking screenshots is one example, and the whole Apple Pay experience is entirely different, as well.

If you're new to Home buttonless iPhones, we have a full rundown of how to get around iOS, use your apps, and more, that will have you up and running in no time.