To hard reset an iPhone, the method depends on the model of your device: For iPhone 8 and later (including iPhone X, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, and newer):
- Press and quickly release the Volume Up button.
- Press and quickly release the Volume Down button.
- Press and hold the Side (Power) button until the Apple logo appears on the screen, then release the button.
This process forces the iPhone to shut down and restart without deleting any data, useful for troubleshooting software issues
. For iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus:
- Press and hold the Volume Down button and the Sleep/Wake (Power) button simultaneously.
- Keep holding both buttons until the Apple logo appears, then release them.
For iPhone 6s and earlier (including iPhone SE 1st generation):
- Press and hold the Home button and the Sleep/Wake (Power) button simultaneously.
- Continue holding both buttons until the Apple logo appears, then release them
This hard reset is a force restart that reloads the iPhone's software and can fix unresponsive or frozen screens without erasing your data
. If you want to perform a factory reset (erase all content and settings), you can do so via:
- Settings > General > Transfer or Reset iPhone > Erase All Content and Settings.
This will delete all data and restore the iPhone to factory defaults, so back up your data beforehand
In summary, a hard reset (force restart) is done by pressing volume up, volume down, then holding the side/power button until the Apple logo appears, with slight variations depending on the iPhone model
