Your iPhone is frozen and nothing is working. Tapping the screen does nothing. The side button is not responding. Before you panic, there is a good chance a force restart will fix it in under 30 seconds. Here is the exact button sequence for every iPhone model, plus what to do when the freezing keeps coming back.
Quick Answer
A force restart clears the device’s active memory without erasing your data. On iPhone 8 and newer (including all Face ID models): press and release Volume Up, press and release Volume Down, then press and hold the Side button until the Apple logo appears. On iPhone 7 and 7 Plus: hold Volume Down and Sleep/Wake at the same time. On iPhone 6s and older: hold Home and Sleep/Wake at the same time. If your iPhone keeps freezing after a restart, low storage or a pending iOS update is usually the cause. Recurring freezes that do not respond to software fixes can signal hardware decline.
Force Restart Your iPhone by Model
The button combination varies by model. Use the table below to find yours, then follow the steps.
| iPhone Model | Force Restart Steps |
|---|---|
| iPhone 16, 15, 14, 13, 12, 11, X, XS, XR, XS Max, SE (3rd gen) | Press and release Volume Up. Press and release Volume Down. Press and hold Side button until Apple logo appears. |
| iPhone 8, 8 Plus, SE (2nd gen) | Press and release Volume Up. Press and release Volume Down. Press and hold Side button until Apple logo appears. |
| iPhone 7, 7 Plus | Hold Volume Down and Sleep/Wake simultaneously until Apple logo appears. |
| iPhone 6s, 6s Plus, SE (1st gen) | Hold Home and Sleep/Wake simultaneously until Apple logo appears. |
| iPhone 6 and older | Hold Home and Sleep/Wake simultaneously until Apple logo appears. |
A few things to keep in mind:
- Do the button presses quickly in sequence. On iPhone 8 and newer, hesitating too long between presses will not trigger the restart.
- Hold the final button for up to 20 seconds. The screen may flash. Keep holding until the Apple logo appears.
- A force restart does not erase your data. It is the equivalent of pulling and reinserting a battery. Your apps, photos, messages, and settings are untouched.
Common iPhone Problems and How to Fix Them
If the Touchscreen Is Still Unresponsive After the Restart
The phone rebooted but the screen still will not respond. The most likely explanations are below.
Screen Connector Loose After a Drop
A drop that left no visible crack can still loosen the display connector inside the phone. If your iPhone fell recently and touch response is now erratic or completely absent, the display connector may need to be reseated. That is a repair job, not a DIY fix.
Quick test first: Try the phone at room temperature. Extreme cold temporarily reduces touch sensitivity on some models, and the issue resolves when the phone warms up.
A Single App Caused the Lockup
If the iPhone becomes unresponsive only when you open a specific app, that app is the likely culprit. After the force restart:
- Go to Settings > General > iPhone Storage.
- Find the app and tap Offload App.
- Reinstall it fresh from the App Store.
If the problem stops, the app had corrupted data or a bug. Keep it updated or switch to an alternative.
Hardware Failure
If no restart, no app fix, and no visible damage explains the behavior, the touchscreen assembly or an internal component may be failing. At that point the question becomes repair cost vs. replacement cost. That full discussion lives in the Device Care guide Repair vs Replace: When Fixing Tech Is Worth It.
Recurring Freezes: Storage Full and Outdated iOS
A one-time freeze is usually random. Freezing that happens regularly almost always traces back to storage or iOS version.
Storage Full (or Nearly Full)
iOS needs free space to run background processes, cache data, and stage updates. When internal storage is essentially full, the system slows dramatically and apps begin crashing or freezing.
Check your storage: Settings > General > iPhone Storage.
If you are at 95% capacity or more, that is the problem. The fixes:
- Delete apps you do not use. The storage screen shows which apps consume the most space. Sort by size and delete from the top down.
- Move photos and videos to iCloud. Photos are typically the single largest consumer. Settings > [Your Name] > iCloud > Photos, then enable iCloud Photos.
- Clear browser cache. Settings > Safari > Clear History and Website Data. Repeat for Chrome or any other browser you use.
- Delete old message threads. Long threads with embedded photos and videos accumulate silently. Settings > Messages > Keep Messages, set to 30 Days or 1 Year.
A practical rule: keep at least 10% of storage free. On a 64 GB iPhone that is roughly 6 GB; on a 128 GB model, about 12 GB.
How Much Storage Do You Need on a Used Phone?
If the freezing started because you have always had 64 GB and it has never been enough, browsing higher-storage used iPhones on Swappa is worth a look.
Used iPhone Buyer’s Guide: Every Generation Ranked (2026)
Outdated iOS Software
Apple releases iOS updates to patch bugs and improve stability. Running an old version leaves known bugs unfixed, and some of those bugs cause exactly the kind of random freezing you are dealing with.
Update path: Settings > General > Software Update.
Download and install any pending update over Wi-Fi with at least 50% battery or while plugged in. The installation typically takes 20 to 45 minutes.
A few notes on the update process:
- If the update itself appears frozen: plug the phone into power, leave it alone for 20 minutes, and let it process. Large updates sometimes appear stuck when they are actively writing data in the background.
- If updating makes things worse: this is uncommon but it happens. Restoring through Finder (Mac) or iTunes (Windows) is the next step.
- Check whether your model is still supported. Apple supports iPhones for roughly 5 to 7 years after release. A phone that no longer receives iOS updates will not get bug fixes or security patches. That is a different problem and it points toward replacement rather than troubleshooting.
When Recurring Freezing Points to Hardware Failure
A software fix clears up most frozen iPhones. If yours keeps freezing after you have freed up storage and updated iOS, the hardware may be the limiting factor.
Signs that the phone is at or near end of life:
- Freezes persist after a full restore through Finder or iTunes.
- The phone is no longer receiving iOS updates (iPhone 12 and earlier are approaching Apple’s support cutoff as of 2026).
- Battery health is below 80% and the phone restarts randomly. Battery degradation causes performance throttling in iOS, which can present as sluggishness and freezes. Check Settings > Battery > Battery Health and Charging. iPhone Battery Health: What to Check on a Used iPhone
- Storage is maxed out and cannot be expanded (iPhones have no microSD slot).
When a phone is in that state, an ongoing repair cycle typically costs more than a used replacement. If that is where you are, the practical move is to replace it with a used iPhone on Swappa at swappa.com/buy/iphones, not to keep sinking money into repairs.
For a full breakdown of how to weigh repair costs against replacement costs, see the repair-vs-replace guide in Device Care.
Used iPhones on Swappa run 30 to 60% below new retail prices, with prices varying by model, storage tier, and condition. Every listing is staff-reviewed, and every device must pass Swappa’s criteria: clean IMEI, no activation lock, fully paid off, no water damage or cracked glass, and a fully functional battery. Sellers are required to disclose if battery health is below 80% and the Apple battery message is showing. Payments go through PayPal, with buyer and seller protections built in. Human support is available 24/7/365 with a typical response time around 20 minutes.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does my iPhone keep freezing even after a force restart?
The most common causes are low storage (under 10% free space) and outdated iOS software. Check Settings > General > iPhone Storage first. If storage looks fine, go to Settings > General > Software Update and install any pending update. If freezing continues after both fixes, a specific app or a hardware issue may be the cause.
Will a force restart delete anything on my iPhone?
No. A force restart clears the phone’s active memory (RAM) but does not erase apps, photos, messages, or settings. It is the equivalent of a hard reboot. Erasing data requires a separate process through Settings or recovery mode.
My iPhone screen is completely black and will not respond. Is it frozen?
Not necessarily. A completely black screen can mean the battery is dead, the display connector is loose, or the phone entered a crash loop. Plug into a known-good charger for 15 to 30 minutes, then attempt the force restart sequence for your model. If it still does not respond, connect it to a computer and open Finder (Mac) or iTunes (Windows) to attempt a recovery.
Why does my iPhone freeze on one specific app?
The app likely has a bug, corrupted local data, or has not been updated recently. Force quit the app by swiping up from the bottom edge and swiping the app card away. Then update it in the App Store or offload and reinstall it through Settings > General > iPhone Storage. If one app consistently triggers freezes, check the developer’s support page for known issues.
My iPhone gets hot and then freezes. What is happening?
Heat-related freezes usually point to a background process running out of control (such as a large sync or a download) or hardware stress on an aging battery. Check Settings > Battery > Battery Usage to see which apps are consuming power. If the phone gets hot while idle, something is running in the background. Turn on Low Power Mode temporarily to limit background activity, then identify the culprit. See our iPhone overheating guide.
Can low battery health cause an iPhone to freeze?
Yes. A degraded battery can cause unexpected shutdowns and iOS performance throttling, both of which can present as freezing or sluggishness. iOS applies Performance Management to phones with worn batteries to prevent random shutdowns, but that throttling can make the phone feel unresponsive. Check Settings > Battery > Battery Health and Charging. If battery health is below 80%, the battery is likely a contributing factor.
Conclusion
Most frozen iPhones respond to a force restart in under 30 seconds. If yours keeps freezing, low storage and outdated iOS account for the majority of recurring cases, and both are free fixes. If the phone is old enough that neither fix helps and hardware issues are stacking up, the math usually favors a replacement over continued repairs.
Used iPhones on Swappa run 30 to 60% below new retail, with every listing staff-reviewed and verified against Swappa’s listing criteria. Browse current models and pricing below.
