How to Turn Off iPhone (and What to Do When It Won't Turn Off or On)

Here's the catch. If your iPhone is frozen, that slider won't appear, and holding buttons longer won't help. Apple's fix is a force restart, which is a different button sequence: press and quickly release volume up, press and quickly release volume down, then press and hold the side button until the Apple logo appears.

Power off buttons by iPhone model

Your iPhone	To turn it off	To turn it back on
iPhone with Face ID	Hold the side button and volume down until the slider appears, then drag it	Hold the side button until the Apple logo appears
iPhone with a Home button	Hold the top or side button until the slider appears, then drag it	Hold the side button until the Apple logo appears

When you turn it back on, you'll need your passcode, not Face ID or Touch ID: Apple always asks for the passcode after you turn on or restart your iPhone. So make sure you know it before you switch off.

How to turn off an iPhone with Face ID, step by step

1. Press and hold the side button and the volume down button together.
2. Keep holding until the power off slider appears.
3. Drag the slider to power off your iPhone.
4. To turn it back on, press and hold the side button until the Apple logo appears.

On a new iPhone, holding the side button until the Apple logo appears is also how you turn it on for setup. If it doesn't turn on, you might need to charge the battery. If you're blind or have low vision, triple-click the side button on an iPhone with Face ID or iPhone Duo, or the Home button on iPhone SE, to turn on VoiceOver, the screen reader. Double-tap the screen with three fingers to turn on Zoom.

When your iPhone won't turn off

If your iPhone isn't responding and you can't turn it off then back on, force it to restart. On an iPhone with Face ID:

1. Press and quickly release the volume up button. On iPhone Duo, that's the volume button nearest the side button.
2. Press and quickly release the volume down button. On iPhone Duo, it's the other volume button.
3. Press and hold the side button.
4. When the Apple logo appears, release the side button. This might take longer than 10 seconds.

Older models use a different combination:

iPhone	Force restart
iPhone 7 or iPhone 7 Plus	Hold the side button and volume down together until the Apple logo appears, which might take longer than 10 seconds
iPhone 6s and earlier	Hold the Home button and the side or top button together until the Apple logo appears, around 10 seconds

A force restart isn't the same as switching off, but it gets a frozen iPhone back to a point where the power off slider works again. For the everyday version, here's my guide on how to restart an iPhone without force.

When your iPhone won't turn back on

Apple's article on an iPhone that won't turn on or has a black screen says you might need to force it to restart or charge it. Its steps, in order:

1. Force restart it with the button sequence for your model.
2. If it still doesn't turn on, charge it for one hour, then try again.
3. If it shows a low-charge battery, check your iPhone hardware, then charge it for 30 minutes or until it starts.
4. If it still won't turn on, it might need service.

What turning off your iPhone does to Find My

Worth knowing before you switch off to save battery: a powered-off iPhone can't keep reporting its location. Your iPhone's location shows at icloud.com/find only if it's powered on with a network connection. In the Find My app, an offline device shows its last known location, and Apple keeps that for up to seven days. A sound you send to an offline phone waits as Sound Pending until it next connects. If you turned on Send Last Location, your iPhone tries to upload its location just before it needs to be charged, which covers the flat-battery case.

Turning off your iPhone before recovery mode

Powering off isn't only about saving battery. Apple's passcode reset steps start with it: turn the iPhone off with the same button combination, then connect it to a computer while holding the right button to enter recovery mode. If you're preparing to wipe a phone you're selling, my guide on how to factory reset an iPhone walks through it.

My verdict on turning off your iPhone

I'd use the button combination for your model and drag the slider, because it's quick and works on every iPhone that's responding. If the slider won't appear, I'd go straight to a force restart and not keep holding buttons. If the screen stays black, I'd charge it for an hour before assuming anything's broken. And I'd only power it off for long stretches if you're happy for Find My to show its last known location instead of a live one.

Frequently asked questions

How do I turn off an iPhone without the screen?

If the screen isn't responding, force restart it: press and release volume up, press and release volume down, then hold the side button until the Apple logo appears.

Why won't my iPhone turn off?

If iPhone isn't responding and you can't turn it off, force it to restart with the button sequence for your model.

What do I do if my iPhone won't turn on?

Force restart it. If it still doesn't turn on, charge it for one hour and try again. If you see a low-charge battery, charge it for 30 minutes or until it starts.

Do I need my passcode after turning my iPhone back on?

Yes. Apple always requires your passcode, not Face ID or Touch ID, after you turn on or restart your iPhone.

Can Find My locate an iPhone that's turned off?

Find My shows its last known location for up to seven days. iCloud.com only shows the location if it's powered on and has a network connection.