What to Do When Your Phone Is Frozen or Not Responding

3 min read · iPhone · Android

A frozen phone that won't respond to taps or button presses is fixable in under 30 seconds. The solution is a force restart — a safe way to cut power and reboot the phone without losing any data. No data is deleted when you force restart.

Force Restart iPhone 8 and Later (Including All Face ID Models)

Quickly press and release the Volume Up button

Press and quickly release the Volume Up button (the top button on the left side of the phone). This is a quick tap — not a hold.

Quickly press and release the Volume Down button

Immediately after, press and quickly release the Volume Down button (the lower button on the left side). Again, a quick tap.

Press and hold the Side button until the Apple logo appears

Now press and hold the Side button (right side of the phone) and keep holding it — even if a power slider appears on screen. Hold until the screen goes black, then the Apple logo appears. Then let go. Your iPhone is restarting.

This works even if the screen is completely black or unresponsive. The button sequence bypasses the software and forces the hardware to restart. Your apps, photos, and data are all safe.

Force Restart iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus

Press and hold Volume Down and the Side button at the same time

Press and hold Volume Down (left side) and the Side button (right side) simultaneously. Keep holding both buttons.

Hold until the Apple logo appears

Keep holding both buttons for about 10 seconds until the screen goes black and the Apple logo appears. Release both buttons and wait for the phone to boot up.

Force Restart iPhone 6s or Earlier (with Home Button)

Press and hold the Home button and the Top (or Side) button

Press and hold the Home button and the Top button (on older models) or Side button (on iPhone 6/6s) at the same time.

Hold until the Apple logo appears

Keep holding both buttons for about 10 seconds. When the Apple logo appears, release and let the phone restart.

Force Restart an Android Phone

Press and hold the Power button for 10–30 seconds

Press and hold the Power button on the side of your phone and keep holding it — even if nothing seems to happen at first. On most Android phones, this forces a restart after 10–30 seconds.

Wait for the phone to vibrate and restart

The screen will go black, the phone may vibrate briefly, and then the manufacturer logo will appear as it restarts. Release the button when you see the logo.

Force Restart Samsung Galaxy Phone

Press and hold Volume Down and the Power/Side button

On Samsung Galaxy phones, press and hold Volume Down and the Side key (power button) simultaneously.

Hold for 7–10 seconds until the Samsung logo appears

Keep holding both buttons. After about 7–10 seconds the screen will go black and the Samsung logo will appear. Release the buttons and let the phone boot up normally.

If the Phone Won't Turn Back On

Plug in your charger

If the phone stays black after a force restart, plug in the charging cable. A completely drained battery can cause a phone to appear frozen. Let it charge for at least 15 minutes, then try again.

Try a different cable and charger

A faulty cable can prevent charging even when it looks like it's connected. Try a different cable or power adapter to rule this out.

If still unresponsive, contact Apple or your manufacturer

If the phone remains completely unresponsive after charging, there may be a hardware issue. Contact Apple Support for iPhone or your phone manufacturer's support line for Android.

If your phone freezes frequently: This often points to a software bug or a rogue app. After restarting, check if any apps need updating, and consider deleting recently installed apps that may be causing the problem.

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