Like going on retreat in the woods to nourish body and soul, restarting an iPhone can resolve weird, systemic issues. This is called a soft reset.

Unlike Shutdown

A soft reset does not necessarily have the same effect has shutting down an iPhone or iPad and starting it again. This may seem unusual when you might be used to restarting a Mac in a similar fashion and find that a shutdown–startup process does the same thing.

A soft reset is often a different beast and a worthwhile tactic to know, but the process differs among various models depending on whether a device has a home button and, if any, one that physically depresses. Apple shares all the details in the context of devices that are frozen or won’t turn on, but I find it significantly more valuable.

Pushing My Buttons

To reset any device, it’s important to know the names of the physical buttons. The Home button has a square icon or Touch ID capability and is generally used to unlock a device and/or leave an app and show the home screen.

Apple refers to the Side button, Top button, or Sleep/Wake button to name the button most folks call the Power button. Additionally, there are Volume Up and Volume Down buttons on all devices.

Soft Reset

To reset any iPad with a Home button as well as iPhone SE and iPhone 6s or earlier, hold the Side, Top, or Sleep/Wake button together with the Home button for about 10 seconds until the Apple logo appears.

For iPhone 7 series models, hold the Side button and Volume Down button together for about 10 seconds until the Apple logo appears.

For iPhone 8 (pictured above) and later as well as iPads without a Home button, press Volume Up, then Volume Down, and then hold the Side or Top button alone for about 10 seconds until the Apple logo appears.

A soft reset only takes 10–15 seconds to initiate on a given device, but the process can throw you off if Siri pops up or if you get sidetracked when the shutdown slider appears. I regularly suggest a soft reset as a troubleshooting tactic when corresponding with clients, so I strongly encourage you to learn how to do it with each of your devices.