How To Turn Off ANY iPhone Without Touch Screen - No Restart! (FAST & EASY) - Force Shutdown
Learn how to completely turn off any iPhone when the touch screen is unresponsive. Follow this exact physical button sequence for a full force shutdown.
Key Takeaways
Why Force Shut Down an iPhone?
Dealing with an unresponsive iPhone screen can be incredibly frustrating. Normally, turning off your iPhone requires holding down the power button and swiping a slider on the touch screen. But what do you do when the screen freezes and won't register your touch?
You can perform a hard shutdown using a specific sequence of physical button presses. This method completely powers down your device without requiring you to touch the screen at all.
Force Shutdown vs. Force Restart
It is important to note that a force shutdown is different from a force restart.
FAQ
What happens if I release the buttons when the Apple logo appears?
If you let go of the buttons when the Apple logo appears, your iPhone will likely just complete a force restart. To perform a full force shutdown, it is critical that you do not let go and keep holding both the Volume Up and Power buttons until the logo disappears and the screen goes completely black.
How do I turn my iPhone back on after a hard shutdown?
Once your iPhone is completely powered down, you can turn it back on normally. Simply press and hold the Power (Side) button until the Apple logo appears on the screen.
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A force shutdown completely turns off an unresponsive iPhone, unlike a force restart that reboots it immediately.
Initiate the shutdown sequence by quickly pressing and releasing Volume Up, followed by Volume Down.
Next, press and hold the Power button until the screen turns black.
The exact moment the screen goes black, press and hold Volume Up while continuing to hold the Power button.
Keep holding both buttons past the Apple logo until the screen goes completely black again, indicating the device is fully powered off.
Force Shutdown: This process leaves your phone completely powered off. It is ideal if you need to conserve battery or simply want the device completely turned off while you troubleshoot.
Force Restart: This process forces the phone to turn off and immediately boot back up.
If you are looking to reboot your device instead of turning it off completely, you can check out this guide on how to force restart your iPhone.
How to Force Shut Down an iPhone Without the Touch Screen
Follow these exact steps to fully shut down your iPhone when the touch screen is unresponsive. Read through the steps carefully, as the timing of the button presses is critical.
Press Volume Up: Quickly press and release the Volume Up button.
Press Volume Down: Quickly press and release the Volume Down button.
Hold the Power Button: Press and hold the Power (Side) button. Keep holding it until the screen shuts off completely. (Note: Doing this normally initiates the standard restart sequence).
Transition to Shutdown Mode: The exact moment the screen turns black, immediately press and hold the Volume Up button while continuing to hold the Power button.
Ignore the Apple Logo: As you hold both the Volume Up and Power buttons, the Apple logo will eventually appear on the screen. It can be tempting to let go here, but do not let go.
Wait for Power Off: Keep holding both buttons no matter what happens. After a few more seconds, the Apple logo will disappear, the screen will go black, and the phone will completely turn off. You can now release the buttons.
Quick Reference: Button Sequence
If you need a quick cheat sheet to execute the sequence quickly, use the table below:
Sequence Phase
Button Action
Device Reaction
Phase 1
Click Volume Up, click Volume Down
Device is primed for hard reset
Phase 2
Press and hold Power button
Screen turns black
Phase 3
Press and hold Volume Up + Power button
Apple logo appears, then device powers off completely
Additional Resources
Once your phone is successfully powered down, you can turn it back on normally by pressing and holding the Power button until the Apple logo appears.
What should I do if I want to reboot my frozen iPhone rather than turning it off completely?
If you want your device to turn off and immediately boot back up, you need to perform a force restart instead of a force shutdown. You can check out this guide on how to force restart your iPhone for the exact steps.
Can I use this method if my iPhone touch screen is completely unresponsive?
Yes. This force shutdown method relies entirely on a specific sequence of physical button presses (Volume Up, Volume Down, and the Power button). It is specifically designed to completely power down your device without requiring you to touch the screen at all.
