Step-by-Step Guide: Performing a Gentle Reboot on Your iPhone

It’s normal for all tech gadgets to have a hiccup now and then. Fortunately, you can often resolve the problem at home without any cost. The solution is to soft reset your device.

Let’s first quickly look at what an iPhone soft reset does. Then, we’ll go through the steps on how to soft reset an iPhone, depending on the model you own.

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What Is an iPhone Soft Reset?

A soft reset is also known as a force restart. A soft reset differs from a “normal” restart. The latter simply involves turning off your iPhone and turning it on again. You can restart your iPhone even if the buttons are broken .

Take note that a soft reset also differs from a hard reset. When you hard reset or factory reset your iPhone , the procedure erases your iPhone’s data and restores your device to its blank, default state, as though you just bought it.

You’ll likely soft reset your iPhone when it’s completely frozen. For example,when your iPhone is stuck on the Apple logo . A soft reset does not erase any data.

How to Soft Reset an iPhone 8, iPhone SE (2nd Generation), or Later

If you own an iPhone 8, iPhone SE (2nd generation), iPhone X, or other newer models, follow these steps to soft reset your iPhone:

1. Press theVolume Up button once and release it.
2. Press theVolume Down button once and release it.
3. Press and hold theSide button until you see the Apple logo. You can now release theSide button.

It’s important to press each button in immediate succession. However, you don’t need to rush through the steps urgently. Pacing it at one button per second is sufficient.

How to Soft Reset an iPhone 7

The steps to soft reset an iPhone 7 or 7 Plus are more direct. You just need to do the following:

1. Press and hold theVolume Down button and theSide button simultaneously until you see the Apple logo.
2. Once the logo shows up, you can release both buttons.

How to Soft Reset an iPhone 6s, iPhone SE (1st Generation), or Earlier

It’s also easy to soft reset an iPhone 6s, iPhone SE (1st generation), and other models that came before them. Here’s how:

1. Press and hold theHome button and theSide (orTop) button simultaneously until you see the Apple logo.
2. Once the logo shows up, you can release both buttons, just like the other two ways to soft reset your iPhone.

Carry Out an iPhone Soft Reset Easily

Whenever you face issues with your device, a quick go-to solution is to simply soft reset your iPhone. The methods vary slightly among the different iPhone models, but they’re easy to carry out once you know the steps.

However, if the problem persists, you might need to put your iPhone in recovery mode and reinstall iOS. Just don’t forget to back up all your data before you do that.

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