iPhone Hard Reset: Ultimate Guide You Should Read

Lisa OuUpdated by Lisa Ou / January 26, 2026 07:00

Hi! How do I do a hard reset on my iPhone? These days, I often experience glitches when opening my iPhone. In addition, its operations stop for some lagging and crashing issues. I do not know why these malfunctions are happening. My brother told me to hard reset iPhone 11 when I encountered the problem. How to do a hard reset on iPhone? Please teach me how. Thank you!

Compared to other troubleshooting ways on your iPhone, you can only perform hard reset 4 ways. It depends on the model of the iPhone you currently have. Let's see how to perform the procedure and other additional tips in this post. Continue browsing for more details.

iPhone Hard Reset: Ultimate Guide You Should Read
Guide

Guide List

Part 1. How to Hard Reset iPhone

A hard reset on your iPhones (also call force reset on iPhone) is often executed when minor issues occur. Some of the issues included are lagging and crashing malfunctions. The reason is that the iPhone will be unresponsive when you counter them. A hard reset procedure does not require you to toggle or tap buttons or sliders on the iPhone screen. Using the technique, you can force reset iPhone to fix the issues.

The process of hard reset on iPhone varies depending on your iPhone model and the available buttons. See their separate procedures of iPhone hard reset buttons on the list below.

Hard Reset iPhone with Face ID:

Press your iPhone's Volume Up physical button and release it quickly afterward. Do the same technique with the Volume Down button under the previous one. Then, press and hold the Side physical button until the Apple Logo is shown.

force restart iphone with face id

Force Reset iPhone 8:

Press and immediately release the Volume Up physical button on the iPhone. Then, repeat the procedure with the Volume Down physical button. Finally, press the Side physical button to see the Apple Logo on your screen.

force restart iphone 8

Hard Reset on iPhone 7:

Please press the Volume Down and Sleep/Wake physical buttons together. Then, release them when you see the Apple Logo icon on the iPhone screen. This only means that the force restart procedure has been completed successfully.

force restart iphone 7

Hard Reset an iPhone SE (1st Generation) or 6s:

Press the iPhone's Home and Side/Wake physical buttons to start the procedure. Then, release them when you see the Apple Logo screen.

force restart iphone 6

Part 2. How to Soft Reset iPhone

Another iPhone reset procedure is a soft reset. In contrast, performing a soft restart or reboot requires you to toggle sliders on the screen. It is not recommended for crashing issues. Like the force reset, the soft reset procedure will vary for the iPhone model you process. See their procedures as you scroll down.

FoneLab iOS System Recovery
FoneLab iOS System Recovery

FoneLab enables you to fix iPhone/iPad/iPod from DFU mode, recovery mode, Apple logo, headphone mode, etc. to normal state without data loss.

  • Fix disabled iOS system problems.
  • Extract data from disabled iOS devices without data loss.
  • It is safe and easy to use.

Soft Reset iPhone Without A Home Button

Press the Volume or Side button and hold them until the Power-off slider is shown on the iPhone screen. Later, toggle the slider to turn off the iPhone. Wait for a few seconds and turn on the iPhone. You only need to press and hold the Side button. Then, wait for the Apple Logo screen to be seen.

soft reset iphone without home button

Soft Reset iPhone With Home and Side Buttons

Press the Side physical button until the Power-off slider appears on the iPhone. Then, use the Slider to switch off the iPhone. Wait a few seconds, then turn on the iPhone. You only need to push and hold the Side button. Then, wait for the Apple Logo screen to appear.

soft reset iphone with home button

Soft Reset iPhone With Home and Top Buttons

Press the Top button on your iPhone until the Power-off slider displays. Then, you need to utilize the Slider to turn off your iPhone. Wait a few seconds, then turn on your iPhone. You merely have to press and hold the Top button. Then, wait for the Apple logo to be shown.

soft reset iphone with home and top button
FoneLab iOS System Recovery
FoneLab iOS System Recovery

FoneLab enables you to fix iPhone/iPad/iPod from DFU mode, recovery mode, Apple logo, headphone mode, etc. to normal state without data loss.

  • Fix disabled iOS system problems.
  • Extract data from disabled iOS devices without data loss.
  • It is safe and easy to use.

Part 3. How to Factory Reset iPhone

The previous iPhone reset procedures are performed for minor issues. You can perform another reset process on the mentioned device: a Factory Reset. This reset type is crucial because it will delete all your iPhone's stored data and settings. You should back up your iPhone data before performing this technique. Please follow the steps below.

Step 1Tap the Settings app on the iPhone's Home Screen. Then, choose the General button on the options list. You will be directed to a new interface later. Swipe down the screen and tap the Transfer or Reset iPhone button for more options. Finally, choose the Erase All Content and Settings button at the bottom of the screen.

erase all content and settings on iphone

Step 2Your iPhone will undergo verification. Please enter your iPhone and Apple ID passcode. Then, confirm the factory reset procedure by tapping the Continue button on the next screen. Wait for the process to end and set up your iPhone.

continue factory reset iphone

Part 4. Comparison of Hard Reset, Soft Reset and Factory Reset

Feature Hard Reset (Force Restart) Soft Reset (Standard Restart) Factory Reset
Primary Purpose Force restart unresponsive/frozen iPhone Normal restart for minor issues Erase all content & settings; prepare for sale/transfer
Data Loss None ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ None ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Complete ⭐
When to Use Frozen screen, unresponsive touch, app/system crash Minor glitches, sluggish performance, app issues Selling/giving away iPhone, major software issues, starting fresh
Technical Skill Easy ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Very Easy ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Easy ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (but requires caution)
Time Required 30-60 seconds 1-2 minutes 5-30 minutes (depends on data amount)
iCloud Activation Lock No effect No effect Remains active (must disable in Settings > Apple ID > Find My)
Backup Required? No No Highly recommended before proceeding
Effect on Apps/Data No change No change Complete erasure (apps, photos, messages, settings)
Risk Level Low (safe for data) Very Low (safest option) High (permanent data loss if no backup)

If you want a professional and proven method to fix iPhone issues besides hard reset your iPhone, please move on.

Part 5. Best Tool to Fix Issues on iPhone (Highly Recommended)

Undeniably, the previous reset procedures for minor iPhone issues are the most convenient for fixing them. Let’s say you experience major problems on your iPhone, including screen or system issues. What will you do? Well, FoneLab iOS System Recovery will help! This tool has 2 repair modes to do that: Standard Mode and Advanced Mode. If you want to keep your data, please choose Standard Mode first. Later, you will know their functions as you follow the detailed steps below.

FoneLab iOS System Recovery
FoneLab iOS System Recovery

FoneLab enables you to fix iPhone/iPad/iPod from DFU mode, recovery mode, Apple logo, headphone mode, etc. to normal state without data loss.

  • Fix disabled iOS system problems.
  • Extract data from disabled iOS devices without data loss.
  • It is safe and easy to use.

Step 1Tick the Free Download button on the website and set up the tool afterward. Later, launch it on the computer to start the procedure.

download ios system recovery

Step 2Click the iOS System Recovery button. Then, click the Start button to continue. Later, plug the iPhone into your computer using the USB cable. Click the Fix button to proceed.

start the process

Step 3Choose the repair mode you prefer: Standard Mode or Advanced Mode. You will see their functions under their names. Then, click the Confirm button to see the firmware package. Click the Next button to download it, and the tool will start fixing the iPhone malfunctions.

download firmware package
FoneLab iOS System Recovery
FoneLab iOS System Recovery

FoneLab enables you to fix iPhone/iPad/iPod from DFU mode, recovery mode, Apple logo, headphone mode, etc. to normal state without data loss.

  • Fix disabled iOS system problems.
  • Extract data from disabled iOS devices without data loss.
  • It is safe and easy to use.

Part 6. FAQs about How to Do Hard Reset on iPhone

Will a hard reset delete everything on my iPhone?

No. The hard reset technique will not delete everything on your iPhone or even a single piece of data. It will only give your iPhone a fresh restart when encountering lagging or crashing issues. However, if you are still worried about the procedure, you can back up your iPhone data using cloud-based storage, such as iCloud or Google Drive.

Can you factory reset a lost iPhone?

You cannot manually factory reset the lost iPhone using the default setting. However, you can perform alternative methods. For example, you can use the Find My feature on your iPhone instead.

Learning how to hard reset an iPhone is easy with the help of this article. It gives you the step-by-step procedures to perform it. In addition, it introduces FoneLab iOS System Recovery as an alternative for the reset procedures to fix minor issues on your iPhone. Leave any comments or suggestions before if there are any. Thank you!

FoneLab iOS System Recovery
FoneLab iOS System Recovery

FoneLab enables you to fix iPhone/iPad/iPod from DFU mode, recovery mode, Apple logo, headphone mode, etc. to normal state without data loss.

  • Fix disabled iOS system problems.
  • Extract data from disabled iOS devices without data loss.
  • It is safe and easy to use.
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