How to turn off your iPhone

You’re at the end of a long day, your battery’s low, and your iPhone® won’t stop buzzing with notifications. Whether you're trying to save power, fix a glitch, or just get a break from your screen, knowing how to shut down your phone can help.

At Asurion, our experts help people troubleshoot their devices every day. Here’s how to turn off any iPhone model—even if the screen is frozen or the buttons aren’t working.

Turn off iPhones with a Home button

You don’t need to wait until the battery dies to turn off your iPhone. Try pressing the top or side button for a few seconds.

If your phone is responding normally, a power slider will pop up on the screen. Drag the slider to the right side of the screen to turn off the iPhone.

Once the screen goes black, wait a few seconds before pushing the same button to restart the iPhone. A small pause gives the device enough time to shut down completely so it can reboot normally. That’s especially helpful when you’re dealing with a pesky glitch or just doing routine iPhone battery care.

Turn off newer iPhones with Face ID

If you have a sparkly new iPhone, powering it off takes a few extra steps. That’s because Apple changed the design when it added Face ID, which eliminated the need for a Home button.

To turn off a Face ID iPhone, simultaneously hold down the Power button and one of the volume buttons. The familiar slider bar should pop up, and you can drag it to the right to turn off your phone.

Ready to turn it back on? Just press the Power button—no need to touch the volume this time.

Shut down your iPhone through Settings

Okay, so maybe you’ve tried the usual tricks, and your iPhone still won’t turn off. That often happens when an app freezes or if your iPhone takes a tragic tumble down the stairs or gets knocked off your counter. Don’t be surprised if it acts glitchy.

You can simply turn off your device by going into the Settings. Tap General, followed by Shut down. The iPhone power off screen should appear, allowing you to drag the slider. Voila. Your screen is off with no physical buttons necessary.

Troubleshooting if your iPhone won’t turn off

If you’ve read this far into the iPhone help guide, chances are the usual shutdown steps aren’t working. But that doesn’t mean your device is doomed to stay frozen forever. The best iPhone troubleshooting techniques depend on what model you have.

Shutting down iPhone 8s and newer

Say, for instance, you’re trying to figure out how to turn off an iPhone 15 or 16—something fairly recent. To force restart anything that’s an iPhone 8 or later, try pressing the buttons in a three-key combination. Here’s the sequence:

1. Press the Volume Up button and immediately let it go.
2. Do the same thing with Volume Down.
3. Press and hold the side button for a few seconds until the Apple logo appears. When you let go, your iPhone should shut off instantly.

The timing can be tricky, so try it a few times if you don’t get instant results.

Powering off older models

• iPhone 7: Hold the volume down and the side button at the same time until you see the Apple logo.
• iPhone 6s or earlier: Press the Home button and the top or side button to turn off your device.

Turning off your iPhone in the Settings

If your buttons are jammed or your screen is frozen, don’t worry—there’s another way to power down.

Go to Settings > General > Shut Down to turn off your iPhone.

Still can’t get your phone to turn off—or worse, it won’t turn back on? Asurion Experts are available 24/7 to help. From troubleshooting stubborn shutdowns to choosing the right phone protection plan, we’ll make sure you and your device are covered.