IPhone X, XR, XS, And XS Max: How To Hard Reset - MacRumors

Skip to ContentOpen MenuMacRumors
  • Front Page
  • Roundups Show Roundups
    • AirPods 4
    • AirPods Max
    • AirPods Pro 3
    • Apple Deals
    • Apple Pay
    • Apple Pro Display XDR
    • Apple Studio Display
    • Apple TV
    • Apple Vision Pro
    • Apple Watch 11
    • Apple Watch SE 3
    • Apple Watch Ultra 3
    • CarPlay
    • HomePod
    • HomePod mini
    • iMac
    • iOS 26
    • iPad
    • iPad Air
    • iPad mini
    • iPad Pro
    • iPadOS 26
    • iPhone 16
    • iPhone 16e
    • iPhone 17
    • iPhone 17 Pro
    • iPhone 18
    • iPhone Air
    • Mac mini
    • Mac Pro
    • Mac Studio
    • MacBook Air
    • MacBook Pro
    • macOS Tahoe
    • watchOS 26
  • Guides
  • How Tos
  • Reviews
  • Buyer's Guide
  • Forums
PodcastInstagramFacebookTwitterMastodonYouTubeNotificationsRSSNewsletterVisit ForumsSearchClose SearchOpen Sidebar
  • Hard Reset iPhone SE
  • Hard Reset Apple Watch
  • Restart MacBook, Air, Pro
  • Hard Reset iPad Pro
  • Hard Reset iPhone 11, 11 Pro
  • Hard Reset iPhone X, XS, XR
  • Hard Reset iPhone 8
  • Hard Reset iPhone 7
  • Hard Reset iPhone 6s and Earlier
  • Front Page
  • Roundups
  • Guides
  • How Tos
  • Reviews
  • Buyer's Guide
  • Upcoming Products
  • Forums
  • Archives
  • Tips / Contact Us
  • PodcastInstagramFacebookTwitterMastodonYouTubeNotificationsRSSNewsletter
iPhone X, XR, XS, and XS Max: How to Hard ResetThursday November 1, 2018 11:56 AM PDT by Juli Clover

Apple's newest crop of devices, the iPhone X, iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max, and iPhone XR don't have a Home button and feature new Side buttons with unique functionality, so Apple has introduced a new method for forcing a quick restart.

It takes a unique combination of button presses to cause your iPhone to restart, and while it's not immediately obvious, once you've learned the steps, a force restart is the quickest way to restart your iPhone if it's acting up.

Hard Resetting iPhone X, iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max, and iPhone XR

howtoforcerestartiphonexs

  1. Quickly press and release the Volume Up button.
  2. Quickly press and release the Volume Down button.
  3. Press and hold the Side button until the Apple logo appears, then release the Side button.

During this process, you will see a slider to power off the iPhone. You're going to want to ignore it and continue holding down the Side button until the screen goes black. At that point, the Apple logo will pop up, and after the restart is complete, the screen will activate once again.

Using the force restart process prevents you from having to shut the iPhone down entirely, which takes several more steps.

If you do want to shut the iPhone down, you can do so by going to the General section of the Settings app, scrolling down to the bottom, and choosing the Shut Down option.

You can also hold down the Volume Up button and the Side button at the same time to bring up the Emergency SOS interface that also houses a "slide to power off" option.

21 comments

Get weekly top MacRumors stories in your inbox.

Top Rated Comments

chabig Avatarchabig95 months ago
I’m trying to find another X to swap this one out at this point.
I’ll trade with you. PM me.Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)seriouslyjaded Avatarseriouslyjaded95 months ago
Since the SE, Apple has been increasingly losing its philosophy of ease of use (face recognition in front view instead of the nice fingerprint homebutton ready from anywhere, thus abandoning the central control element, at the same time screen size and thus increased weight for the Asian market, the ugly notch, roundings in the design at the expense of clear grip, etc.) due to differentiation pressure in the marketplace on an actually developed product.No perfect product comes out of such a compromise matrix. Only an "optimal".
As an owner of a long line of iPhones, I can say that Face ID was a revelation in ease of use - it is so unintrusive that it may as well not be there - fingerprint sensors just aren’t in the same league. And the gesturing is so much more intuitive on these new phones - far better than the home button single/double/triple presses. The only thing they should fix IMO is to bring up notifications with a bottom left swipe and the control center with a bottom right swipe.Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)haruhiko Avatarharuhiko95 months agoKonami codeScore: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)Morgenland AvatarMorgenland95 months agoSince the SE, Apple has been increasingly losing its philosophy of ease of use (face recognition in front view instead of the nice fingerprint homebutton ready from anywhere, thus abandoning the central control element, at the same time screen size and thus increased weight for the Asian market, the ugly notch, roundings in the design at the expense of clear grip, etc.) due to differentiation pressure in the marketplace on an actually developed product.No perfect product comes out of such a compromise matrix. Only an "optimal".Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)TimSHB AvatarTimSHB95 months ago
Konami code
Does this button sequence also give you 100 extra lives?Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)jpn Avatarjpn95 months agoiPhone 8 same way to force restart.Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)Read All Comments

Popular Stories

airpods pro 3 purple

New, Higher End AirPods Pro Coming This Year

Tuesday January 20, 2026 9:05 am PST by Hartley CharltonApple is planning to debut a high-end secondary version of AirPods Pro 3 this year, sitting in the lineup alongside the current model, reports suggest. Back in September 2025, supply chain analyst Ming-Chi Kuo reported that Apple is planning to introduce a successor to the AirPods Pro 3 in 2026. This would be somewhat unusual since Apple normally waits around three years to make major...Read Full Article • 106 commentssmaller dynamic island iphone 18 pro Filip Vabrous%CC%8Cek

iPhone 18 Pro Leak: Smaller Dynamic Island, No Top-Left Camera Cutout

Tuesday January 20, 2026 2:34 am PST by Tim HardwickOver the last few months, rumors around the iPhone 18 Pro's front-panel design have been conflicted, with some supply-chain leaks pointing to under-display Face ID, reports suggesting a top-left hole-punch camera, and debate over whether the familiar Dynamic Island will shrink, shift, or disappear entirely. Today, Weibo-based leaker Instant Digital shared new details that appear to clarify the ...Read Full Article • 57 commentsiOS 27 Mock Quick

iOS 27 Will Add These 8 New Features to Your iPhone

Sunday January 18, 2026 3:51 pm PST by Joe RossignoliOS 27 is still many months away, but there are already plenty of rumors about new features that will be included in the software update. The first beta of iOS 27 will be released during WWDC 2026 in June, and the update should be released to all users with a compatible iPhone in September. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said that iOS 27 will be similar to Mac OS X Snow Leopard, in the sense...Read Full Article • 106 comments14 inch MacBook Pro Keyboard

MacBook Pro Buyers Now Facing Up to a Two-Month Wait Ahead of New Models

Sunday January 18, 2026 6:50 pm PST by Joe RossignolMacBook Pro availability is tightening on Apple's online store, with select configurations facing up to a two-month delivery timeframe in the United States. A few 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro configurations with an M4 Pro chip are not facing any shipping delay, but estimated delivery dates for many configurations with an M4 Max chip range from February 6 to February 24 or even later. At...Read Full Article • 87 commentsApple Logo Spotlight

Apple Expected to Unveil Five All-New Products This Year

Wednesday January 21, 2026 10:54 am PST by Joe RossignolIn addition to updating many of its existing products, Apple is expected to unveil five all-new products this year, including a smart home hub, a Face ID doorbell, a MacBook with an A18 Pro chip, a foldable iPhone, and augmented reality glasses. Below, we have recapped rumored features for each product. Smart Home Hub Apple home hub (concept) Apple's long-rumored smart home hub should...Read Full Article • 63 comments

Next Article

M5 MacBook ProMacBook Pro to Receive Up to Six New Features by Next Year

Guides

ios 26 sidebar squareiOS 26 Features

Our comprehensive guide highlighting every major new addition in iOS 26, plus how-tos that walk you through using the new features.

ios 26 2 sidebar squareiOS 26.2 Features

Reminder alarms, more Liquid Glass tweaks, AirDrop improvements, and more.

macos tahoe 26 square sidebar50 macOS Tahoe Features

New features and lesser-known changes to check out if you're upgrading.

iphone 17 air pro vs square sidebariPhone 17 vs iPhone 17 Pro vs iPhone Air

Apple's four new iPhones feature more differences between the latest models than ever before, so which one should you buy?

• Apple Intelligence Guide • Image Playground Guide • iPhone Mirroring Not Working? • 21 Time-Saving iPhone Tips • 14 macOS Tips to Make Your Life Easier • One AirPod Not Working? See more guides

Upcoming

iphone 17e square sidebariPhone 17e Early 2026

A19 chip, MagSafe, and perhaps a Dynamic Island instead of a display notch.

apple tv squareApple TV Early 2026?

Upgrade to A17 or newer chip with Apple Intelligence support, plus Apple's new N1 wireless networking chip.

airtag square sidebarAirTag Early 2026?

Upgraded item tracker with improved range, anti-tamper improvements, and more.

apple home hub square sidebarSmart Home Hub Early 2026?

Squarish 7-inch screen for controlling smart home products, listening to music, making video calls, and more.

• HomePod mini • Low-Cost MacBook • MacBook Air • MacBook Pro • Studio Display • Mac mini • Mac Studio • iPhone 18 Pro • Foldable iPhone See full product calendar

Other Stories

X twitter logoX is Down: Twitter Not Working Across iPhone and Web

18 minutes ago by Joe Rossignol

iOS 27 Mock QuickiOS 27's Biggest Feature Yet Revealed in New Report

4 hours ago by Joe Rossignol

iphone 18 pro square sidebarHere's What This Year's iPhone 18 Pro Display Could Look Like

1 day ago by Tim Hardwick

iOS 26iOS 26.3 Coming Soon With These New Features

1 day ago by Joe Rossignol

iPhone Top Left Hole Punch Feature BlueTwo iPhone 18 Pro Features Revealed in New Report

3 days ago by Joe Rossignol

Tag » How To Soft Reset Iphone Xr