You'd think it would be simple. It’s a phone. You press a button, it shuts down, you press it again, it wakes up. But Apple hasn’t made a phone with a simple "Power" button in years. Since the iPhone X ditched the Home button back in 2017, the process of how to turn on and off iPhone became a multi-finger exercise that honestly confuses people more than it should. If you’re holding a newer model, like an iPhone 15 or 16, pressing that long button on the right side just summons Siri. She’s helpful, sure, but she’s not the power switch.
Most people just want the thing to stop glowing so they can sleep, or they need to kill a glitchy app. Apple calls the button on the right the "Side Button," not the power button. This distinction is subtle but explains why just holding it down feels like yelling into a void. To actually kill the power, you’ve got to play a little chord with the volume buttons.
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The Modern Shutdown: For iPhones Without a Home Button
If your iPhone has Face ID—meaning no circular button at the bottom—you’re in the "Side Button" era. To turn it off, you have to press and hold the Side Button and either Volume Button simultaneously.
Don't just tap them. Hold them.
You’ll feel a quick haptic buzz, and then the "slide to power off" slider appears at the top of the screen. Swipe that bar to the right. The screen goes black. It takes about 30 seconds for the device to fully commit to shutting down. If you let go too early, you’ll probably just take a screenshot, which is the number one accident people have when trying to figure out how to turn on and off iPhone models.
Why does this keep changing?
Apple shifted the design to prevent accidental shutdowns in your pocket. By requiring two buttons on opposite sides of the frame, the "intent" to turn off the device is confirmed. It’s a safety measure, basically. However, it also means if you have small hands or a bulky case, doing this one-handed is nearly impossible.
Bringing It Back to Life
Turning it back on is much more intuitive. You just hold that Side Button until the silver Apple logo pops up. You don't need the volume buttons for this part. If nothing happens, your battery might be dead, or you aren't holding it long enough. Give it a solid three to five seconds.
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The Old School Way: iPhones with a Home Button
Maybe you’re rocking an iPhone SE (2nd or 3rd Gen) or an older iPhone 8. These are the classics. For these, the method is exactly what you remember from 2012. You just hold the Side Button (or the Top Button on tiny models like the original SE) until the slider appears. No volume button gymnastics required.
Slide it. Done.
To turn it back on, hold that same button until the logo appears. It’s simpler, sure, but these models are becoming rarer as the world moves toward all-screen designs.
When Your Buttons are Broken: The Software Trick
What if your side button is jammed? Or maybe you dropped it and now the volume rocker is stuck? You can actually shut down any iPhone using nothing but the screen. This is a life-saver for older tech.
- Go to Settings.
- Tap on General.
- Scroll all the way to the very bottom—past the Reset and VPN stuff.
- Tap Shut Down.
The slider will pop up just like it does with the hardware buttons. It’s a bit of a trek through the menus, but it works every single time regardless of your hardware health.
The Forced Restart: When Everything Freezes
Sometimes the "slide to power off" bar won't even show up. Your screen is frozen on a weird TikTok or a crashed email. This is when you need the "Force Restart." It’s a specific sequence that interrupts the power flow to the processor.
On modern iPhones (8 and later):
- Click and release Volume Up.
- Click and release Volume Down.
- Hold the Side Button and do not let go.
Even when the screen goes black, keep holding. Only let go when you see the Apple logo. This is the "pulling the plug" equivalent for a smartphone. It doesn't delete your data, but it clears the "RAM," which is basically the phone's short-term memory. It’s the first thing any Genius Bar employee will do if you walk in with a "broken" phone.
Turning Off Without the Screen (Emergency SOS)
There is a darker side to the power buttons. If you hold the Side Button and a Volume button for too long—past the point where the slider appears—the phone will start a loud countdown for Emergency SOS.
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It’s meant to be a way to call for help without looking at the screen. But if you’re just trying to figure out how to turn on and off iPhone while sitting in a quiet library, be careful. That siren is incredibly loud. If you accidentally trigger the SOS screen, you’ll also notice that Face ID is temporarily disabled. You’ll have to enter your passcode to get back in. This is a security feature (often called "Cop Button") that prevents someone from forcing you to unlock your phone with your face in an emergency.
Common Myths and Mistakes
A lot of people think that letting the battery die is a "good" way to turn off the phone. Honestly, it’s not. Lithium-ion batteries don't love being pushed to 0%. It causes chemical stress. If you’re planning to store your iPhone for a few months, Apple actually recommends turning it off manually when it’s at about 50% charge. Don't leave it at 100%, and don't leave it dead.
Another weird thing? You can't "turn off" an iPhone while it’s charging. Well, you can, but it will immediately turn itself back on. The act of plugging it into a lightning or USB-C cable triggers a boot-up sequence. If you really want it off while charging, you have to plug it in first, then perform the shutdown steps.
Deep Settings for Power Users
If you find yourself constantly rebooting because your phone feels slow, you might not actually need to turn it off. Usually, it's a rogue app. You can swipe up from the bottom (or double-click the Home button) to fling those apps away.
But if you really want a clean slate, a weekly restart is a solid habit. It clears out cached files that might be gumming up the works. Ever since iOS 16 and 17, the operating system has become much better at managing background tasks, but a hard "Off and On" still solves about 90% of weird Wi-Fi or Bluetooth connectivity issues.
Actionable Next Steps
- Check your hardware: If your buttons feel "mushy" when trying to turn the phone off, clean the edges with a toothpick or compressed air. Dust buildup is the main reason buttons stop responding.
- Set up AssistiveTouch: If your buttons are truly dead, go to Settings > Accessibility > Touch > AssistiveTouch and turn it on. You can add a "Restart" or "Long Press" button to the virtual on-screen menu.
- Memorize the Force Restart: Practice the "Up, Down, Hold" sequence once while your phone is working fine. You don't want to be Googling it for the first time when your phone is frozen and you’re in a rush.
- Update your software: Sometimes "ghost" shutdowns or the inability to turn off properly is a bug in iOS. Go to Settings > General > Software Update to ensure you're on the latest build.
Knowing the physical quirks of your device makes the whole experience less frustrating. Whether you're trying to save battery life or just need a digital break, mastering the shutdown is the most basic, yet essential, skill for any iPhone owner.