It's easy to leave your iPhone powered on for days or even weeks at a time, assuming you never let it run out of battery life. But turning it off is the only way to soft-reset your iPhone, giving it a chance to clear its cache, reset its memory, and wipe away any temporary glitches.
It's also handy if you're at the movie theater or somewhere that doesn't take too kindly to your new iPhone ringtone.
Unfortunately, there's no 'off' button, and most new iPhones require you to remember a specific button combination to switch it off. The method also differs depending on whether your iPhone has Face ID or not.
Don't worry, though, because it's super easy to turn off your iPhone, whether you've got an aging device or the newest handset out there. Here's how.
How to turn off your iPhone with Face ID
On newer Apple phones like the iPhone 12, iPhone 11 or iPhone XS, you can't simply hold down the power button to turn them off; in fact, this is more likely to summon Siri if the voice assistant is active.
Instead, hold down both the power button (right side of the iPhone) and either volume button (left side of the iPhone) simultaneously for a couple of seconds. Then your phone will vibrate and the menu pictured above will appear.
Swipe your finger right on the slider 'Slide to power off' to turn off your iPhone. Easy!
If you ever forget this combination, you can also turn off your iPhone using the Settings app. Open Settings > General and scroll down to the bottom to find Shut Down. Choose that option and swipe right to turn the phone off that way.
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How to turn off your iPhone with Home button
To turn off the iPhone SE (2020), iPhone 8 or other iPhones older than the 8, you'll need to press and hold the power button on the right side of the iPhone to summon the power-off slider. You can then swipe right on the slider to turn the phone off.
On the 1st Gen iPhone SE (2016), iPhone 5 or even older iPhones, the power button is on the top-right of the iPhone. Press and hold it, then swipe right to turn the phone off.
How to turn your iPhone back on
Turning your iPhone back on is simple. Just press and hold the power button, and after a few seconds, the device will begin to boot back up.
Bear in mind that some iPhones, especially older models, take a while to power back up, so don't turn your phone off if you'll need it back on right away!
