How to force restart the iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus
Previous key combinations either won't do a thing or will attempt to call for help.
With the iPhone 8 and 8 Plus, Apple has once again changed the button combination used to force restart a frozen phone.
Up until the iPhone 7 and 7 Plus , you could hold the wake/lock (or "side" button) and the home button at the same time until the Apple logo appeared. That process changed with the iPhone 7 lineup, when you had to hold the wake/lock and volume down buttons to complete the process.
If you try the same thing on the iPhone 8 or 8 Plus, however, you'll quickly learn that's how the Emergency SOS feature is triggered. Depending on your settings, your phone may end up playing a loud alarm and calling emergency services when all you wanted to do was restart your device.
Apple has published the button sequence (not combination) that restarts the iPhone 8 and 8 Plus. Here's what you need to do:
- Quickly press and release the volume up button.
- Quickly press and release the volume down button.
- Hold in the wake/lock button until you see the Apple logo.
The next time your phone is running a bit slow or is frozen, keep this in mind. It took me a few tries to get it just right, but it indeed works.