iPhone won’t turn off after iOS 26 update? Here’s what to do

• If your iPhone won’t turn off after iOS 26 update, try using the Settings app to shut it down.
• A force restart can help if the normal iPhone restart process isn’t working.

An iPhone stuck in the on position is rare, but if it’s happening to you, here’s what to do to fix it.

Before you start troubleshooting, you should try different ways of turning off your iPhone.

The quickest way to turn off your iPhone is using the physical buttons. Press and hold the side button and either volume button simultaneously until you see the power off slider appear on screen. Simply drag the slider from left to right, and your iPhone will begin its shutdown process.

If that doesn’t work or resolve the problem, try to turn off your iPhone through the Settings app. Go to Settings, tap General, scroll down to find Shut Down, then drag the power off slider to complete the process. This method is particularly useful if your physical buttons aren’t working properly.

Another way to shut down your iPhone if your physical buttons aren’t working properly is swipe down from the top right corner of the screen to open the Control Center and press and hold (then release) the power button for a second. Then, you can simply drag the power slider to turn off your iPhone.

But what if that doesn’t work, or your iPhone is frozen and won’t respond to screen inputs? That’s when it’s time to force restart your phone.

How to Fix an iPhone that Won’t Power Off After iOS 26 Update

You should force restart your iPhone if it doesn’t power off after iOS 26 update. It’s a fail-safe method to ensure you can turn it off if the screen is unresponsive or the phone’s software is misbehaving.

The process to force restart all iPhone models running iOS 26 is the same. Here’s how:

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 (the Sleep button).
4. Wait until you see the Apple logo, and then release the button.

Now try turning off your iPhone using any of these methods:

• Simultaneously press and hold the side button and either volume button until the sliders appear, then drag the Power Off slider.
• Go to Settings > General > Shut Down, then drag the slider.
• Swipe down from the top-right of your iPhone and press and hold down on the power button in the top-right of the control center, then drag the slider.

If your iPhone still won’t turn off, use Siri to shut down your device. All you need to do is say, "Hey Siri, turn off my iPhone." Siri should respond with a confirmation, asking, "Just to confirm, you want to power off this device?" Then, saying "yes" shuts down your iPhone right away.

Update to the latest iOS 26 version

If none of these steps solve your problem and your iPhone still won’t turn off, update your device to the latest iOS 26 version. Several people said this solved the issue entirely. Follow these steps:

1. Open the Settings app.
2. Select General.
3. Tap Software Update.
4. If a new iOS 26 version is available, tap Update Now.

Cayses to Why your iPhone Won’t Turn Off

The most likely reasons your iPhone won’t turn off are:

• It’s frozen due to software problems.
• The Sleep/Wake button is broken.
• The screen is broken and isn’t responding to taps.

Manage Always on Display

Most iPhones running iOS 26 comes with an Always-On display feature enabled by default. If you want to conserve battery without fully shutting down, you can turn this off by going to Settings, Display & Brightness and toggling off the Always On Display option.

See also: iPhone battery drain after iOS 26 update? How to fix it!