GeeksModo

How To Fix iPhone Screen Not Responding To Touch

Tuesday February 3, 2026 1:19 am EAT by Dave Johnson

Summary

If your iPhone screen is not responding to touch, there are a few things you can try when troubleshooting the problem.
First, clean off your screen, and your fingers. If you have a case or a thick third party screen protector on the iPhone, remove them.
Next, try a force-restart. If that doesn’t work, you can update or reinstall the operating system.
If you’re still having problems, you can always contact Apple support.

The iPhone is one of the best smartphones out there, but even the best smartphones can experience hardware and software glitches from time to time. One common issue is when the iPhone touch screen stops working or becomes unresponsive to touch. It’s obvious when this happens, you’ll touch the screen and nothing happens, swipes will be ignored, taps don’t do anything, and other touch on the screen doesn’t register any behavior. It’s clearly annoying if the iPhone screen is no longer working and not responding to touch, and it’s not subtle. In this article, I will explain why the iPhone screen is not responding to touch and how to fix the problem.

Why is my iPhone screen not responding to touch?

Your iPhone screen may not be responding to touch due to several reasons. Sometimes it’s due to a software bug, crud on the screen, damage to the iPhone touch screen or iPhone itself, or perhaps some other issues as well. Read on to learn more.

We’ve got several steps to troubleshooting an unresponsive touch screen on an iPhone. If your iPhone is not responding well to touch and the screen seemingly is not working as well as it should with touch input, follow along and you should be able to fix the issue for good. I just experienced this problem on my iPhone, so this is the set of steps I used to troubleshoot the issue, for my specific situation the iPhone just needed to be hard rebooted and some storage freed up for the touch screen to work as expected again.

How to Fix an Unresponsive iPhone Screen

Try these troubleshooting tips one by one. Hopefully, one of these will resolve the issue. If not, it’s likely you have a hardware problem that may only be fixable by contacting Apple customer service to repair or replace your phone.

Clean Your Screen, And Your Fingers

The first thing you need to do when your iPhone screen is not responding to touch is to clean off your screen, and your fingers. If you have a case or a thick third party screen protector on the iPhone, you’ll want to remove those as you troubleshoot this as well.

Give your iPhone screen a good look in bright direct lighting and tilt it around a bit to reveal any obvious gunk, oil, residues, liquids, moistures, dried crust or food, or anything else that may be interfering in the screen. In the sunnier weather, sunscreen is another common thing that can get on a screen and make the iPhone touch screen unresponsive or erroneously responsive. You’ll want to make sure the iPhone screen is clean and clear of anything that can interfere with the ability to detect touch properly. Wiping it down with a soft cotton cloth is often sufficient to remove anything from the iPhone displays touch screen, but you may need to use a slightly damp (and I do mean slightly, never enough moisture to drip) cloth to wipe the screen free.

As for your fingers, just make sure they’re clean and dry. Wash your hands or your fingers if in doubt and if you have a bunch of gunk on them. Unusually dry skin or callouses generally don’t matter and should not cause any issue with the touch screen, though if your hands are wet that may cause issues.

Just make sure the screen is clean, and that your hands are clean and dry.

Force your iPhone to restart

Often times simply restarting the iPhone will fix the unresponsive touch screen. Unfortunately, if your iPhone screen is not responding to touch at all, you won’t be able to move the power-off slider to shut down your device. In this case, you’ll need to resort to a forced restart, which is basically like rebooting your iPhone without powering it down first.

When your iPhone boots back up, the touch screen should work just fine again if it’s a simple software issue like a bug or a software freeze with iOS or an app. The exact steps to force restart your iPhone will depend on what model you have. If you’re not sure which iPhone model you own, check out this article on how to identify your iPhone.

Quick tip: The button we call the Power buttonis also sometimes called the Lock button or the Side button.

If you have an iPhone 8, iPhone SE (2nd and 3rd generations), iPhone X, iPhone 11, iPhone 12, iPhone 13, iPhone 14, iPhone 15, iPhone 16, iPhone 17, or iPhone Air

1. Press and release the Volume Up button.

2. 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.

If you have an iPhone 7

1. Press and hold the Volume Down and Side (Sleep) buttons at the same time.

2. Hold the buttons until the Apple logo appears, then release the buttons.

If you have an iPhone 6s, iPhone SE (1st generation), or earlier

1. Press and hold the Home and Side (Sleep) buttons at the same time.

2. Hold the buttons until the Apple logo appears, then release the buttons.

Disconnect any accessories from the Charging Port

On rare occasions, an accessory plugged into the phone’s charging port could interfere with the touchscreen. If anything is plugged into the port — including a microphone, power bank or charger — unplug it. If your screen works after removing an accessory, try using a different outlet, cable, or charger.

Delete and Update / Reinstall the Problematic App

Sometimes an iPhone touch screen is unresponsive in just one particular app. If this is the case, the problem is likely that app and not the iPhone touch screen at all, but since the app is open at the time the app stops responding as it "freezes". A frozen app will often not respond to any touch screen input at all, but swiping up from the bottom of the screen will often exit the app and go back to the Home Screen in these scenarios.

If your iPhone touch screen stops working while using a specific app, you’ll want to update it first. Open the App Store, tap your profile in the top-right and check to see if an update is available for the app in question, if an update is available, tap the Update button next to the app in question.

If there is still a problem with the touch screen not working in a specific app after you have updated that app, you can also delete the app, and then reinstall the problematic app. Relaunch it again to see if it works as expected. If it still fails, the app could have a bug that needs to be addressed. If the touch screen works with every other app except for the problematic one, that particular app is likely the problem and it’s probably nothing to do with the screen or iPhone at all.

Free up iOS Storage

When an iPhone has zero storage available, the device tend to misbehave, and that can include experiencing an unresponsive touch screen.

Make sure your iPhone has enough storage available. You can check this by going to Settings > General > iPhone Storage. Aim to have at least a 1GB, as iOS really starts underperforming with less space available.

Deleting unused apps is an easy way to recover some storage space.

I have noticed this is particularly true with modern versions of iOS when an iPhone is totally full and has 0 bytes of storage remaining, in which case many apps become unresponsive as does the touch screen. Sometimes even the buttons along with the touch screen may be unresponsive and not work at all for a while on a totally full iPhone, until whatever software cache clearing mechanisms complete. This is often easily reproducible too; just fill up an iPhone so that it has zero bytes remaining, and then start trying to use apps that rely on a lot of caching like Instagram, X, Facebook, Spotify, etc, once those app caches build up you will likely notice the touch screen becomes unresponsive for short periods of time as iOS struggles to deal with having zero storage available. In such a case, just free up some space, then reboot the iPhone, it should work again.

Reinstall iOS

As a last resort before contacting Apple Support, you can try updating or restoring iOS. This is a good option if your iPhone successfully restarts but can’t get past the Apple logo.

Even if your iPhone screen is not responding to touch, you can update or restore iOS by connecting your device to your computer and using Recovery Mode:

1. Connect your iPhone to your computer with a USB cable.

2. Open the Finder on your Mac, or open the Apple Devices app on your PC. If your PC doesn’t have the Apple Devices app, or your Mac is using macOS Mojave or earlier, open iTunes instead.

3. Put your iPhone in recovery mode following these steps:

iPhone 8 or later, including iPhone SE (2nd generation and later): Press and release the volume up button, press and release the volume down button, then press and hold the side button. Hold down the side button until you see the Connect to computer screen.

iPhone 7 or iPhone 7 Plus: Press and hold the volume down button and Sleep/Wake button at the same time. Hold down the buttons until you see the Connect to computer screen.

iPhone 6s or earlier, including iPhone SE (1st generation): Press and hold the Sleep/Wake button and Home button at the same time. Hold down the buttons until you see the Connect to computer screen.

4. When you see the option to restore or update your iPhone on your computer, chooseUpdate. iTunes or Finder will update the phone without deleting your apps and data. Do not choose Restore, which will erase all of your data.

5. If the Update doesn’t work, your final option is to choose Restore. This option will restore your iPhone to its factory settings.

Important: If you choose Restore, iOS will be reinstalled and all of your data will be erased. You will, however, have an opportunity to restore a backup from iCloud. For this reason, it’s important to back up your data.

Is the iPhone Touch Screen Cracked? Is the iPhone Touch Screen Damaged? Was the iPhone damaged or dropped?

This is probably obvious from the get-go, but if the iPhone touch screen is cracked it can become unresponsive, partially unresponsive, or just not work at all. Likewise if the iPhone is damaged, it may not work at all, or the touch screen may not work reliably.

Water damage can also ruin an iPhone touch screen, or the entire phone as well. If an iPhone has been dropped, it’s also possible that internal components came loose, which may cause the touch screen to not be working.

If your iPhone has obvious visible damage and the iPhone touch screen is not working, the damage is likely to be the cause. In such a situation, take the iPhone to an authorized Apple repair center or an Apple store and have them give it a look.

iPhone touch screen STILL Unresponsive? Contact Professional Help

If all above troubleshooting methods have failed, it’s time to contact Apple support, go to an Apple Store, or visit an Apple authorized repair center. Have them inspect your iPhone touch screen to figure out what’s wrong with it, it may need a repair. It may be a hardware problem that is unseen, or it could be some other issue that you overlooked.

–

Did these troubleshooting tips fix your iPhone touch screen issue? Do you have any tips or tricks to resolving problems with an unresponsive or non-working touch screen on iPhone? Let us know in the comments below.

Tag: Screen

Show Full Article

Is Your iPhone Showing SOS? Here’s Why

Thursday January 15, 2026 12:13 am EAT by GeeksModo Staff

A portion of Verizon’s network crumpled on Wednesday, with up to 175,000 customers across US seeing "SOS" in their iPhones’ status bars instead of connection bars.

iPhone users with Verizon may see "SOS" in the status bar, as the device cannot connect to Verizon’s network. As a result, you may not be able to make or receive most phone calls, send or receive text messages, or use data over 5G or LTE.

Apple explains what "SOS" means in a support document:

If you see SOS or "SOS only" in the status bar, your device isn’t connected to your cellular network, but you can still make emergency calls through other carrier networks. This feature is available in Australia, Canada, and the United States.

Verizon is aware of the outage, and it is working on a fix.

"We are aware of an issue impacting wireless voice and data services for some customers," said Verizon, in a social media post, shortly after 1 p.m. Eastern Time. "Our engineers are engaged and are working to identify and solve the issue quickly. We understand how important reliable connectivity is and apologize for the inconvenience."

At 2:14 p.m. Eastern Time, Verizon said it is still investigating the issue.

Tag: Sos only

Show Full Article

How to fix SOS Only at the Top of iPhone 17 or iPhone 17 Pro

Wednesday January 14, 2026 11:28 pm EAT by Chris Smith

KEY TAKEAWAYS

SOS or "SOS only" on an iPhone 17 or iPhone 17 Pro means your device isn’t connected to your cellular network.
The warning appears when your iPhone 17 can only make emergency calls, like 911, due to being out of your carrier’s range.
To fix SOS or SOS only on an iPhone 17, try moving back into your carrier’s coverage area or toggle airplane mode on and off, or restart your iPhone to re-establish a connection.

If you see SOS or SOS only on your iPhone 17 or iPhone 17 Pro status bar you’ll have trouble making calls, sending texts, or accessing the internet. In this article, I’m going to explain how to Get Rid of SOS at the Top of iPhone 17, iPhone Air, iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max.

What Does "SOS Only" Mean on iPhone 17?

The "SOS Only" or just "SOS" warning appears in the carrier field, at the top of the screen on the iPhone 17, iPhone Air, iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max. If you see SOS or "SOS only" in the status bar, your iPhone 17 isn’t connected to your cellular network, but you can still make emergency calls through other carrier networks. This feature is available in Australia, Canada, and the United States.

Normal calls to standard numbers won’t work and you won’t be able to send text messages. Data services that connect to the internet also won’t work. Your phone is effectively limited to calling police, fire, ambulance, coastguard, mountain rescue, or similar emergency services you may have in whatever country you are in.

Why Does My iPhone 17 Say "SOS Only"?

There can be four reasons why your iPhone 17 goes into SOS mode:

These SOS messages may appear if you are in a place without cellular coverage. For example, if you are in a rural area without any cellular towers. Or, you are in a tunnel. If this is the reason, the SOS message will disappear as soon as your iPhone connects to a network. This is normal behavior.
The second reason is that something is not working with your iPhone 17 and is causing this SOS message to appear randomly or to be stuck there. This is probably a software issue.
Your cellular carrier is having outages, causing you to have this issue.
SIM card issues may also lead to this problem. However, this only apply to iPhone 17 models with physical Sim card. If your SIM card is damaged or placed wrongly, this message may also be displayed because your SIM card could not authenticate the connection. Additionally, if you are using your iPhone without a working SIM like many people do when they give their old phone to a child, you will see SOS at the top of the iPhone screen.

How to get your iPhone 17 out of SOS mode

According to Apple, if you see "SOS" or "SOS only" in the status bar, you can do the following to get your device out of this mode:

1. Turn Cellular Data Off and On

Your iPhone’s cellular data may not be working properly. If that’s the case, sometimes the best fix is the easiest fix: turning it off and on again.

Go to Settings ⇒ Cellular. It should be already on, so turn the Cellular Data switch off. Wait about 15 seconds, then turn Cellular Data back on. It may have just needed a quick reset, but if there is still no luck, move on to our next solution.

2. Make sure that you’re in an area with cellular network coverage

Since "SOS Only" is more of a failsafe feature than a problem, the only "fix" is to move within range of your carrier’s network. If you see the message appear a lot, you might want to consider making use of your iPhone’s dual-SIM capabilities and subscribing to another mobile plan.

3. Try to reconnect to your cellular network

Sometimes your iPhone 17 can get "stuck" on the "SOS Only" warning, causing it to appear in areas where you normally get a signal. In this instance, you can try reconnecting to your cellular network. Follow these steps:

Open Settings.
Turn on Airplane Mode for at least 15 seconds.
Turn off Airplane Mode.

4. If you are traveling internationally

You may need to turn Data Roaming on, if you’re traveling internationally. This allows your iPhone to connect to another network in a different country without having to sign up for a new service. Beware that turning this on can come with additional fees on your phone bill.

To enable Data Roaming on your iPhone 17, go to Settings ⇒ Cellular ⇒ Cellular Data Options. Then, toggle on the Data Roaming switch.

5. Switch to LTE

Your iPhone 17 may have trouble picking up a specific type of cellular data, especially 5G. While 5G coverage has rapidly expanded over the past several years, LTE still blankets a larger portion of the United States. If your iPhone 17 is set to receive 5G in a location where it’s unavailable, you may need to disable 5G on your device and fall back on another option.

Go to Settings ⇒ Cellular ⇒ Cellular Data Options like before, but this time tap Voice & Data. If 5G On or 5G Auto is selected, choose LTE and see if that gets rid of the SOS Only status.

6. Restart Your iPhone

Of course, we have to mention the good old reboot technique. If you haven’t yet tried turning your iPhone off and on again, let’s go ahead and test it out. You’d be surprised how many little annoyances a quick restart can resolve.

7. Check for Carrier Settings Update

Sometimes, carriers roll out over-the-air updates that can solve problems with connectivity. If you can connect to Wi-Fi, you can check if carrier settings update for your iPhone 17 is available by going to Settings ⇒ General ⇒ About.

If your device needs a carrier settings update, you’ll get a pop-up on this screen. If you don’t see one, you’re up-to-date already.

8. Update your iPhone 17

If the software has a bug, it may be causing issues with your cellular service. To check for a software update, go to Settings ⇒ General ⇒ Software Update. You’ll need internet for this to work, so Wi-Fi would be your only option if you can’t connect to cellular.

9. Check your cellular line

Go to Settings ⇒ Cellular.

If you don’t see your line, you need to set up an eSIM or insert a physical SIM. If you have a physical SIM inserted, take it out and then reinsert it.

If you see that your line is Off, tap on it. Make sure Turn On This Line is on.

If Turn On This Line is already enabled, toggle the switch to turn it off, then turn it back on.

10. Reset Network Settings

Resetting your iPhone 17 network settings to factory defaults can fix all sorts of Wi-Fi and cellular-related problems on your iPhone. This “forgets” all your Wi-Fi networks, so you’ll have to reconnect to them and re-enter your Wi-Fi passwords. The SOS Only problem may disappear after your iPhone 17 reboots.

To Reset Network Settings, open Settings ⇒ General ⇒ Transfer or Reset iPhone ⇒ Reset ⇒ Reset Network Settings. Enter your iPhone passcode, then tap on Reset Network Settings when the confirmation pop-up appears near the bottom of your iPhone’s display.

11. Contact Your Carrier

When all else fails, you should contact your carrier to see what’s going on. Since having SOS Only status on your iPhone 17 greatly limits the features you can use, you wouldn’t want to have it for long.

There may be an issue with your cell service that’s worth getting to the bottom of. So, visit your carrier’s website and search for a contact or support page to get a customer support phone number.

Getting to the Bottom of "SOS Only"

It’s frustrating when you don’t have cell service on your iPhone 17. So, we hope one of these solutions aids in getting your service up and running again.

If "SOS Only" is appearing on your iPhone 17 frequently, and you know lack of coverage isn’t the problem, you may want to contact your carrier anyway, even if you managed to fix the issue temporarily.

Tag: Sos only

Show Full Article

13 hidden iOS 26 features you need to know

Saturday September 27, 2025 5:36 pm EAT by Dave Johnson

There are a ton of changes and new features in iOS 26, including major additions like the Liquid Glass design overhaul. We’ve covered a lot of the more notable updates already, but there are also some hidden iOS 26 features that you might have missed. Here are thirteen iOS 26 hidden features that are a little harder to miss.

Top Hidden Features in iOS 26

Copy Just Part of a Text Message

In iOS 26, you can copy just part of a text message, rather than having to copy the whole thing. It’s useful if someone sends you a web link, an address, or something else where you only need to copy part of what you’re sent.

To use the selective copy, long press on a text message and then tap on Select. From there, you can drag to choose exactly what you want to copy.

Save Recipes and Instructions to Reminders

With the new Apple Intelligence Siri Suggestions feature in the Reminders app, you can save ingredients and instructions for cooking in an easy-to-access list. To use the feature, find a recipe, select the text that you’re aiming for, and tap the Share Sheet.

From there, share it to the Reminders app and Siri Suggestions will parse what’s included and add items to your shopping list or write out a list of instructions that you need to follow for preparation.

It doesn’t work seamlessly with all recipes, but it can be used with recipes that you find on the web, in Apple News, and in other apps.

Choose a Default App for Files

You can change which app opens automatically for different file types like PDFs, documents, images, and more.

To set a default app for opening a file, launch the Files app and long press on a file. Tap on “Get Info” and then select the Always Open With option to choose an app.

If you just want to open a file in a different app one time, you can long press on it and choose the “Open With” option.

Easily Set a Custom Ringtone

Any MP3 or M4A that you have saved in the Files app can be set as a ringtone. Just open up the Files app, long press on the MP3, and then choose the Quick Look option.

From there, tap on the Share Sheet icon, tap More, and choose Use as Ringtone. The ringtone that you selected will be added to your list of Ringtones in the Sounds and Haptics menu.

You can use MP3 or M4A files, but the files have to be under 30 seconds in length. Prior to now, saving a ringtone required exporting it from GarageBand. You can find and save ringtones directly on the iPhone from a wide range of websites.

If you want to delete a ringtone that you added, open up Sound and Haptics in the Settings app, tap on Ringtones, swipe on the ringtone you want to remove, and then tap delete.

See Your Unsent Messages

In the Filters section of the Messages app, Apple added a new “Drafts” option that houses messages you’ve typed but haven’t sent. If you’ve started to write something and then stopped, you’ll see the unsent messages in the Drafts folder.

The Filter section in Messages can be accessed by tapping on the icon with three lines in the upper right corner of the app. You won’t see a Drafts section if you don’t have unsent messages.

Take Better Panoramas

There are under-the-hood improvements to panoramas in iOS 26, so if you’ve ever struggled to take one, the experience should be better now. You can move quicker when taking a panorama without ending up with a blurry mess.

Find Specific Videos

When you search for something specific in the Photos app, you’ll now see video results with a relevant video thumbnail that highlights the specific video frame with what you searched for. If you search for “cat jumping,” for example, you’ll see relevant video thumbnails that contain the specific frame where the cat jumps.

Tapping on the result will take you to that part of the video.

Search results with specific video frames make it easier to find the exact content that you’re after.

Get an Alert When Your iPhone Camera is Dirty

When your rear camera is dirty or smudged, your iPhone can send you an alert letting you know so you can clean it off.

This feature works on the iPhone 15 and later.

Match Your Home Screen Icons to Your iPhone Case

When choosing a tint color for your Home Screen icons, there’s now an option to match the icons to your case color. You’ll need an Apple MagSafe case for this feature to work.

Changing icon tint can be done by long pressing on the Home Screen, selecting Edit, and then tapping on Customize. Choose the Tinted option and then tap on the icon that looks like a phone case to select your case color.

You can also match your icons to your phone color by tapping on the phone icon below the color sliders.

See Event Details in the Photos App

You can see the details of events like concerts right in the Photos app. You’ll be able to see top songs from the artists, browse upcoming events, and more.

To use the feature, find a relevant photo from a concert or sporting event, and then tap on Info. There is indexing that needs to happen first, and it doesn’t work on all images.

Callback Reminders

If you miss a call, you can set a reminder to return it at a convenient time in the future. To do so, open up the Phone app, go to your recent calls, and swipe left across a missed call.

From there, tap on the blue clock icon and choose Remind Me in 1 Hour, Remind Me Tonight, Remind Me Tomorrow, or Remind Me Later. The Remind Me Later option lets you set a custom date and time.

Call reminders that you set up are available in the Reminders app.

Keep Audio in Headphones

iOS 26 has a setting that prevents audio from your AirPods from swapping over to connected devices like car speakers or Bluetooth speakers.

To turn the feature on, open up the Settings app, tap into the General section, tap on AirPlay and Continuity, and then toggle on Keep Audio in Headphones.

Swipe Back Gesture

In iOS 26, Apple tweaked the swipe-to-go-back gesture that’s available in most apps. You can now go back to the previous screen by swiping toward the right from anywhere on the display, instead of having to swipe from the edge of the display.

Tag: iOS 26

Show Full Article

How to Turn On an iPhone 17

Friday September 19, 2025 6:29 pm EAT by GeeksModo Staff

If you need help turning on your iPhone 17, you’re in the right place. Powering on an iPhone 17 can sometimes be tricky, especially if you’re a beginner or if you’ve recently upgraded from an older iPhone model. In this article, I’ll show you how to turn on an iPhone 17!

Note: Information in this article applied to iPhone 17, ipPhone Air, iPhone 17 Pro, and iPhone 17 Pro Max.

Is My iPhone Asleep or Powered Off?

If the screen on your iPhone is black, it’s possible that the iPhone is in sleep mode. To check, first try tapping the screen. If enabled, a feature called “Tap to Wake” will turn on the screen.

Also, try physically lifting the phone—some have “Raise to Wake” turned on. If that doesn’t work, press the Side or volume buttons on the edge of the device. If the screen turns on, the iPhone was just asleep. If not, you’ll need to power it on.

How to Power On an iPhone 17

To turn on an iPhone 17, first locate the Side button. With the screen facing toward you, the Side button is positioned on the right edge of the device.

Press and hold the side button until you see an Apple logo in the center of the screen.

The iPhone has turned on and will begin to start up, which can take a minute or so. When it’s ready to use, you’ll see a greeting screen (if it’s a new iPhone that hasn’t been set up yet) or a lock screen, which is where you unlock your iPhone using a PIN, Face ID. From here, you can use your iPhone as you normally would.

My iPhone 17 Isn’t Turning On!

If you’ve pressed and held the side button on your iPhone 17, but no Apple logo shows up, it’s most likely that your iPhone’s battery is completely discharged. Plug your iPhone into a charger using a USB-C cable. Shortly after, the Apple logo will flash on the screen and your iPhone will turn on.

If your iPhone 17 still won’t power on, there might be something wrong with the way it’s charging. Check the phone’s USB-C port to make sure it isn’t filled with lint or debris, and inspect your charging cable for kinks, breaks, or frays. If necessary, swap the cable for another.

Charge the iPhone again. Be sure to plug the phone directly into a wall socket rather than a computer’s USB port, to make sure that the phone is receiving sufficient power supply.

It’s entirely possible that the USB-C port or your laptop’s USB port has failed, and since it wasn’t charging, you couldn’t turn it on. If so, this should solve your problem.

If it still doesn’t work, it’s probably best to contact Apple to have your phone serviced or replaced.

Turning On iPhone 17: Made Easy!

You now know how to turn on the iPhone 17! Make sure to share this article on social media with iPhone 17 owners that you know. If you have any other iPhone questions, leave them below in the comments section!

All the best,

Tag: iPhone 17

Show Full Article

Here’s How to Restart, Force Restart, or Reset an iPhone 17

Friday September 19, 2025 6:08 pm EAT by Kevin Hollington

To restart your iPhone 17, press and hold down the Power and Volume buttons until a slider appears on-screen.
If restarting doesn’t work, you can "force restart" your iPhone 17 by pressing Volume Up, Volume Down, and then Power.
As a last resort, you can fix almost any glitch by resetting your iPhone 17.

Note: Information in this article applied to iPhone 17, ipPhone Air, iPhone 17 Pro, and iPhone 17 Pro Max.

It might sound like a joke, but it’s true: You can fix most tech problems by turning your device off and back on again.

If you run into a weird glitch on your iPhone 17 — maybe the sound won’t work, or apps keep crashing, or you can’t make calls — your first step should be to perform a quick restart. This will refresh the software on your iPhone 17 and likely fix whatever’s gone wrong.

And if your iPhone 17 is so bugged that you can’t even restart it, a force restart works just as well. This method "forces" your iPhone to turn off, even if it’s frozen.

Here’s how to restart or force restart an iPhone 17 — and what to do if restarting doesn’t fix the issue.

How to restart an iPhone 17

The steps to restart an iPhone 17, iPhone Air, iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are the same.

Press and hold both the Power button and either of the Volume buttons.
When a slider labeled slide to power off appears at the top of the screen, drag it to the right.
Wait a few moments for the iPhone to completely turn off and for the screen to go black.
Press and hold the Power button until the Apple logo appears.

How to force restart an iPhone 17

When your iPhone 17 freezes, it might not even be able to show you the power slider. In this case, you’ll need to "force" your iPhone 17 to restart.

Don’t worry — this won’t harm your iPhone at all. Just beware that if you were working on a project, this will likely erase any unsaved data.

Again, the steps are the same for iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max.

Quickly press and release the Volume Upbutton.
Quickly press and release the Volume Down button.
Press and hold the Side button until the Apple logo appears, then release the Sidebutton.

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.

How to Reset an iPhone 17

If you’ve restarted and force restarted your iPhone 17 but it’s still not working, there’s a deeper issue at play. Some files or pieces of software might be corrupted, meaning that they’ll always cause an issue.

Your best chance at fixing these issues is to give your iPhone 17 a factory reset. A factory reset will erase all of the data on your iPhone 17 and return it to the state it was in when you first bought it, as if it just left the factory. This might sound extreme, but it’s a fantastic way to fix nearly any software issue. The factory reset your iPhone 17, go to Settings > General > Transfer or Reset iPhone > Erase All Content & Settings.

Tag: iPhone 17

Show Full Article

How to turn off your iPhone 17 in various ways

Friday September 19, 2025 5:41 pm EAT by Emily Long

While you might be eager to explore new iOS 26 features, mastering the basics of your iPhone 17 is equally important. Even simple tasks like powering down your device might feel different from previous models, especially if you’re upgrading from an older iPhone.

Note: Information in this article applied to iPhone 17, ipPhone Air, iPhone 17 Pro, and iPhone 17 Pro Max.

Whether you need to conserve battery life, troubleshoot an issue, or simply restart your device, Apple has made the process of shutting down an iPhone 17 straightforward with multiple shutdown methods. For those new to the latest generation of iPhones, these methods are designed to be more intuitive and accessible than ever, even if they feel unfamiliar at first.

The Difference between Sleep Mode and Shutting Down

Normally, when you briefly press the side button on your iPhone 17, the screen on your device turns off, but the iPhone stays running. This is called sleep mode or lock mode. While it turns off the screen, it doesn’t completely power off the device.

In contrast, shutting down your iPhone starts a special software shutdown process where your iPhone begins to tidy up and prepare for power-off. Then, your iPhone turns off completely. We’re going to show you how to completely turn off an iPhone 17 in the steps ahead.

How to turn off iPhone 17

You can shut down your iPhone 17 using four different methods. These methods take just seconds to complete once you know how. Let’s explore the simplest ways to turn off your iPhone 17.

1. How to Shut Down an iPhone 17 Using Physical Buttons

The quickest way to turn off your iPhone 17 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 16 will begin its shutdown process.

2. How to Shut Down an iPhone 17 Using the Settings App

If you prefer using the touchscreen, you can also turn off your iPhone 17 through Settings. Navigate 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.

3. How to Shut Down an iPhone 17 Through The Control Center

If you want to shut down your iPhone 17 without holding any physical buttons. All you’ve to do 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. Next, drag the familiar power slider to turn off your iPhone 17.

4. Shut down iPhone 17 Using Siri

If you need to turn off your iPhone 17 quickly at any time, the easiest way to do so is by using Siri. 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, tapping on the turn-off button shuts down your iPhone 17 right away.

How to Turn Your iPhone 17 Back on Again

Now that your iPhone 17 has been turned off, what next? If you’re troubleshooting, you can wait a few moments, and then turn it back on again. Waiting 10 seconds is a good rule of thumb when power-cycling gadgets in general.

If you wanted to save power, then you’re already set: Your iPhone won’t use any battery power while it’s powered off. (But batteries naturally and slowly drain over time, so if you put your iPhone in a drawer and come back to it in a year, its battery level will be a bit lower than you left it.)

To turn your iPhone 17 back on, just press and hold the side button on your iPhone until the Apple logo appears. After a few moments, you’ll see the lock screen, and you’re back in action.

Manage your always-on display

Your iPhone 17 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. Good luck!

Tag: iPhone 17

Show Full Article

Here’s How to Soft Reset Your iPhone 17

Friday September 19, 2025 5:30 pm EAT by Dave Johnson

It’s normal for the iPhone 17 to have a hiccup now and then. Fortunately, you can often resolve the problem at home without any cost. The solution is to soft reset your iPhone 17.

Let’s first quickly look at what an iPhone soft reset does. Then, we’ll go through the steps on how to soft reset an iPhone 17.

Note: Information in this article applied to iPhone 17, ipPhone Air, iPhone 17 Pro, and iPhone 17 Pro Max.

What Is an iPhone Soft Reset?

A soft reset is also known as a force restart. A soft reset differs from a "normal" restart. The latter simply involves turning off your iPhone and turning it on again.

Take note that a soft reset also differs from a hard reset. When you hard reset or factory reset your iPhone, the procedure erases your iPhone’s data and restores your device to its blank, default state, as though you just bought it.

You’ll likely soft reset your iPhone 17 when it’s completely frozen. For example, when your iPhone 17 is stuck on the Apple logo. A soft reset does not erase any data.

How to Soft Reset an iPhone 17

Follow these steps to soft reset your iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Pro or iPhone 17 Pro Max:

Press the Volume Up button once and release it.
Press the Volume Down button once and release it.
Press and hold the Side button until you see the Apple logo. You can now release the Side button.

It’s important to press each button in immediate succession. However, you don’t need to rush through the steps urgently. Pacing it at one button per second is sufficient.

Carry Out an iPhone 17 Soft Reset Easily

Whenever you face issues with your device, a quick go-to solution is to simply soft reset your iPhone 17. The methods are similar on iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max, and they’re easy to carry out once you know the steps.

However, if the problem persists, you might need to put your iPhone 17 in recovery mode and reinstall iOS. Just don’t forget to back up all your data before you do that.

Tag: iPhone 17

Show Full Article

How to Put Your iPhone 17 in DFU Mode

Friday September 19, 2025 4:50 pm EAT by Chris Smith

DFU mode is a way to recover your iPhone using a computer.
To put an iPhone 17 into DFU mode, you’ll need to use either iTunes or Finder.

Most of the faults your iPhone 17 software will develop can be solved with a few tricks or by resetting it using Recovery mode. On rare occasions, however, those options may not work. Before you search for the nearest Apple repair center, you should try to restore your iPhone 17 using DFU mode instead.

In this article, we’ll check out how to put your iPhone 17 in DFU mode and also how to exit this mode.

Note: Information in this article applied to iPhone 17, ipPhone Air, iPhone 17 Pro, and iPhone 17 Pro Max.

What Is DFU Mode?

Device Firmware Update mode — or DFU mode for short — is a state that an iPhone can be put in to get your device back into working order.

DFU mode is similar to the BIOS on Windows computers or Recovery Mode on a Mac. It exists "below" the operating system level — iOS — but can still communicate with iTunes or Finder on a Windows or Mac computer.

In DFU mode, your iOS device is accessible to iTunes or Finder at a more privileged level. This allows for more to be changed than normal. However, going into DFU mode on its own does not change anything on the iPhone.

Quick tip: DFU mode can be useful for installing older versions of iOS if a beta release does not allow you to install an update.

Does DFU Mode Delete iPhone Data?

Unfortunately, if you use this mode to install something or restore your iPhone 17, all of your iPhone’s data will be erased. This works similarly to the iTunes restore method, which also deletes all of your data.

It completely erases your iPhone, erasing all of your videos, photos, messages, apps, and even the previously configured settings. When you’re finished with this mode, you’ll have to reset your device to use it. We recommend backing up your files before entering DFU mode, then restoring them after the process.

Put an iPhone 17 in DFU mode

To put an iPhone 17 into DFU mode, follow the steps below.

Before you begin:

Back up your iPhone if you can, as a DFU restore will erase your iPhone data.
Install the latest version of iTunes or macOS on your Windows or Mac.
Do not disconnect your iPhone when iTunes or Finder is actively reinstalling the system software and firmware.
If your iPhone 17 is damaged in any way, and especially if it’s water-damaged, a DFU restore may break your iPhone.

It is necessary to note that using DFU mode to downgrade iOS or jailbreak your device can cause damage and void the warranty.

Entering DFU mode on an iPhone 17 involves a combination of pressing, holding, and releasing different buttons. You will also need a compatible USB cable to connect the device to a Mac or a Windows PC running the latest version of macOS or iTunes.

Important: Macs running macOS Catalina and later will use Finder. PCs and Macs running macOS Mojave or earlier will need iTunes.
3.

Follow these steps to enter DFU mode on an iPhone 17:

Quickly press and release the volume up button, then quickly press and release the volume down button, and then press and hold the side button until the screen goes black.
As soon as the screen turns black, press and hold the volume down button while continuing to hold the side button.
After 5 seconds, release the side button while continuing to hold the volume down button until your iPhone shows up in iTunes or Finder.
As soon as it appears in iTunes or Finder, release the volume button. Ta-da! Your iPhone 17 is in DFU mode.

Note: If the Apple logo is appearing on the screen, you held down the volume down button for too long. Start the process over from the beginning and try again.

How to Exit DFU Mode on an iPhone 17

Quickly press and release the Volume up button.
Quickly press and release the Volume down button.
Press and hold the Side/Power button until the Apple logo appears on your phone screen.

DFU Is Powerful, But Not Perfect

If your iPhone 17 isn’t working and you’ve tried all the other solutions, you might still be able to fix it using DFU mode. However, a DFU restore is not the ultimate fix for all iPhone 17 problems Some issues may be plain hardware faults and cannot be fixed with system software or firmware restore. If your iPhone 17 stubbornly refuses to enter DFU mode, or the issues persist after performing a reset, consider seeking a professional repair instead.

Tag: iPhone 17

Show Full Article

How to Put Your iPhone 17 in Recovery Mode

Friday September 19, 2025 4:57 pm EAT by Abigail Shilets

You might need to put your iPhone 17 in recovery mode to fix all manner of software problems, from a short battery life to totally unresponsive phone. Recovery mode is also especially useful if you’re having trouble updating or restoring your iPhone 17.

Before we get started, you should know that you’ll need a computer (running macOS or Windows) and a cable to connect it to your iPhone 17. If you’ve got everything you need, follow the steps below to learn how to put your iPhone 17 in recovery mode.

Note: Information in this article applied to iPhone 17, ipPhone Air, iPhone 17 Pro, and iPhone 17 Pro Max.

Data Loss Concerns With Recovery Mode

If you need to put your iPhone 17 in recovery mode to restore it, you can ignore this section because you’re going to erase all your data anyway. However, if you’re using recovery mode to update or troubleshoot your iPhone 17, you should know that it comes with a risk of data loss.

This isn’t always the case; usually you can enter and exit recovery mode without losing any data on your iPhone 17. But if something goes wrong, you may need to erase and restore your iPad to get it out of recovery mode again.

For that reason, we strongly recommend that you back up your iPhone 17 before putting it into recovery mode.

How to Enter Recovery Mode on iPhone 17

The iPhone 17, iPhone Air, iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max use the same set of steps to enter recovery mode. The below steps will work with the iPhone 17, iPhone Air, iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max.

Make sure that your Mac is up to date. If you’re using a PC, make sure you have the latest version of the Apple Devices app or iTunes.
Connect your iPhone 17 to your computer with a USB cable.
Open the Finder on your Mac, or open the Apple Devices app on your PC. If your PC doesn’t have the Apple Devices app, or your Mac is using macOS Mojave or earlier, open iTunes instead.
Keep your iPhone connected and wait until the Connect to computer screen appears.
Press and quickly release the volume up button. Press and quickly release the volume down button. Then, press and hold the side button until you see the Connect to computer screen.

After Putting an iPhone 17 in Recovery Mode

Once your iPhone 17 is in recovery mode, you need to use Finder or iTunes on your computer to update or restore the device.

Select your iPhone from the sidebar in Finder or from the top-left corner in iTunes, then go to the Summary or General tab and click Update or Restore, depending on your needs. Update will install the latest version of iOS without erasing any data. Restore will update iOS while also erasing all the data and resetting your iPhone 17 to factory settings.

Force Restart Your iPhone 17 to Exit Recovery Mode

If you need to exit recovery mode, but you don’t want to update or restore your iPhone 17, you should be able to do so by force restarting your iPhone 17. To do this, disconnect your iPhone 17 from the computer, then quickly press and release the volume up button, then quickly press and release the volume down button, and then press and hold the side button until you see the Apple logo.

And if recovery mode didn’t help solve your software issues, consider using DFU mode with your iPhone 17 instead, which offers a deeper level of software reset for your device.

iPhone 17 Recovery Mode, Made Easy

We’ve seen how to enter recovery mode on an iPhone 17, iPhone Air, iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max. It’s a simple process once you know it, but the increasingly confusing button combinations are a bit obtuse. Hopefully, you won’t need to use these often, if ever.

Tag: iPhone 17

Show Full Article