How To Turn Off an iPhone
May 23, 2024, 8:58 PM by Rich Brome @richbrome
Wondering how to turn off your phone? It's not a silly question. A power switch used to be the essential function of any electric device. But as phones have become more sophisticated, and turning them off less common, the "power off" function has become more hidden. Read on for straightforward, illustrated instructions. We won't waste your time.
These instructions are for an Apple iPhone (iOS). If you have an Android phone — like a Samsung Galaxy, Google Pixel, Motorola, or basically any non-Apple smartphone — we also have an article for how to turn off an Android phone.
The short answer is: hold down the "side" button (AKA "lock" or "power" button) and either volume button (up or down) at the same time, for about one second.
pressing side buttons
The volume buttons are the two matching buttons close to each other on the left side. The "side" button is the large button on the right side. (Some models also have an "action" button above the volume buttons; that is not the button you want for this particular task.)
iOS power screen
After holding down both the "side" button and a volume button simultaneously for about a second, you should see a whole new screen with "slide to power off" at the top. (There's also an SOS option on this screen.) Press down on the white circle with the red power icon and slide it all the way to the right. That's it; the phone should power down in just a few seconds.
To turn your phone on again, press and hold the same "side button" until you see an Apple logo on the screen.
Why is it like this?
Why isn't turning off your phone as simple as pressing or holding the side (power) button? That's a very good question. The answer is that most people don't turn off their phone very often, but a dedicated physical button is too valuable to not have a function people might use more often.
That's why pressing the side button once quickly puts the phone in idle mode, which also usually locks the screen. And pressing and holding the side button summons the voice assistant function. (Note that this isn't just an Apple thing; Google has made the power button work almost exactly the same way on Android phones.)
About the author, Rich Brome:Editor in Chief Rich became fascinated with cell phones in 1999, creating mobile web sites for phones with tiny black-and-white displays and obsessing over new phone models. Realizing a need for better info about phones, he started Phone Scoop in 2001, and has been helming the site ever since. Rich has spent two decades researching and covering every detail of the phone industry, traveling the world to tour factories, interview CEOs, and get every last spec and photo Phone Scoop readers have come to expect. As an industry veteran, Rich is a respected voice on phone technology of the past, present, and future.
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