A frozen phone usually comes back after a restart. A restart closes apps that are stuck and clears memory, and it takes less time than most people expect.

Restart it

• Most phones: hold the power button until the menu appears, then choose Restart. If the menu does not appear, hold the power button and the volume-down button together for about 10 seconds, until the phone restarts.
• iPhone with Face ID: press and quickly release the volume-up button, then the volume-down button, then hold the side button until the Apple logo appears.
• Older iPhones with a Home button: hold the side button and the volume-down button together until the slider appears, then drag it.

Wait before you repeat

After you press the buttons, give the phone up to a minute to respond. Pressing them again straight away can cause a second restart, which does no harm, but a longer wait is more useful.

If it keeps freezing

• Free up storage. An almost full phone can freeze often, so follow how to speed up a slow phone.
• Clear the cache of the app that freezes most, see how to clear cache.
• Update the phone’s software when it is safe to do so.
• If it still freezes after a reset, take it to an authorised service centre.

What not to do

• Do not factory reset as the first step. It deletes your data, and a restart often fixes the problem.
• Do not keep pressing buttons for minutes. If nothing happens after a full minute, try the next step.
• Do not open the phone to look inside. That can void the warranty.