Restarting an iPhone 18 Pro or iPhone 18 Pro Max works the same way as on every Face ID iPhone before it. There are two methods, and they solve different problems.
A normal restart shuts the phone down and starts it again. It is the first thing to try when an app misbehaves or a connection acts up. A force restart is for a frozen screen or a phone that ignores your taps. Neither one erases anything. Need the steps for older models? See our guide to force restarting any iPhone.
Hold the Side Button and a Volume Button to Restart an iPhone 18 Pro or iPhone 18 Pro Max
The button method is the quickest way to restart. Either volume button works, so use whichever is easier to reach.
- Press and hold the Side button and either Volume button at the same time.
- Let go when the power-off slider appears.
- Drag the slider to the right.
- Wait about 30 seconds for the iPhone to turn off.
- Press and hold the Side button until the Apple logo appears.
Holding the Side button on its own brings up Siri, not the slider, so the volume button is part of the shortcut.
Settings and Control Center Restart the iPhone 18 Pro Without the Buttons
You can shut down from the screen if a button is hard to press. Open Settings, tap General, scroll to the bottom, and tap Shut Down, then drag the slider to the right.
To use Control Center instead, open it, touch and hold the Power button in the top-right corner, and drag the slider. Both routes end the same way, with a press and hold of the Side button to turn the iPhone back on.
A Frozen iPhone 18 Pro Max Needs a Force Restart, Not a Normal One
Use a force restart when the screen will not respond, the iPhone is stuck on the Apple logo, or the power-off slider never shows up. It works without the touchscreen, and it keeps your photos, apps, messages, and settings.
- Press and quickly release the Volume Up button.
- Press and quickly release the Volume Down button.
- Press and hold the Side button.
- Keep holding it through the power-off slider and the black screen.
- Let go when the Apple logo appears.
The two volume presses need to be quick taps, one after the other. The Side button is the slow part, and the logo can take more than 10 seconds to show up.
An iPhone 18 Pro That Keeps Restarting on Its Own Should Be on iOS 27.0.1
Some problems are bigger than a restart, and an iPhone 18 Pro Max on AT&T that shows SOS where the signal bars should be is one of them, since Apple says a phone that has already lost service needs a replacement from Apple Support or AT&T.
If your iPhone 18 Pro reboots by itself, the cause may be a Face ID bug that triggers random reboots. iOS 27.0.1 fixes it, and you can install it from Settings, General, Software Update. Apple released the update on September 28.
