How to Turn Off an iPhone: All Ways to Turn On and Off (2026)

Key points n- There are 4 ways to power off an iPhone: buttons, Settings, Siri and AssistiveTouchn- An iPhone that does not power off correctly may be due to a damaged button or corrupted softwaren- AssistiveTouch lets you power off the iPhone without using physical buttons

In this article

1. How to Power Off an iPhone with Physical Buttons
2. iPhone with Face ID (12, 13, 14, 15, 16):
3. iPhone with Touch ID (SE, 6, 7, 8):
4. How to Power Off an iPhone without Buttons (AssistiveTouch)
5. How to Power Off an iPhone with Siri
6. How to Turn Off an iPhone via Settings
7. How to Power On a Turned‑Off iPhone
8. Common Issues When Turning Off the iPhone
9. The side button doesn’t work
10. The screen doesn’t respond to swiping
11. The iPhone vibrates but the screen is black
12. Frequently Asked Questions
13. Turning off the iPhone at night saves battery?
14. Is it bad to turn the iPhone on and off every day?
15. How do I turn off an iPhone if the touch screen isn’t working?
16. Can I schedule the iPhone to shut down automatically?
17. Conclusion

How to Power Off an iPhone with Physical Buttons

The most straightforward method to power off any iPhone depends on the model:

iPhone with Face ID (12, 13, 14, 15, 16):

1. Press and hold simultaneously the side button and any volume button
2. Wait 2-3 seconds for the "Power Off" slider to appear
3. Slide the power icon to the right
4. The screen will go black: the iPhone is powered off

iPhone with Touch ID (SE, 6, 7, 8):

1. Press and hold the side button (or top button on the original iPhone SE)
2. Wait for the slider to appear
3. Slide to power off

How to Power Off an iPhone without Buttons (AssistiveTouch)

If the side button is broken or not responding, AssistiveTouch is the solution:

1. Go to Settings → Accessibility → Touch → AssistiveTouch
2. Enable AssistiveTouch (a floating button will appear on the screen)
3. Tap the floating button → Device → Power Off
4. Confirm by sliding the toggle

According to internal data from iOutlet, 18% of support enquiries about side buttons are resolved directly with AssistiveTouch, avoiding a visit to the service centre.

Tip: Configure AssistiveTouch for quick access: Settings → Accessibility → Accessibility Shortcut → AssistiveTouch. This allows you to activate it with a triple‑click of the side button even if the button is partially functional.

How to Power Off an iPhone with Siri

Since iOS 16, you can use Siri to power off the iPhone:

1. Activate Siri: "Hey Siri" or press and hold the side button
2. Say: "Power off the iPhone"
3. Siri will display a confirmation message
4. Tap "Power Off" on the screen

This method requires the touchscreen to be functional in order to confirm. It will not work if the screen is completely frozen.

How to Turn Off an iPhone via Settings

iOS 18 introduced the option to turn off via the system settings:

1. Open Settings
2. Go to General
3. Scroll to the bottom
4. Tap "Turn Off"
5. Confirm by swiping

How to Power On a Turned‑Off iPhone

Powering on a turned‑off iPhone is simpler:

1. iPhone with Face ID: Press and hold the side button until you see the Apple logo
2. iPhone with Touch ID: Press and hold the side button (or top button)
3. All models: They also turn on when you plug in the charger
4. Siri: If you have "Hey Siri" enabled and you’re charging, say "Hey Siri, turn on the iPhone"

The start-up time varies between 15 and 45 seconds depending on the model and iOS version.

Common Issues When Turning Off the iPhone

The side button doesn’t work

A damaged side button doesn’t mean you can’t turn off the iPhone. Use AssistiveTouch (method explained above) or shut down via Settings. According to a report from Apple Authorized Service Providers (2025), the average repair cost for the side button ranges between 59€ and 89€ in Spain.

The screen doesn’t respond to swiping

If the screen is frozen: 1. Wait 15-20 seconds for the system to recover 2. If it still doesn’t respond, perform a forced reboot (don’t confuse with powering down) 3. If it keeps not working, it may be a digitiser fault

The iPhone vibrates but the screen is black

This may indicate a screen fault. The iPhone may be on but not displaying an image. Try: 1. Connect to a computer: if iTunes/Finder detects it, it works 2. Increase the brightness to the maximum in case it’s at the minimum 3. If a colleague calls, does it ring? → the problem is the screen, not the system

iPhone repair

Frequently Asked Questions

Turning off the iPhone at night saves battery?

Yes. A study by Stanford University (2025) showed that turning off the iPhone for 8 hours a day reduces chemical battery wear by 12% per year. If you don’t need the phone while you sleep, switching it off extends the battery’s lifespan.

Is it bad to turn the iPhone on and off every day?

No. Power cycles do not damage the hardware. In fact, Apple recommends turning the iPhone off at least once a week to free up memory and close background processes.

How do I turn off an iPhone if the touch screen isn’t working?

Use the forced restart (see the restart guide). If the side button works, hold it down for 10-15 seconds until the device restarts. To shut it down completely, the only safe option is the forced restart.

Can I schedule the iPhone to shut down automatically?

iOS does not include a native shutdown timer. You can use the Screen Time or Do Not Disturb to silence notifications, but to shut down completely you need to do it manually.

Conclusion

Turning the iPhone off now and then extends the device’s lifespan. If the side button isn’t working, AssistiveTouch solves the issue at no cost. At iOutlet we check the buttons of all refurbished iPhones before sending them out.

refurbished iPhones

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