Having a frozen iPhone X is not a very good feeling at all. The iPhone X is an exciting piece of technology but seeing it frozen can strike fear into the heart of anyone who relies on the device for communication, business, or entertainment.

With the introduction of the iPhone X, Apple took a big step forward in design and technology.

In fact, the iPhone X is arguably the most drastic change in iPhone design since the original was introduced a decade ago.

Of course, no amount of new features can prevent the dreaded frozen screen phenomenon. This annoying experience isn’t unique to iPhones, either. Windows computers, Android smartphones, and even Chromebooks are not immune to the occasional occurrence of a frozen, non-responsive device.

The good news is that freezing is usually a temporary problem that either resolves itself or can be resolved with some quick troubleshooting from the user. However, in serious cases, there may be even more intervention needed to bring a device back to life.

What makes a frozen iPhone X unique is that it’s not immediately clear to many people how to turn off iPhone X when there is a clear issue. People who have migrated from previous versions of the iPhone or other smartphones may not be aware of the unique way to turn off an iPhone X when it is not responding.

Frozen iPhone X? Don’t Panic

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If you are trying to use your iPhone X only to find that it is frozen and unresponsive – don’t panic.

This is a common issue that many electronic devices will experience at some point in their life cycle. Avoid the temptation to do anything drastic like trying to open your device to remove the battery which, according to ifixit, requires 43 steps and 2 hours of your time.

iPhone batteries are not meant to be removed by users and doing so could void your warranty or permanently damage your device.

It should go without saying (but we will say it anyway), don’t try any other unorthodox repair methods like hitting or shaking your device, using compressed air on the ports, or any other manner of repair that would fall outside the normal scope of what consumers should do.

A frozen iPhone X is a software issue that can usually be resolved without any sort of intrusive physical repair.

How To Turn Off iPhone X That’s Not Responding

The good news for those dealing with a frozen iPhone X is that turning off a non-responsive device is as simple as pressing a few buttons. In fact, you just need to press 3 buttons to shut down your iPhone X and hopefully resolve the issue.

First, press the volume up button and release. Then, press the volume down button and release. Finally, you will want to hold the side button. The screen should go black and then turn back on. You can release the side button once you see the Apple logo.

In most cases, that should be all you need to do to bring turn off an iPhone X when it’s frozen. However, there are some situations where a little more effort may be required.

Reinstall iPhone X Operating System

This step is not ideal for most people. For starters, it may mean wiping your phone of any data and reinstalling a fresh version of iOS. Of course, if you back up your device regularly, this should not be a big deal as it will be easy to retrieve your contacts, photos, and apps.

However, if you do not regularly back up your device you may be upset to hear that reinstalling iOS on your iPhone X means that you will essentially be starting from scratch.

To do this you will need to have a computer with the latest version of iTunes and your iPhone X charging cable. Then, you will want to perform a series of button presses very similar to what was mentioned in the force restart section above.

First, press the volume up button and release. Then, press the volume down button and release. Finally, you will want to hold the side button. However, instead of releasing once you see the Apple logo, keep holding down the side button until you see the iTunes logo and the lightning cable indicating that the iPhone needs to be connected to iTunes.

What you have just done is put your device into recovery mode. This is a last resort short of repair or replacement for non-functioning iPhones.

When you connect your iPhone to your computer you will be prompted to either update or restore your iPhone. Try an update first to see if this resolves your issue. The advantage of choosing an update is that you will be able to maintain the data on the phone.

However, if an update fails then you will need to choose restore which means the phone will be wiped of all data and user settings before installing a new, fresh version of iOS. If you have backed up your device previously you will be prompted to restore the old backup to your restored device once the restore process is complete.

Obviously the drastic step of restoring your device is not ideal but it may be the only option when you can’t even turn off your iPhone X.

Some Additional Considerations For iPhone X Users

By now, hopefully you have been able to turn off your iPhone X and everything is back to normal. However, if your phone is still performing poorly even after a force restart and a fresh software install then you may need to consider taking your phone in for repair.

The staff at an Apple Store or on their customer support line will be able to advise you on the next step you need to take to ensure your iPhone X is running as it should. After all, this device is one of the most expensive mobile devices on the market so it should perform as such.

If you are having some difficulty with troubleshooting you may want to also make sure the device is charged. Even if the iPhone X was showing a respectable amount of remaining battery before freezing, there are situations where batteries can rapidly discharge.

Usually, this is an indication of a bigger problem than simple freezing. If your device is regularly losing charge quickly and suddenly, causing it to freeze or shut down then you may want to consider getting a battery replacement. This kind of information will be helpful for Apple employees as they try to help you troubleshoot, as well.

Finally, if the freezing becomes a regular issue, take mental notes of when the freezing seems to occur. Some poorly optimized apps can cause issues with freezing or shutting down. Ensure that all apps are regularly updated to maintain the best performance on your device. If you find an app is consistently causing issues with no updates resolving said issues then you may want to consider uninstalling the app entirely.

Now You Know How To Turn Off iPhone X

This process is relatively simple but it’s not immediately clear to people who have never had to do this process before on an iPhone X.

The force restart and recovery mode processes are different on older models of iPhones as well as Android devices.

Hopefully, you can resolve your issues with a simple force restart and your iPhone X begins behaving as normal for a long, long time. However, there may be repeat issues that keep popping up.

Take note of the other troubleshooting steps we have outlined above and keep those in mind if your iPhone X continues to misbehave.

Now that you know how to turn off your iPhone X when it’s frozen, you know one of the most basic but most important troubleshooting tips for iPhone X owners.

Share this article with any friends and family that have an iPhone X to ensure they are aware of the proper steps to take as well!