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Why Does My iPhone Keep Restarting? Here’s The Fix!

    David Payette
  • 2 years ago
    • Categories: Power

Why does my iPhone keep restarting, and what do I do about it? We trust our iPhones and they need to work all the time. It would be great if there was a single reason why iPhones restart over and over again, but there isn’t a magic bullet for this problem. In this article, I’ll explain what causes iPhones to keep restarting and I’ll show you how to fix the restarting iPhone problem.

Attention iPhone X owners: If you have an iPhone X or iPhone XS that keeps restarting, please read my new article to find out how to stop your iPhone X from restarting over and over again. If those fixes don’t work, come back and follow this guide.

Why Does My iPhone Keep Restarting?

iPhones that keep restarting generally fall into two categories:

  1. iPhones that restart intermittently: You can use your iPhone for a while with no problem at all, and then your iPhone suddenly restarts.
  2. iPhone restart loop: Your iPhone continuously restarts and it’s totally unusable. The Apple logo appears and disappears on the screen, over and over again.

If your iPhone falls into the second category, skip ahead to step 5. It’s impossible to do the first few steps if you’re unable to use the software on your iPhone. Let’s dive in, so you can stop shouting “My iPhone keeps restarting!” at the cat.

1. Back Up Your iPhone

Before we do any troubleshooting at all, make sure your iPhone is backed up. If your iPhone has a hardware problem, this could be your last chance to back up your data. If we need to, we’ll restore your iPhone in a later step, and you need a backup before you restore.

Check out our other article if you need help backing up your iPhone. Once you’re backed up, you’ll be ready to get started fixing the problem if your iPhone keeps restarting or if your iPhone keeps turning on and off.

2. Update Your iPhone’s Software (iOS)

Like Windows on a PC or macOS on a Mac, iOS is your iPhone’s operating system. iOS updates always contain lots of fixes for software bugs and other problems. Sometimes, a software update fixes the problem that’s causing your iPhone to keep restarting or enter a restart loop.

To check if any software updates are available, go to Settings -> General -> Software Update. If an update is available, install it.

You can also connect your iPhone to your computer and use iTunes (PCs and Macs running macOS 10.14 or older) or Finder (Macs running macOS 10.15 or newer) to update your iPhone’s software. If your iPhone is continually restarting, iTunes or Finder might be your best bet.

3. Determine If An App Is Causing Your iPhone To Restart

It’s very rare for an app to cause an iPhone to restart or turn on and off repeatedly. For the most part, the software on your iPhone is shielded from problem apps. That being said, there are over 1.5 million apps in the App Store and they’re not all perfect.

If you installed an app just before your iPhone entered a restart loop, uninstall that app and see if the problem resolves itself.

Settings -> Privacy -> Analytics & Improvements -> Analytics Data is another place to check for problem apps. It’s normal to see several entries in this list. Quickly scroll through the list and look for any apps that are listed over and over again. If you find one, uninstalling that app may fix your iPhone.

4. Reset All Settings

Reset All Settings isn’t a magic bullet, but it can resolve certain software issues. Go to Settings -> General -> Transfer Or Reset iPhone -> Reset -> Reset All Settings to restore your iPhone’s settings to factory defaults. You won’t lose any of your apps or data, but you will have to enter your Wi-Fi password again.

5. Remove Your SIM Card

iPhone restart loops can be caused by issues with your iPhone’s connection to your wireless carrier. Your SIM card connects your iPhone to your wireless carrier, so removing it is best way to troubleshoot issues where your iPhone keeps restarting.

Don’t worry: Nothing can go wrong when you remove your SIM card. Your iPhone will immediately reconnect to your carrier as soon as you put it back in.

Apple’s support article about how to remove the SIM card from your iPhone will show you exactly where the SIM card is located on your iPhone. You’ll use a paper clip to eject the SIM tray from your iPhone.

If removing your SIM card fixes the problem, put the SIM card back in your iPhone. If the problem comes back after you put your SIM card back in, you’ll need to restore your iPhone (step 7) or replace the SIM card with your carrier.

If removing the SIM card doesn’t fix the problem, don’t put your SIM card back in until you’ve completed the next step. If you’d like to learn more about your iPhone’s SIM card, check out my article called “Why Does My iPhone Say No SIM Card?”.

6. Hard Reset

You shouldn’t do a hard reset on your iPhone unless it’s absolutely necessary. It’s kind of like turning off a desktop computer by unplugging it from the wall. That being said, an iPhone restart loop is one of those times where a hard reset is warranted.

To perform a hard reset, hold the power button and Home button (the circular button below the screen) at the same time until your iPhone screen goes blank and the Apple logo reappears.

On an iPhone 7 or 7 Plus, the buttons you need to press to execute a hard reset are slightly different. Simultaneously press and hold the power button and the volume down button.

If you have an iPhone 8 or newer, the process of hard resetting is also different. Press and release the volume up button, then the volume down button, then press and hold the side button.

Regardless of what model iPhone you have, make sure you hold both buttons down together for at least 20 seconds. People were amazed when they’d come into the Apple Store and I’d quickly fix their dead iPhone with a hard reset. They thought they did a hard reset at home, but they didn’t hold both buttons down for a long enough time.

If you removed the SIM card from your iPhone in the previous step, now’s a good time put it back in your iPhone. We’ve eliminated the possibility that your SIM card is causing your iPhone to restart. Hopefully the hard reset will fix the problem where your iPhone kept restarting, but if it continues, you’ll have to reset your device by following the instructions below.

7. Restore Your iPhone

Restoring your iPhone completely erases and reloads the iPhone’s software (iOS), and it can eliminate a slew of software issues at the same time. When we restore your iPhone, we’ll eliminate the possibility that a software issue may be causing your iPhone to restart — that’s why Apple techs do it so often.

Your iPhone needs to be connected to a computer to restore. I recommend doing a special type of restore that Apple techs do called a DFU Restore, which goes deeper than a regular restore and can solve more problems. You won’t find it anywhere on Apple’s website — read my article to learn how to DFU restore your iPhone.

After the restore finishes, you’ll be able to reload all your personal information from your iPhone backup in iTunes, Finder, or iCloud. If you still have a problem, come back here and keep reading.

8. Check For A Hardware Problem

Hardware problems are a common reason why iPhones get stuck in a restart loop. If you’re using a case on your iPhone, remove it before you continue.

Look closely at the charging port on the bottom of your iPhone. Check to see if any debris is stuck inside and for signs of corrosion.

If something doesn’t look right, grab a toothbrush you’ve never used and gently brush out the charging port. A short circuit or other problem inside the charging port can cause all sorts of problems with your iPhone.

9. You May Need To Repair Your iPhone

We’ve eliminated the possibility a software issue is causing your iPhone to keep restarting and we’ve checked for hardware issues on the outside of your iPhone. If your iPhone is in a restart loop, your iPhone probably needs to be repaired.

If you choose to get help at your local Apple Store, make sure you have an appointment with the Genius Bar so you don’t have to wait around.

Wrapping It Up

By this point, I hope we’ve fixed the problem that caused your iPhone to keep restarting. I’d like to hear your experience in the comments section below, and if you have any other questions, feel free to ask them in the Payette Forward Facebook Group.

View Comments (302)

  • I have the iPhone 7. When the iPhone is on I have an iPhone 7. When it activates. Immediately after that it restarts again. Then it restarts one more time. Charging does not go above 2%. Screen time is 2.45 seconds if charging is on and 45 seconds if not charging. Battery health is also not being checked. Tried everything in the above section but nothing happens. stayed

  • I had a random restart issue with an iphone 11. It gave out panic full messages with daemon checkin timeouts. It had a slight scratch on its proximity sensor. Luckily this was on its protective tempered glass. Replaced the screen protector with a new one and problem resolved

  • i have a 2020 SE and ive been having this problem with my phone randomly and continuously rebooting. i have been trying to figure this out ive watched youtube videos, and ive looked on websites and google to see what the problem was. i cannot be on my phone for 2-3 minutes without it rebooting please help.

  • i was playing a game in my iphone 7 plus that was high resolution quality and after sometime i noticed that my phone got really hot but i didnt think much of it until it restarted on its own and now its stuck on a loop i tried hard restarting it but it didnt work anyone that can help me?

  • Good day
    Well my iPhone 7 is repeating the same I had to take it to the engineer after he figured out that's it the flex after changing the flex it was still repeating the same but it's you done connect the flex it on the way it should

  • My iphone 7 plus is restarting repeatedly and i do everything thing with that but doesn't working what should i do

      • I took my iphone 7 plus to two different places to see what was wrong. The first store told me i had to go to my carrier which is verizon. Then verizon told me i needed to take my phone to the apple store because i needed a new battery. So go check in the settings and click battery and if you see service then you need a new battery.

  • My iphone 11 battery completely drained. When I noticed it, I put it on charge, but the phone turns on, shows me the Apple logo, and turns off again; this continues for hours. And, the phone cannot turn on when not plugged in. This is a phone I bought a month ago, what should I do? When I try to hard reset my iPhone on my mac, it gives me this

  • My iPhone 11 battery was completely drained. When I noticed it, I put it on a charge, but the phone turns on, shows me the Apple logo, and turns off again; this continues for hours. And, the phone cannot turn on when not plugged in. This is a phone I bought a month ago, what should I do?

  • I SWITCHED FROM ANDROID LIKE A FEW MONTHS AND THIS PROBLEM STARTS HAPPENING!! Goddamn it apple is really not giving me a good reputation.

  • My phone was sitting on my bedside table charging when all of a sudden it shut down. I was using my laptop so I didn't notice. I looked over and noticed that my phone was on the apple logo loading screen and I didn't think much of it. It has now been more than 8 hours and it is still stuck on the apple logo loading screen. I tried turning it on, but nothing works. I also tried charging it and it did not work. What do I do?

  • I dropped my phone in the toilet and got it out immediately and dried it off. It was working fine, but about 15 minutes later turned off. Now it just keeps turning on every so often, but won't let me into it. Do I need to get a new phone or is there any possible solution to fix this?

    • I recommend checking out the steps in our article all about iPhone water damage. Unfortunately, water damage is insidious, and sometimes the effects can manifest well after your iPhone was exposed to liquid. Try working through the steps in our other article and see if your iPhone shows any signs of improvement. If it doesn't I recommend setting up an appointment at your local Apple Store.

  • My phone has been working fine until last night, I have an Iphone X. First the screen will freeze and then after a minute or so it will become a black screen with a frozen loading signal. Then it will go all black and then the apple signal will pop up and restart. Then a few minutes later it will happen again. Please help me.

  • I wasn't able to fix the problem, but it was useful and I did learn new things, really needed all that info

  • I got a phone, and I’m trying to transfer from my Ipad to my phone. It keeps on turning off, and I can’t fully get it to transfer!

  • My iPhone keeps restarting and the apps are flashing. I have followed all of your steps and it's still no help the only issue is my phone will not do a hard reset. Is there anything else I can try?

  • Thanks for all the info! I actually saw that someone had suggested inspecting the charging port and look the cable over for debris or corrosion. I removed the cable and blew out the port, plugged the cable back in and BOOM FIXED!!

  • I know how you all can fix the problem on your phones GET YOURSELF A ANDROID. I've had my android phone for 4 years and its never had one single problem. iPhones are made to screw up so people will upgrade.

  • I have the new iPhone SE and it does the loop every 2 mins is there a way I can fix it I did the hard reboot

  • mine keeps rebooting and when it finally turns on every time I go to unlock it it reboots again over and over and I done a couple things to fix it but nothing working took my sims card out and put it back in still rebooting and then hard reset it still rebooting I cannot get into my setting so I'm at a lost what wrong with my phone its an iPhone XR

    • omg so this happened to me a little while back and literally went on for like over an hour, I hard reset my phone like in the article and left it alone for like 20 minutes and it didn't do it again for like a full week.

    • Try the steps in this article. If those don't work, your best bet is to reach out to Apple. There could be a hardware issue making your iPhone restart over and over again.

  • I am having the same issue with my XS Max running iOS 15.1. It kept self rebooting within 3-5 minutes.
    I tried all of the above recommended options, but no luck at all.

    • I’ve had the same problem, my iPhone 6s will automatically restart every few minutes. Also, it’s battery is stuck at 3% and I have no idea why. It’s currently running iOS 15.2.1. It won’t let me update any further.

      • I'm having the same problem right now 😕 please tell me how you fixed your problem if you have yet

  • Hi there. As you said, I reset my iPhone 6 but now the restarting by itself stopped. However, Siri is opening by itself. Can you help me?

  • I have an iPhone XR. Every time it dies, or when I hard reset it, it goes into a loop: it turns off, then the apple logo shows up, then it turns off again. It will do that for about 5-12 hours, then everything goes back to normal. Why is my phone doing this?

  • Hi. My iPhone is stuck in the restart loop and I have done all of your directions. I do not want to go into the Apple Store because I am too busy. Is there any other way I can get this fixed at home?

  • I have an iPhone 6 Plus which was working fine and didn't show any signs of drained battery or damaged charging cable until 3 days ago. Then, suddenly, my iPhone fell on the carpet and restarted itself. This has been going on such that its even failing to charge. Kindly advise.

  • I have an iPhone 10. I had an issue after iOS 15 update: my phone started warming up and keeps lagging so heavy. I had to check up on the CPU process and I find out it’s damaged. After the CPU changed, my iPhone continues to restart from time to time, even after Restoring/Reseting/SIM card cleaning. I absolutely tried everything and I still have the same problem once every 10 hours. Does any one have the same problem? If so, kindly share the solution ?

  • Hi David,

    I have to say, as a non-techie, I bow down to your wisdom on these really simple fixes. First, yes, I was that girl yelling at my cat that my iPhone wouldn’t work (“I CAN”T restore the dang hardware if the phone wont stop going OFF, AHHH!”). Thank God, I found your article. Using those simple steps, 6 and 7, my fear of having to replace a dead phone was eased. I was able to pop out the sim, do a REAL hard reset, and badabing! Phone works.
    You da man! THANK YOU!

    Your new grasshopper,
    -Kristen

  • I have an iPhone 11. After updating my phone to the newest software update (iOS 15), my phone did the random reboots. I checked the analytics data and removed a majority of the apps and the widgets causing the problems. I also cleared a lot of photos and videos off my phone in case it was a data problem. I need a solution that doesn't involve completely resetting my phone or removing the SIM.

  • Hi I have an iPhone XS Max. After updating to iOS 15 it is getting restarted. After one, two, or three hours I do a hard reset and a lot of things to resolve it but it is still not fixed.

  • Today I woke up in the morning and my iPhone X just randomly decided to do boot loops, which is weird because I wasn't using it roughly last night, nor was I charging it. It was just a surprise that it did this out of nowhere.

    Anyway, I had taken the SIM out and tried doing the factory reset/recovery/restore in my MacOS and the process worked until it said "...The iPhone will restart, do not unplug device and it will show up in the side bar" Which I was hopeful for. However, when it reset, it went back to being in boot loop. I find this strange because it was not boot looping when my Mac was restoring the iPhone. I have tried this several times already and strangely, again, the phone stops boot looping when being restored and goes back to the boot loop after. Are there any possible fixes to this? Thank you.

  • Hello. I have an iPhone 7 and it will randomly restart over and over again. However, it doesn’t while it’s on the charger. I have done the hard reset about 3 times, I have no updates I need to install. I have gone through all my pictures and apps to make more room incase that was an issue. I looked at my SIM card and I think it looked fine. It also doesn’t restart while I’m on a call. I don’t know how to fix this. I've been leaving it on the charger anytime I use it so it won’t keep restarting.

  • Recently my iPhone 7 plus battery started to bloat. All functions normal.

    After I had the battery replaced by a random phone battery replacement company (took 5 minutes), everything functioned fine until I got back home that night.

    The Battery would only charge to 40% and it kept resetting itself randomly. It would enter the normal home screen and function normally but about 4 minutes, then it would reset. I started getting worried as it would not even stay on to save a backup.

    Did all the usual steps — hard reset, adaptors check, etc. but since my iPhone worked fine before battery replacement, it had to be related to the battery replacement. The problem persisted, my battery could not charge past 10% and would fluctuate very randomly. I Actually got the battery replaced by the company the next day in case it was a bad battery issue. The problem persisted.

    In the end, I used electric tape, 4 layers thick and stuck it to the back side of the battery lead with the metal plate housing giving slight pressure to the battery lead pushing into the battery plug in socket.

    The random resets stopped and battery charged to 100%. I suspect the battery lead on some after market battery plugs aren't so perfect (and definitely don't have foam backing on them) which creates a less than perfect power connection to the FTC power connection on the motherboard.

    In the end, a relatively simple fix to a problem that could have gone down many wrong avenues.

    Hope this helps someone out there!

    • hi i really have the same problem like your and i have 6 plus after i did the battery replacement, my iphone went into loop restart every 2 minutes, can you tell me exactly what have you because i tried every solution and still didn't solve the problem

    • Wow, you went on quite a journey to get this issue resolved! We're so glad to hear that this solution worked for you, but it's not one that we would recommend to everyone. Having repairs performed by third-party repair companies, or performing hardware repairs from home, can void your iPhone's warranty. If Apple detects that an iPhone's hardware has been serviced by an unlicensed repair service, they might be willing to perform repairs on it in the future.

  • Hi, I have replaced my iPhone 8 screen. It was good but after a while now it keeps restarting. I performed the hard reset and the battery health is also 87% but it’s still restarting.

  • Hi I have my iPhone 7+ and its going through a restart loop every now and then and it is also very hot. I removed the SIM card and and the time intervals of the restarts are slightly longer but it still happens.

  • I have tried everything you have stated here. My iPhone 11 still going into a restart loop. I have use of it for a few minutes, then it restarts. It keeps doing this after an update. Every other time your methods work. Not this time. Even after a full system restore in DFU mode. Only had the phone for 6-8 months.

  • My iPhone 6 battery ran out so I put it on a charger and it was in a restart loop. Since it was 2nd hand and I already replaced the battery once, I bought another new phone, a second hand but iPhone 8. It hasn't even been a week and the phone battery just ran out and did the same thing. I don't want to keep spending money, how do I fix this?

    • Hi Katara, I'm sorry to hear your new iPhone isn't doing the trick either. Buying a second-hand iPhone can be somewhat risky, depending on where you purchase it. It might require another investment, your safest bet might be to bring it to an Apple Tech for repair.

      You might also want to check out our video we made all about iPhone battery health for more information about why your iPhone's battery died so quickly. Here's a link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w6--6z4ZcNk

      I hope this helps!

  • Hi, I recently got my phone screen and home button replaced. Is a restart loop a "symptom" of this?

  • Hi, my iPhone 6 was on the charger for 2 days straight and it has not came back on. All it does is shutdown and restart over and over again.I need help please.

    • Hi KaTashia, I'm sorry to hear you're having trouble with your Apple Watch! It sounds like this could be a problem with the device's hardware. I'd recommend reaching out to Apple Support directly to find out about repair options. Sorry we couldn't be of more help, best of luck sorting this out!

  • hello, my iPhone 7 today dropped from 7% to 0% in the matter of seconds, i've been charging it now for 3 hours and it wont go above 4% and even when charging it keeps restarting randomly. i don't want to buy a new phone straight away if there is a cheaper option. plz help :(

    • currently having the same issue, it won't charge past 45% and keeps restarting. it happened some time ago but stopped after being switched off all night, now it's back, any solution:(

      • That just sounds like a old battery when it can't charge past something. You may need to replace the battery.

    • Same problem
      And i tried 9 steps But there is no result i need my phone back
      (and it's a iPhone 7) :(
      Answer me guys

  • Hello, my iPhone XS keeps rebooting and sometimes shuts down when it’s in sleep/locked mode …what’s the cause I can’t be using my phone all day or put my phone display to never sleep. Pls help.

    • THIS IS HAPPENING TO ME TOO IF YOU FIND A SOULTION PLEASE TELL ME I AM SO SICK OF IT ITS BEEN GOING ON FOR MONTHS

      • This just started happening to me too and its so weird its making my phone un useable. Ive tried everything and the only thing that fixes is it factory resetting and starting from scratch. but I can't loose my data so that's something I really don't wanna do.

  • Please my iPhone keeps restarting and same time it turns silent all of a sudden. Have done everything but not working.

    • The same keeps happening to me its really annoying I think I'm going to have to get a new phone. :(

  • um so I did the hard reset so many times and it still doesn’t work I don’t have a computer so I don’t know what to do???

  • I have an iPhone XR been having it for 4 years. It's been restarting by itself all day yesterday so I backed up my iCloud and factory reset the phone. Now, that I have cleaned out all my apps. It still wants to act dumb. Keep in mind this is not the only time it has done this. It works for a few I can go on facebook and scroll for a little but then it will restart again. The phone can't handle simple tasks like going to different apps without wanting to shut off. All I did was wake up one day and had to deal with this crap. Nothing has been done to this phone for it to be acting like this.

  • I literally just got a new replacement iPhone 11 from the apple store today and have never had this problem where it just keeps randomly restarting its restarting just that I’ve seen at least 10 times in the last 6-7 hours possibly more when not paying attention. So it’s not like this is an older phone or out of date or broken it is literally brand new. May not be the 12 but it’s still new enough, it’s within a year of release and this exact one is a day old. I’m going to try a few of these things on here but if anyone can think of any other things please let me know!

  • Heyy I have an iphone 11 pro max and it only restarts sometimes but it only does it when I'm out and if I'm on TikTok and then the wifi tries to connect where I'm at . This is the third time it's done this the same way too. Only when i go on TikTok and I'm out and about. Help??

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David Payette: I'm a former Apple employee and the founder of Payette Forward, and I'm here to help you with your iPhone.