Apple is known for having devices that are more stable than the competition. But that doesn’t mean they’re perfect. From time to time, your iPad might slow down or behave unexpectedly, especially if you use too many apps at once. So, how can you force an iPad to restart if necessary?
To force restart an iPad with a home button, hold down the power and home buttons until the device turns off and reboots. If there’s no home button, press and release the volume up button, then do the same for the volume down button. Finally, press and hold the power button until the iPad restarts.
Usually, restarting your iPad can solve whatever problem you’re experiencing. Let’s take a look at how the restarting process differs according to various iOS versions, and the steps to restart both an iPad with a home button and without it. We’ll also take a look at the different resetting options available.
Why You Might Need to Force a Restart on Your iPad
You might need to force restart your iPad for a number of reasons. For instance, it might be running slower than usual, or it might be lagging or stuttering a bit. Similarly, if your iPad is responsive to touch but fails to load a certain game or app, restarting it might solve the problem.
Forcing a restart can also help if your iPad screen has frozen or if the iPad has stopped responding to touch. Other cases where a restart can help are when the iPad is overheating or disabled.
Forcing a Reset for Different iOS Versions
The iPadOS doesn’t include a dedicated option for resetting the iPad, regardless of the version. Instead, if you just want to reset the device, you’ll first need to shut it down and then switch it back on. With this method, you don’t need to worry about losing any data or apps working in the background.
So, whether you have iOS 15 or earlier, the method will stay the same, but the steps can vary slightly depending on whether you have a model with a home button or one without it.
Resetting an iPad With a Home Button
Resetting the iPad is very easy, and you don’t need to worry about making any backups before you proceed since it won’t delete the settings or data. So if you have an iPad with the home button, here’s how you can reset it:
- Press the power button present in the top-right corner of the device (when you hold it in portrait mode).
- Keep holding the button until a slider appears on top of the screen. Let go once the slider appears. Alternatively, you can launch the Settings app and go to General, then press ‘Shut Down.’ You’ll now see the slider.
- Move the slider to the right to switch off the iPad. Once the screen goes dark, that means the iPad is switched off.
- Wait for around 20-30 seconds and switch the iPad on again by holding down the top button until you see the Apple icon. Let go of the button when the icon appears and the iPad will start.
Resetting an iPad Without a Home Button
If you have an iPad without a home button, you should follow these steps to reset it:
- Press and hold the power button and the volume up or down button together to bring up the slider.
- Just like before, move the slider to the right to switch off the iPad.
- Restart it by holding the power button until you see the Apple icon. Release the button and the iPad will switch on again.
Hard Reset Options
A standard/soft reset is the easiest and most basic type of restart — that’s where you switch the iPad off and turn it on again. It’s the first thing you should try if you experience hardware problems.
However, if your iPad has frozen up and stopped responding to the touch, then you might not be able to do a soft reset. In some cases, the slider might not appear at all.
In this case, a hard reset can help. In fact, it’s the first thing you should try if your iPad has become unresponsive. Just like the standard/soft reset, it won’t delete your data.
A hard reset will clear the memory to resolve whatever’s causing the problem and give it a new start. The steps to perform a hard reset (force restart) depend on whether you have an iPad with a home button.
iPad With a Home button
- Hold the home and power buttons together. After a few seconds, you’ll see the slider on the screen, but you don’t need to let go of the buttons yet.
- Eventually, the screen will go black.
- Once you see the Apple logo on the screen, release the buttons and your iPad will start like it normally does.
iPad Without a Home Button
- Press the volume down button quickly, then the volume up button quickly, and then press and hold the power button.
- Let go of the buttons when you see the Apple logo on the screen. The iPad will then restart.
How to Perform a Factory Reset
Another type of reset that’s often used is the factory reset. It isn’t usually used for solving problems though. Instead, it’s typically performed before sending an iPad for repair or before selling it.
A factory reset deletes all the settings, preferences, data, and apps. It essentially reverts the iPad to the state it was in when you initially bought it.
In order to perform a factory reset, navigate to Settings > General > Reset and then tap on ‘Erase All Content and Settings.’ Then, press ‘Erase iPad‘ to confirm.