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Why Does Your iPhone Keep Restarting? How To Fix Reboot Loop

By Author Turner Tomlinson

Posted on Last updated:

Most of the time, iPhones function pretty seamlessly, at least as long as you keep them charged. But one problem that some users have is that the phone keeps restarting without any clear reason why. So, if you’re experiencing this iPhone reboot loop, what can you do to fix it?

An iPhone reboot loop is commonly caused by insufficient storage or malware in the system. Delete old photos and videos or remove junk files to create space. Update your iOS and apps to remove malware in the system. Hardware damage caused by aging battery or frequent drops may also be the issue.

A reboot loop isn’t a common problem, and you should treat it seriously if it happens to your iPhone. However, there’s no cure-all solution, so you may need to try a couple of things. Let’s look at some common ways to fix a reboot loop.

Why Is Your iPhone Restarting by Itself?

Woman's hand holding phone with blank screen

It’s important to understand what’s causing the iPhone reboot loop before you can troubleshoot it. There are a few major reasons behind this problem, including the following:

Malware

With millions of applications in the App Store, not all of them are safe. You may have downloaded a few corrupt apps that are creating the reboot loop. Malware may have also snuck into your phone while you were downloading content from untrusted websites.

It doesn’t matter where your virus or malware came from (maybe you clicked on a phishing link) but it’s likely causing your phone to keep restarting. Remove these viruses to fix the problem.

Storage Issues

Insufficient storage in your phone is another common cause of a reboot loop. If your phone is overloaded with content, it’s time to delete some stuff.

Do away with old photos and videos that you no longer need or unessential apps that you rarely use.

Incomplete Update

This normally happens when updating your iOS or apps. A reboot loop is bound to happen if an update is interrupted by a poor network or any other reason.

Hardware Problems

There’s a chance that your reboot issue is caused by faulty hardware. A hardware failure may be caused by an aging battery, water damage, or frequent drops.

How Do You Stop Your iPhone From Restarting the Loop?

Now that you know the potential reasons behind your iPhone’s reboot loop, how do you actually fix it? There are a few tricks you can try out:

Before You Begin

Try out these solutions first before advancing. They are the basic steps and possibilities you need to check before anything else.

Remove SIM Card

Nano Sim Card In The Card Adapter With Eject Pin

Although unlikely, your SIM card might be placed incorrectly or experiencing connection issues with the carrier. It could also be broken.

So, for starters, remove your SIM card and use your phone without it. Contact your service provider if the reboot loop stops and resumes when you put your SIM back in.

Set Up Date & Time

There’s no concrete reason why this trick works, but manually setting up your date and time can help fix a lot of software problems.

Here’s how to set up date and time on your iPhone:

  1. Go to Settings > General > and tap Date & Time.
  2. Disable Set Automatically and manually key in your time zone and the date & time.

Backup Data

Back up your iPhone before moving on to more complex fixes. This is important to ensure that you don’t lose any important data in the process.

To perform a backup on iPhone:

  1. Go to Settings > iCloud > and tap iCloud Backup.
  2. Tap Back Up Now to perform a manual backup.

You can also enable iCloud Backup, and your phone will automatically perform a backup whenever it’s charging, locked, and connected to WiFi.

iPhone Restarts When Charging

If the loop only happens when you’re charging your phone, you may have a faulty charging port or cable.

Inspect your phone’s charging port, cable, and headphone jack. Clean your port if needed, be but be careful not to damage anything. If your charger is damaged or broken, consider replacing it with another original iPhone charger (on Amazon).

Troubleshooting Guides

You can now proceed to more advanced solutions if you’re still experiencing the problem. These solutions will hopefully do the trick, provided the problem isn’t hardware related.

Hard Reset the iPhone

A hard reset forces your iPhone to restart and may help to fix the loop. The process differs based on the iPhone model, but it generally involves holding the power and either of the volume buttons simultaneously for about one minute until your phone shuts down and turns back on.

Here’s how to force restart different iPhone models:

For iPhone 8 (on Amazon) and above:

  1. Press the Volume Up button and release it. Press the Volume Down button and release.
  2. Press and hold the Side button until the Apple logo appears.

For iPhone 7 and 7 Plus:

  1. Press and hold the Power and Volume Down buttons until the Apple logo appears.

For iPhone 6 and below:

  1. Press and hold the Power and Home buttons until the Apple logo appears.

Delete Faulty Apps

As we mentioned earlier, you may have downloaded a faulty app that’s creating the loop problem. It’s difficult to know the specific app causing the problem. It’s most likely one that you installed recently, before the restart loop began.

You can also check your iPhone’s error logs to single out an app. Here’s how to do it:

  1. Go to Settings > Privacy > and select Analytics & Improvements.
  2. Tap Analytics Data.

The page will show you a long list of hard-to-read reports. Simply scan through the latest reports and check whether any app is mentioned several times. If so, uninstall the app, as it might be the culprit.

Here’s how to delete an app:

  1. On the Home Screen, tap and hold the app you wish to delete.
  2. Tap Delete App to remove it permanently from your phone.

Update All Apps

After deleting faulty apps, update the remaining ones to their latest versions. Here’s how to update apps:

  1. Open the App Store.
  2. Tap Updates at the bottom left.
  3. You’ll be presented with a list of all your apps. Tap Update All. You can also update one app at a time, although this will consume more time.

Delete Unnecessary Files

Aside from apps, other files may be consuming a huge chunk of your phone’s storage, such as videos, photos, and podcasts, to name a few. Delete these files to create more storage space on your iPhone.

Focus on larger files as these will free up more space. Ensure that you have at least 1 GB of free storage space available to be on the safe side.

If the photos and videos are of value and you don’t want to delete them, you can save them in iCloud, view them from there, and even download them again later.

Update iOS

The iPhone will download the update

Apple will regularly roll out new updates for its operating systems. These updates contain fixes to common software bugs and glitches in the previous OS. Update your iOS to ensure that you fix any present bug that may be causing the problem.

Here’s how to update iOS:

  1. Go to Settings > General > and tap Software Update.
  2. Download and install any available update.

You can also use iTunes or iCloud in recovery mode to update your iOS. This is a better option for a phone that’s on a reboot loop.

Reset All Settings

Try resetting all the settings. You may have interfered with something unknowingly, and it’s creating all the problems.

Resetting your settings won’t delete any of your data or apps. However, you’ll need to re-enter your WiFi password.

To reset all settings:

  1. Go to Settings > General > and select Transfer or Reset iPhone.
  2. Select Reset and then tap Reset All Settings.

All your phone’s settings will be restored to factory defaults.

Restore iPhone

You can opt to factory reset your iPhone as a last resort when you’ve tried everything without success. A factory reset will erase all of your phone’s data. It will also fix any software glitch that may be causing the problem.

We recommend performing a Default Firmware Update (DFU) Mode restoration, which goes deeper than a normal factory reset. This will erase your device and re-install iOS and your device firmware. It will also allow you to restore your device from a backup.

Remember when you performed a backup before beginning the troubleshooting process? It comes in handy now.

Here’s how to enter DFU mode:

  1. Plug your phone into a computer and open iTunes.
  2. Depending on your iPhone model, proceed as follows:

    For iPhone 6S and earlier: Press and hold the Power and Home buttons for around five seconds until the screen goes black. Release the Power button but keep holding the Home button until a window pop-up appears on the screen.

    For iPhone 7 and 7 Plus: Press and hold the Power and Volume down buttons for around five seconds until the screen goes black. Release the Power button but keep holding the Volume Down button until a window pop-up appears on the screen.

    For iPhone 8 and later: Press and release the Volume Up button. Press and release the Volume Down button. Next, press and hold the Side button until the screen turns black, then hold the Volume Down button. Wait for around five seconds and release the Side button but keep holding the Volume down button.
  1. Your computer will display a pop-up window saying iTunes has detected pop-up.
  2. Click OK and Restore iPhone to begin the restoration process.
     

When to Get Professional Help

If the problem persists even after trying out all these troubleshooting tips, then it’s highly likely that the issue is hardware related. If you have other issues showing up along with the restarting, like a blurry top of the screen, that’s even more of a reason to stop and reach out to support.

In such a case, there’s little that you can do yourself at home. Instead, contact Apple Support for assistance. They may have to service or replace your phone.