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Key takeaways
- You don't need the power button to turn your iPhone off.
- There are faster ways to shut down or restart your iPhone.
- Siri, Control Center, and Settings offer easy shutdown options.
Shutting down or restarting your iPhone can be a tricky maneuver. Assuming you have an iPhone X or later, you normally hold down the power button and one of the volume buttons at the same time. You then have to swipe across an on-screen button to power off. To restart your phone, wait a few seconds until it's completely off, then hold down the power button again until you see the Apple icon pop up on the screen.
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There must be an easier way to shut down and restart your iPhone. In fact, there are a few easier ways, or at least ways that don't require that initial two-button press method. Let's check them out.
1. Use Control Center
With iOS 18 or higher, you can more quickly and easily kick off the shutdown or restart process via Control Center. Simply swipe down from the top-right corner of the screen until you see Control Center. You'll notice a small circular power icon in the upper right. Press down on that icon.
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You're then taken to the screen where you have to swipe to power off your phone. After your phone shuts down, hold down the power button when you want to restart it.
2. Talk to Siri
Probably the simplest and most hands-free way to shut down or restart your iPhone is to ask Siri. Say: "Siri, power off my phone" or "Siri, restart my phone." Either way, Siri will ask for confirmation. Just say: "Yes." Your phone is then shut down or restarted. If it's restarted, you're placed back at the Lock screen, where you enter your PIN to sign in.
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3. Go through Settings
Another option is to go through the Settings screen. Head to Settings, select General, and then tap Shut Down at the bottom of the screen. Swipe the slider to power off your phone.
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4. Use AssistiveTouch
If you use the AssistiveTouch feature, here's another way to restart your phone. To enable AssistiveTouch, go to Settings, select Accessibility, tap Touch, select AssistiveTouch, and then turn on its switch. When you want to restart your phone, tap the floating AssistiveTouch button, select Device, tap More, and then tap Restart. Tap Restart again to confirm your action.
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5. Use a Siri shortcut
Finally, you can set up a Siri shortcut to shut down your iPhone. Open the Shortcuts app and tap the plus sign to create a new shortcut. In the Search Actions field, start typing the phrase "shut down," and then select it from the results. The action should read: "Shut Down this device." Tap the left arrow at the top to finish the shortcut.
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You should then see a large icon called Shut Down on the All Shortcuts screen. Press down on it and select Share from the menu. At the Share window, tap the icon for "Add to Home Screen."
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At the next screen, choose a color and symbol for the icon, and tap Add. An icon for the Shut Down shortcut is added to your home screen. When you want to shut down your iPhone, tap that icon, and then tap Shut Down to confirm.
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