How to Restart iPad: Soft Reset in 60 Seconds

Restarting an iPad clears temporary glitches, frees up memory, and fixes many everyday problems like frozen apps, unresponsive touch, or slow performance. You don’t need any special tools or computer knowledge — the whole process takes under a minute and won’t delete any of your photos, apps, or settings. Here’s exactly how to do it on any model.

What You’ll Need

• Your iPad
• Your passcode (you’ll need it to unlock after the restart)
• About 30 seconds of time

Step-by-Step

The steps differ slightly depending on whether your iPad has a Home button. Check the front of your iPad: if there’s a circular button below the screen, follow Method A. If the screen goes edge-to-edge with no button, follow Method B.

Method A: iPads with a Home Button (iPad 9th gen and earlier, iPad mini 5 and earlier, iPad Air 2 and earlier)

1. Press and hold the Top button (the one on the top edge, also called the Sleep/Wake button).
2. Keep holding it while the screen stays on. Do not release it yet.
3. After a few seconds, a red slider will appear at the top of the screen that says “slide to power off”.
4. Drag the slider from left to right. The screen will go black and the iPad will shut down completely.
5. Wait about 10–15 seconds. This lets the memory fully clear.
6. Press and hold the Top button again until you see the Apple logo appear in the middle of the screen.
7. Release the button. The iPad will boot up. Enter your passcode when prompted.

Method B: iPads without a Home Button (iPad 10th gen, iPad Air 4th gen and later, iPad Pro 2018 and later, iPad mini 6th gen)

1. Press and hold the Top button (on the top edge) and either the Volume Up or Volume Down button at the same time.
2. Keep holding both buttons for a few seconds. You’ll see the red “slide to power off” slider appear at the top of the screen.
3. Release both buttons and drag the slider to the right.
4. Wait 10–15 seconds for the iPad to fully power down.
5. Press and hold the Top button alone (no volume button needed) until the Apple logo appears.
6. Release and wait for the home screen to load. Enter your passcode.

Common Mistakes

• Holding the buttons too long during shutdown. If you keep holding past the slider, the iPad may force-restart instead of a clean shutdown. That’s not harmful, but it skips the proper power-off cycle.
• Not waiting after the screen goes black. If you immediately press the Top button again, the iPad may not have fully cleared its memory. Give it a solid 10–15 seconds.
• Confusing a restart with a force restart. A normal restart uses the slider. A force restart (quickly pressing Volume Up, Volume Down, then holding the Top button) is only for when the screen is frozen and unresponsive — don’t use it as your everyday method.
• Pressing the Home button during shutdown. On older models, pressing Home while the slider is showing can cancel the shutdown. Just use the slider.
• Thinking a restart deletes data. It doesn’t. Your apps, photos, messages, and settings all stay exactly where they are.

Tips

• Restart once a week. A weekly restart clears background processes and keeps the iPad feeling snappy. It’s the single easiest maintenance habit.
• Use the Settings shortcut. Go to Settings > General > Shut Down and drag the same slider from there. This works on every iPad model and is a good alternative if you find the button combo awkward.
• Close heavy apps first. If the iPad was struggling with a particular app, swipe it away from the App Switcher (double-click Home or swipe up from the bottom) before restarting.
• Keep your passcode handy. After any restart, the iPad asks for your passcode even if Face ID or Touch ID is enabled. This is a security feature, not a glitch.
• Charge if the battery is critically low. If the iPad won’t turn back on, plug it in for a few minutes first. A completely drained battery can take a moment to show the charging icon.

Troubleshooting

The slider doesn’t appear when I hold the buttons.
You may be pressing the wrong buttons. On Home-button models, only the Top button is needed. On newer models, you must press Top + either volume button simultaneously. Also make sure you’re not pressing the volume buttons on a Home-button model — that does nothing.

The iPad is frozen and the slider won’t show.
Do a force restart. On Home-button models: press and hold both the Top and Home buttons together until the Apple logo appears. On no-Home-button models: quickly press and release Volume Up, then quickly press and release Volume Down, then press and hold the Top button until the Apple logo appears. This takes about 10 seconds of holding. It’s safe and won’t erase anything.

The iPad turns off but won’t turn back on.
Plug it into power using the original cable and charger. Wait 2–3 minutes. If the battery icon appears, it was just drained. If nothing appears after 10 minutes, try a different cable and wall adapter. If it still won’t respond, it may need service.

The Apple logo appears, then the screen goes black again.
This can happen after a failed update or when storage is critically full. Try plugging it into a computer and updating or restoring via Finder (Mac) or iTunes (PC). If that’s not possible, free up space by deleting large videos or apps after the next successful boot.

My iPad restarts but an app still crashes.
The restart cleared the system, but the problem is in the app itself. Force-close the app, then reopen it. If it still crashes, delete and reinstall it from the App Store. Your data inside the app may be lost unless it was backed up.

After restart, my iPad asks for a passcode I don’t remember.
This is a security lockout. You’ll need to restore the iPad using a computer, which erases all data. If you have an iCloud backup, you can restore from it afterward. If you never set a passcode and it’s asking for one, try your Apple ID password instead.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will restarting my iPad delete my apps or photos?
No. A restart only powers the device off and on. All your data, apps, settings, and media remain untouched.

How often should I restart my iPad?
Once a week is a good habit. If you use heavy apps like video editors or games daily, restarting every few days can help. There’s no harm in doing it more often.

What’s the difference between restart and force restart?
A restart uses the power-off slider and is the normal method. A force restart bypasses the slider and is only for when the screen is frozen or unresponsive. Both are safe, but force restart is more abrupt.

Do I need to back up before restarting?
No. A restart doesn’t touch your data. However, if you’re about to do a force restart because the iPad is frozen, there’s still no data risk — it’s the same as a normal restart, just initiated differently.

Why does my iPad ask for my passcode after every restart?
That’s a security feature. When the iPad boots up, it requires your passcode before allowing Face ID or Touch ID to unlock it. This prevents someone else from using your fingerprint or face to get in after a reboot.

Can I restart my iPad using the Settings app?
Yes. Go to Settings > General > Shut Down, then drag the slider. This works on all iPad models and is often easier than holding physical buttons.

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