Restart anything (the fix that works)

“Have you tried turning it off and on again?” is a cliché because it genuinely fixes most glitches — a frozen app, no sound, won’t connect, acting weird. Here’s how to actually do it on each thing, including the modern phones with no obvious off button.

iPhone

• No home button (Face ID models): press and hold the Side button and either Volume button together until “slide to power off” appears. Slide it, wait ten seconds, then hold the Side button to turn it back on.
• Has a home button: hold the Side/Top button until “slide to power off” appears.
• Easiest of all: Settings → General → Shut Down, then hold the Side button to turn it on.

Android phone or tablet

• Hold the Power button (on many phones, Power + Volume Up) for a couple of seconds, then tap Restart (or Power off, wait, and turn it back on).
• Wording and buttons vary by brand — if a menu pops up, look for Restart.

A frozen single app (before restarting the whole phone)

Often you only need to close the one stuck app:

• iPhone: swipe up from the bottom and pause, then swipe the app up to close it. Reopen it.
• Android: tap the square/recent-apps button and swipe the app away.

TV, streaming box, or router

For a TV box (Apple TV, Roku, Fire TV) or the internet router, there’s usually no button — just unplug the power for 10–30 seconds, then plug it back in and wait for it to start up. (For internet trouble specifically, see Internet is down? Restart the router.)

Caution

Restart is not the same as Reset. Never hold a tiny Reset button or pick “Erase / Factory Reset” — that wipes everything. You only ever want Restart or Power off.

If it’s still acting up

1. Give it a full minute to start back up before testing.
2. Still stuck on one app? Close that app (above), then restart the whole device.
3. Make sure it actually powered off — a quick tap isn’t enough; you hold until the screen goes fully dark.
4. Still broken? Text Stephen what you were doing when it started.