Apple

How to Force Restart or Hard Reset iPhone SE 2

Published

2 years ago

01/19/2023

If your iPhone SE 2 suddenly locks up and becomes unresponsive, you should be able to fix the issue with a force restart or hard reset.

The second-generation iPhone SE’s performance continues to impress as we push deeper into 2023. That being said, the device isn’t immune to problems.

iPhone SE 2 users are complaining about an array of issues and the list includes lockups and freezes. These are common complaints across all iPhones and fortunately they are, in most cases, extremely easy to fix.

If your iPhone SE 2 locks up and you’re unable to shut it off normally, you should perform a hard reset. This process only takes a few seconds and it should return your phone to its normal state. This process won’t wipe your phone’s data, it simply reboots the phone.

If your iPhone SE 2 frequently locks up, you should try updating your applications via the App Store, update your phone to the latest firmware, or investigate other potential solutions. If this is a regular issues on your phone, you’ll want to check out our guide to fixing common iOS 17 problems.

How to Hard Reset iPhone SE 2

If you upgraded to the iPhone SE 2 from a model that’s older than the iPhone 8, you may not know how to force restart your device because it requires a different button combination.

Instead of the old process which required you to press and hold the volume down button and the Sleep/Wake button at the same time, you now need to press two buttons quickly and then press and hold a third button in order to force the phone to restart.

This process can be difficult to remember, but once you’ve done it a few times, you should be prepared if you run into issues again.

If your iPhone SE 2 isn’t responding to touches and swipes, here’s how to force restart your device:

Press on the Volume Up button located on the left side of the phone and let go.
Press on the Volume Down button and let go.
Press and hold the side button until the Apple logo appears on the screen.

You need to press the volume up and volume down buttons quickly, but you don’t want to press them at the same time.

The side button is what Apple calls the power button on newer iPhone models. After a few seconds of holding down the side button, your phone should restart itself. You can release your finger once the Apple logo appears.

If this process fails to fix your issue, Apple recommends plugging the phone into a charger to let it charge for up to an hour. We also recommend reseting all of your phone’s settings in the Settings app.

If you still see a black screen or you’re still having issues with the touchscreen after that, you’ll want to get in contact with Apple’s customer support and take the next steps.

4 Reasons Not to Install iOS 17.7 & 11 Reasons You Should

Install iOS 17.7 for Better Security

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If security is important to you, and you missed older software, think about installing Apple's iOS 17.7 update right away.

iOS 17.7 delivers new security patches and they will help keep your device and its data protected from harm. Apple hasn't outlined them in detail yet, but we'll let you know when it does.

If you skipped an older version of iOS 17, you'll get the patches from the updates you skipped with your upgrade.

iOS 17.6 featured 30 security patches, iOS 17.5 delivered 15 security patches, the iOS 17.4.1 update included two security patches, and iOS 17.4 had four security patches on board.

The update also delivered quantum security protection for iMessage. The company says the upgrade gives iMessage "the strongest security properties of any at-scale messaging protocol in the world."

The iOS 17.3 update brought 15 new security patches to iPhone. The software also added Stolen Device Protection to iPhone.

It increases the security of your iPhone and Apple ID by requiring Face ID or Touch ID to gain access to passwords, make purchases in Safari, and more. This is useful if someone gets access to your iPhone and its passcode.

iOS 17.2 delivered 10 new security patches to iPhone. If you wish to find out more, you can head on over to Apple's security site for the details.

iOS 17.2 also included iMessage Contact Key Verification which improves the security of iMessage. The company also fixed an exploit that let the Flipper Zero multi-tool lock up iPhones.

iOS 17.1.2 had two security patches on board. Both were related to WebKit. If you want to learn more, you can do so right here.

iOS 17.1 brought 18 security fixes to iPhone. It addressed issues within Weather, Status Bar, WebKit, and more.

iOS 17.0.3 brought two patches for two security issues Apple identified within the software. If you want to read about the patches, head here.

iOS 17.0.1 delivered three important patches to iPhone. If you're interested in the exact nature of these improvements, you can read about them over on Apple's security website.

As for iOS 17 itself, it brought 40+ new security patches with it. A staggering number to say the least. If you want to learn more about them, head over to Apple.

In addition to those patches, iOS 17 brings some additional enhancements to privacy and security including improvements to Communication Safety beyond Messages.

It now includes content sent by AirDrop, Contact Posters in the Phone app, FaceTime, and the systemwide photo picker. You now have an option to blur out sensitive photos and videos before you choose to view them.

There's also an expanded Lockdown Mode which will help protect you against cyber attacks.

Apple's also improved sharing permissions and you now have more control over what you share with the apps on your device.

The company also notes that starting in iOS 17, Voice Memos encrypts the titles of recordings stored in iCloud, in addition to the recordings themselves.

If you skipped older versions of iOS, you'll get the security patches from those updates with your iOS 17.7 update as well.