How to Restart Your iPad: A Simple Guide for Frozen Screens and Startup Issues

Experiencing issues with your iPad such as a frozen screen, unresponsiveness to touch, or getting stuck during startup can be frustrating. Don’t worry, restarting your iPad is often the first and most effective step to resolve these common problems. This guide will walk you through different methods to restart your iPad, ensuring you can quickly get back to using your device smoothly.

Force Restarting a Frozen iPad

If your iPad screen is black, frozen, or not responding to your touch, a force restart can often get it back to working order. The process varies slightly depending on whether your iPad has a Home button or not.

For iPads Without a Home Button

These instructions apply to iPad Pro, iPad Air, and iPad mini models without a Home button.

1. Press and quickly release the Volume Up button (the button closest to the top).

2. Press and quickly release the Volume Down button (the button farthest from the top).

3. Press and hold the Top button (power button) located on the top right side of your iPad. Keep holding it until the Apple logo appears.

4. Once the Apple logo appears, release the Top button. Your iPad will restart.

5. If your iPad still doesn’t turn on after this, it’s recommended to check your hardware and charging. Plug your iPad into a power source using a working cable and adapter and let it charge for up to an hour. Refer to Apple’s guide for hardware checks and charging tips.

6. If your iPad remains unresponsive after charging, further assistance might be needed. Learn how to get support.

For iPads With a Home Button

This method is for older iPad models that feature a physical Home button.

1. Press and hold both the Home button (located at the bottom center of the iPad’s front) and the Top button (power button) simultaneously.

2. Keep holding both buttons until you see the Apple logo appear on the screen.

3. Once the Apple logo is displayed, release both buttons. Your iPad should restart.

4. If your iPad doesn’t power on, ensure it has sufficient charge. Connect it to a power outlet and allow it to charge for up to an hour. You can find additional hardware troubleshooting and charging information here.

5. If the issue persists after charging and restarting, it might indicate a more significant problem. Explore support options.

Restarting an iPad Stuck on Startup (Recovery Mode)

If your iPad turns on but gets stuck on the Apple logo, a red screen, or a blue screen during startup, you might need to put it into recovery mode and restore or update its software.

For iPads Without a Home Button (Recovery Mode)

1. Connect your iPad to a computer. If you have a Mac running macOS Catalina or later, open Finder. For Macs with macOS Mojave or earlier, or for Windows PCs, open iTunes. Find out which macOS version your Mac is running.

2. Locate your connected iPad on your computer in Finder or iTunes.

3. While your iPad is connected to the computer, follow these steps in quick succession:

   1. Press and quickly release the Volume Up button.

   2. Press and quickly release the Volume Down button.

   3. Press and hold the Top button. Keep holding the Top button even after the screen goes black and the Apple logo reappears.

   4. Continue holding the Top button until you see the recovery mode screen. This screen displays a computer icon and a cable.

4. On your computer, a dialog box will appear offering you the option to Restore or Update. Choose Update.

5. Your computer will now download the latest software for your iPad without erasing your data, if possible. If the download takes longer than 15 minutes, your iPad might exit recovery mode, and you’ll need to repeat steps 2-4.

6. If the update doesn’t resolve the issue, you might need to repeat steps 2-4 and choose Restore in step 4. Note that restoring will erase your iPad’s data, so it should be considered as a last resort.

For iPads With a Home Button (Recovery Mode)

1. Connect your iPad to a computer. Use Finder on macOS Catalina or later, or iTunes on older macOS versions or Windows. Find out your Mac’s macOS version.

2. Locate your iPad in Finder or iTunes.

3. While connected, press and hold both the Home button and the Top button simultaneously. Keep holding them even after the Apple logo appears.

4. Continue holding both buttons until you see the recovery mode screen.

5. When prompted on your computer, choose Update.

6. Your computer will download the software. If it takes longer than 15 minutes, the iPad may exit recovery mode, and you’ll need to repeat steps 2-4.

7. If updating doesn’t fix the problem, consider restoring your iPad by repeating steps 2-4 and selecting Restore. Remember that restoration will erase all data on your iPad.

Get Support

If your iPad continues to have problems after trying these restart and recovery methods, it might require professional service. You can Get service through Apple Support for further diagnosis and repair options.