iPhone 13 Won't Turn Off? Here's The Fix!

Colin Boyd

SEPTEMBER 7, 2021

You're trying to shut off your iPhone 13 but you can't. No matter which buttons you press, your iPhone 13 just won't power down. Today, I'll show you how to fix an iPhone 13 that won't turn off!

Is My iPhone 13 Broken?

A software malfunction is the most common reason an iPhone won't turn off. When an iPhone's software crashes, it can freeze your iPhone's processing, making it seem like it can't power down.

In the steps below, we'll show you how to how to find the cause of this problem on your iPhone. Then, we'll show you how to fix it!

How To Fix An iPhone 13 Not Turning Off

5 Steps Total
1.

Back Up Your iPhone

It's important to back up your iPhone before doing any major restores (such as a DFU restore). If something goes wrong while you're trying to fix your iPhone, having a back up means you won't lose any of your data (such as contacts, photos, apps, and more). Restoring from a back up is a lot more convenient than having to go and reenter all the information that was saved on your iPhone.

How Do I Back Up My iPhone?

There are a few different ways to back up your iPhone:

Backup Your iPhone Using iCloud

  1. If you have a WiFi connection, you can back up your iPhone using iCloud.
  2. Open the Settings app.
  3. Tap on Your Name at the top of the screen.
  4. Tap iCloud.
  5. Scroll down and tap on iCloud Backup.
  6. Make sure the switch next to iCloud Backup is on. You'll know the switch is on when the switch is green.
  7. Tap Back Up Now.
  8. A status bar will appear to tell you how much time is remaining.

Backup Your iPhone Using iTunes

  1. Plug the Lightning connector on your Lightning cable (charging cable) into the Lightning port on your iPhone.
  2. Plug the other end of your Lightning cable into a USB port on your computer.
  3. Open iTunes on your computer.
  4. Click on the iPhone icon in the upper left hand corner of iTunes.
  5. Click the circle next to "iCloud" or "This computer" to select whether you want to backup your iPhone to iCloud or your computer.
  6. Click Back Up Now to backup your iPhone.
  7. When the backup is complete, you'll see the time and date updated under Latest Backup.

Backup Your iPhone Using Finder (Macs Running Catalina 10.15 or newer)

  1. Connect your iPhone to your Mac using a charging cable.
  2. Open Finder.
  3. Click on your iPhone under Locations.
  4. Click the circle next to Back up all of the data on your iPhone to this Mac.
  5. Click Back Up Now.
  6. When the backup is complete, you'll see the time and date updated under Latest Backup.
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2.

Hard Reset Your iPhone

A hard reset is usually a temporary solution to a software problem. It doesn't change anything at all — it just forces your iPhone to start from scratch, and often times the problem comes back.

How Do I Hard Reset My iPhone?

  1. Press and hold the power button and the volume down button together until the screen goes blank and the Apple logo appears on the screen.
  2. When the Apple logo reappears, let go of both buttons.
  3. When your iPhone turns back on, the hard reset is complete.

Hard Reset On iPhone X or Newer

Hard reseting an iPhone X is slightly different than other models of the iPhone.

  1. Quickly press the volume up button.
  2. Quickly press the volume down button.
  3. Press and hold down the Side button.
  4. Release the Side button when the Apple logo appears on the center of the screen.
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3.

Reset All Settings

Many iPhone problems are caused when Settings isn't set up correctly or by corruption within individual Settings app files. Restoring the Settings app back to factory defaults doesn't fix every iPhone software problem, but it is a go-to fix for Apple technicians because it does solve a lot of problems that would be very difficult to to track down by hand.

How Do I Reset All Settings?

  1. Open the Settings app.
  2. Tap General.
  3. Scroll down and tap Transfer Or Reset iPhone.
  4. Tap Reset.
  5. Tap Reset All Settings.
  6. Enter your passcode, if prompted.
  7. Tap Reset All Settings again to confirm your decision.
  8. Your iPhone will shut down, complete the reset, and turn itself on again will automatically turn back on when the reset finishes.
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4.

Put Your iPhone In DFU Mode

A DFU restore is the last troubleshooting step you can take to rule out a software problem on your iPhone.

Watch our step-by-step DFU restore guide on YouTube, or follow the steps below:

  1. Plug your iPhone in a computer.
  2. Open iTunes (on PCs or Macs running macOS Mojave 10.14 or earlier) or Finder (Macs running macOS Catalina 10.15 or newer).
  3. Press and release the volume up button.
  4. Press and release the volume down button.
  5. Press and hold the side button until your iPhone's display goes black.
  6. When the screen turns black, press and hold the volume down button while continuing to hold the side button.
  7. Hold both buttons for five seconds.
  8. After five seconds, release the side button, but continue to hold the volume down button.
  9. Release the volume down button when your iPhone appears in iTunes or Finder.
  10. Your iPhone appears in iTunes or Finder, it's in DFU mode!
  11. Click Restore and follow the on-screen prompts to DFU restore your iPhone.
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5.

Repair Your iPhone With Apple

Apple repairs iPhones at the Genius Bar in Apple Stores and through their online mail-in repair service. Apple repairs are high-quality, but out-of-warranty repairs can be much more expensive than third-party solutions. If you're looking to save some money you're not covered by Apple's warranty, you may want to check out our other recommendations.

How Do I Repair My iPhone With Apple?

How To Repair Your iPhone With Apple's Mail-In Service

  1. Visit Apple's support website to begin the online mail-in repair process.
  2. Alternatively, call 1-800-MY-APPLE (1-800-692-7753) to set up a repair.

How To Repair Your iPhone At The Genius Bar Inside Your Local Apple Store

  1. Visit Apple's website to make a Genius Bar appointment before you go into the store. Apple Stores are extremely busy, and if you don't have an appointment, you may have to wait for hours or end up being turned away. (Editor's note: I'm a former Apple tech and we're not exaggerating — please, do yourself a favor and make an appointment first!)
  2. When you arrive, go to the Genius Bar to check in for your appointment.
  3. Genius Bar appointments always include free diagnosis. If you're under warranty, many repairs can be done on the spot, but it all depends upon which parts are in stock. If you're not under warranty, the Genius will give you a quote for the cost of a repair.
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iPhone 13: Powered Down!

By now, we hope you've successfully powered down your iPhone. Which fix worked for you? Let us know in the comments, and please remember to share this article with anyone who has trouble turning off their iPhone 13!

Applies To: iPhone 13, iPhone 13 Pro, iPhone 13 Pro Max

AUTHOR

Colin Boyd

I'm Colin, the Creative Coordinator for Payette Forward.

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