My iPhone 6 Is Frozen! Here's The Real Fix.

David Lynch

DECEMBER 31, 2018

You have a frozen iPhone 6 and you don't know what to do. No matter how many times you tap the screen or how many different buttons you press, nothing happens! In this article, I'll explain what to do when your iPhone 6 is frozen.

Why Is My iPhone 6 Frozen?

There are a few different things that can cause your iPhone 6 to freeze:

  1. A minor software crash or a more significant software issue.
  2. A malfunctioning app.
  3. A hardware problem.

Most of the time, a software problem is the reason why your iPhone 6 is frozen. The steps below will help you diagnose what's causing the problem, unfreeze your iPhone, and prevent the problem from reoccurring.

Does Your iPhone Only Freeze When Using A Certain App?

If you find that your iPhone 6 only freezes when you use a specific app, there's probably an issue with that app in particular, not your iPhone. The second step below will show you how to delete a troublesome iOS app that keeps freezing your iPhone!

If all else fails, I'll also recommend two excellent repair options if the software steps in this article can't fix your frozen iPhone 6.

How To Fix A Frozen iPhone 6

5 Steps Total
1.

Delete The App Making Your iPhone 6 Unresponsive

Unfortunately, not all apps are created equal. A poorly coded app can cause a lot of different software problems on your iPhone 6.

When an app continues to cause software problems on your iPhone, it's sometimes a better idea to just delete the app and find an alternative.

  1. Lightly press and hold the icon of the app you want to delete.
  2. Let go of the app icon when your apps begin to wiggle and a small "X" appears in the upper left-hand corner of the icon.
  3. Tap the "X" on the icon of the app you want to delete.
  4. Tap Delete to confirm the deletion of the app.
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2.

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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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.

DFU Restore Your iPhone

A DFU restore has the potential to fix software problems by completely erasing the code which may be causing your problem. The code is rewritten as if your iPhone is brand new, so the software problem may get solved.

Think of it like a house that has cracks in the foundation. Rather than try and fix the cracks, we are building an entirely new foundation.

If you can, back up your iPhone before completing a DFU restore. Any time you do a restore, it erases everything from your iPhone. However, after the restore is completed, you restore all your backed up data back onto your iPhone.

How Do I DFU Restore My iPhone?

How To DFU Restore An iPhone SE, 6s, Or Older

  1. Using a Lightning cable, plug your iPhone into a USB port on your computer.
  2. Open iTunes if you have a PC or Mac running Mojave 10.14 or earlier. Open Finder if you have a Mac running Catalina 10.15 or newer. It doesn’t matter if your iPhone is on or off.
  3. Press and hold the Home button and the power button simultaneously.
  4. After 8 seconds, release the power button, but continue to hold the Home button.
  5. Let go of the power button when your iPhone appears in iTunes or Finder.
  6. Your iPhone’s display will be completely black if you’ve successfully entered DFU mode. If it’s not, try again from the beginning.
  7. Restore your iPhone using iTunes or Finder.

How To DFU Restore An iPhone 7 Or 7 Plus

  1. Using a Lightning cable, plug your iPhone into a USB port on your computer.
  2. Open iTunes if you have a PC or Mac running Mojave 10.14 or earlier. Open Finder if you have a Mac running Catalina 10.15 or newer. It doesn’t matter if your iPhone is on or off.
  3. Press and hold the power and volume down button simultaneously.
  4. After 8 seconds, release the power button, but continue to hold the volume down button.
  5. Release the volume down button when your iPhone appears in iTunes or Finder.
  6. You'll know your iPhone is in DFU mode if the display is completely black.
  7. Restore your iPhone using iTunes or Finder.

How To DFU Restore An iPhone 8 Or Newer

  1. Connect your iPhone to your computer using a charging cable.
  2. Open iTunes (PCs and Macs running macOS 10.14 or older) or Finder (Macs running macOS 10.15 or newer).
  3. Quickly press and release the volume up button.
  4. Quickly press and release the volume down button.
  5. Press and hold the side button until the screen goes black.
  6. When the screen goes black, press and hold the volume down button while continuing to press and hold the side button.
  7. Hold both buttons for five seconds.
  8. After five seconds, release the side button while continuing to hold the volume down button.
  9. Keep holding the volume down button until your iPhone appears in Finder or iTunes.
  10. Restore your iPhone using iTunes or Finder.
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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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When Your iPhone Freezes Over

You've fixed your frozen iPhone 6 and it's working normally again. Now you'll know exactly what to do the next time your iPhone 6 is frozen! Feel free to leave me any other questions or comments down below.

  1. Delete The App Making Your iPhone 6 Unresponsive
  2. Back Up Your iPhone
  3. Reset All Settings
  4. DFU Restore Your iPhone
  5. Repair Your iPhone With Apple

Applies To: iPhone 6, iPhone 6 Plus, iPhone 6S, iPhone 6S Plus

AUTHOR

David Lynch

David Lynch is an expert on cell phones, cell phone plans, and other tech. After using a flip phone into his early 20s, he learned the ropes about iPhones and Androids from a former Apple employee. Today, his articles and videos are read and viewed by millions, and he has been cited by major publications including Reader's Digest, Wired, CMSWire, Consumers Advocate, and more.

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Barbara K Armstrong
Barbara K Armstrong
2 years ago

My phone is frozen. I am unable to turn it off in order to reboot. I can receive calls and texts but cannot answer or respond.

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Colin Boyd
Editor
Colin Boyd
2 years ago
Reply to  Barbara K Armstrong

Hi Barbara! I’m sorry to hear that! If your iPhone can still receive calls and texts, then the issue you’re experiencing is most likely being caused by a hardware problem. If that’s the case, I’d recommend reaching out to Apple support directly to find out about repair options. I’m sorry I couldn’t be of more help, best of luck getting this sorted out!

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kerry e
kerry e
3 years ago

If the screens frozen how are you going to go into setting to do a back up there?
Or to be able to go to the general tab to reset setting?

0
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Liam Shotwell
Liam Shotwell
3 years ago
Reply to  kerry e

You can backup your iPhone without the screen! Check out our articles about how to backup your iPhone to Finder and how to backup your iPhone to iTunes.

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robert rainford
robert rainford
3 years ago

my i phone is frozen i cant even call because of the screen

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