The iPhone 7 and 7 Plus are Apple’s newest, shiniest creations, arriving with improved cameras, water resistance, and a redesigned Home button. Like any technology device there will be times when they freeze up and need a hard reset, but how can you achieve this now that the Home button isn’t really a physical button anymore? In this feature we’ll show you the simple steps you’ll need to get the new smartphone up and running again.
See: Should I buy iPhone 7? , iPhone 7 vs 7 Plus comparison and iOS 10 Review
How to force reset the iPhone 7 and 7 Plus: What happened to the Home button?
In the iPhone 7 and 7 Plus Apple has chosen to exchange the traditional, physical Home button for a fixed design that uses sensors to register whether it’s been pressed or not. The new design also features a Taptic Engine which gives users feedback through subtle vibrations. It’s a progression from the 3D Touch design that first appeared on the display of the iPhone 6s and the Force Touch trackpads of modern MacBooks.
The reasons for this move are still a little unclear, but Apple has been expanding the functions available from the Home button for a while now - long press to launch Siri, double press to show all recently used apps, plus the ability to launch Accessibility features with a triple click - so we assume that the new button will add further options.
Of course if you’ve ever had to reset an unresponsive iPhone in the past you’ll know that the way to do so involves holding down the Power button and the Home button at the same time. So how will this work now that the Home button has been replaced?
How to force reset the iPhone 7 and 7 Plus: Resetting an unresponsive iPhone 7 and 7 Plus
Resetting the device is actually very simple and just involves a different combination of buttons to the method you’d previously use.
Hold down the On/Off button on the right side of the handset, then at the same time press and hold the Volume Down key on the left side.
Make sure you keep both pressed until you see the display go blank and the Apple logo appears. Now release both and your iPhone 7 or 7 Plus should reboot and hopefully clear any problems it was having.
iPhones weren't the only new products Apple announced recently. The Apple Watch 2 has also been released, bringing with it improved performance and waterproofing. Check out our Apple Watch vs Apple Watch2 comparison review to see if the new version is worth your money.
