If your iPhone won’t turn off after iOS 18 update, it’s not the end of the world. More often than not, a simple software issue is behind it. Here are a few troubleshooting steps you can try if your iPhone won’t shut down after iOS 18 update.
QUICK FIX
If your iPhone won’t turn off after iOS 18 update, try force restarting the phone, waiting the battery to drain, or wiping and resetting the phone to factory settings. If those fixes don’t work, it is likely a hardware problem that requires repair.
Shutting down an iPhone can be pretty arduous compared to the same operation on an Android phone. Through no fault of their own, first-time iPhone users have a hard time figuring out how to do it. But with the arrival of iOS 18, there’s now an easier way to shut down your iPhone.
How to Easily Shut down Your iPhone in iOS 18
Typically, shutting down an iPhone (the recent models with Face ID) involves pressing and holding either of the volume buttons on the left along with the side button on the right. But what would you do if one or both of the volume buttons fails? Even if the buttons work just fine, shouldn’t there be an easier way to shut down the iPhone than death-gripping your device?
With the release of iOS 18, Apple has added a new way to shut down your iPhone, and the good thing is that it doesn’t involve holding any physical buttons. All you’ve to do is swipe down from the top right corner of the screen to open the Control Center and press and hold (then release) the power button for a second.
Then, you can simply drag the familiar power slider to turn off your iPhone.
If you decide not to turn drag the power slider, iOS will lock your iPhone in about 10 seconds, asking for the passcode to unlock the device. It is important to mention that you won’t be able to unlock your iPhone with Face ID unless you enter the passcode, should you wish to change your mind mid-way.
The placement of the digital power button in Control Center isn’t overtly within reach of your thumb. In addition, you have to hold the button instead of pressing it. It only takes a second to realize that these are intentional decisions to keep you from unintentionally triggering the power option.
Personally, I find this method way better than pressing multiple buttons.
What Are Some Other Ways to Turn off Your iPhone?
There are a few more ways to shut down your iPhone. First, you can go to Settings > General, scroll down all the way to the bottom of the page, and select Shut Down. Again, the button takes you to the screen with a power slider, and canceling the shutdown would require you to enter the passcode.
Another way to shut down your iPhone is via Siri. All you need to do is say, “Hey Siri, turn off my iPhone.” Siri should respond with a confirmation, asking, “Just to confirm, you want to power off this device?” Then, tapping on the turn-off button shuts down your iPhone right away.
How to fix an iPhone that won’t shut down after iOS 18 update
There’s no simple answer to fix a iPhone that has problems shutting down after iOS 18 update. It could be caused by a variety of different problems. Here are some trouble-shoooting steps that we advise you to try. Go through each one at a time and see if it solves the problem:
Force restart the iPhone
Sometimes your iPhone won’t shutdown because it has frozen. If you think that might have happened, try force restarting it.
Here’s how to restart an iPhone SE (2nd and 3rd generations), iPhone XR, iPhone 11, iPhone 12, iPhone 13, or iPhone 14:
- Press and quickly release the Volume Up button, then press and quickly release the Volume Down button.
- Press and hold the Side button.
- Keep holding the Side button until the Apple logo appears.
Wait for the iPhone battery to drain completely
The next possible solution is surprisingly practical. If you don’t need to switch off your iPhone right now, wait until the device runs out of battery. This is one way to ensure the phone switches off regardless of its issue and gives you another chance to fix it before considering more drastic measures.
- The fastest way to drain your iPhone battery is to turn on the flashlight.
- Disable automatic screen lock and raise your screen’s brightness to the maximum.
- You can also use graphically intensive apps and games, launch lots of apps that use your location, stream a video, or browse your favorite social network or website.
When the iPhone eventually shuts down, we recommend placing it on its charger and switching it on normally. Once it starts up, try switching it off. If it doesn’t switch off, try force restarting it.
Wipe and reset your iPhone
If your iPhone still won’t turn off, it’s time to restart it. This means wiping the device completely (after backing everything up) and reinstalling iOS. You may have a software bug stopping the iPhone from shutting down properly, and the only way to clear that bug is to reinstall the software.
Back up your iPhone to iCloud, make sure the Find My feature is turned off, and then follow the steps below:
- Head over to Settings.
- Select General.
- Tap Transfer or Reset iPhone.
- Scroll to the bottom and tap Erase All Contents & Settings.
- Follow the on-screen instructions, including restoring your phone from a backup.
Contact Apple Support
If your iPhone still won’t shut down after iOS 18 update, the last option is to visit the nearest Apple Store for assistance. You can schedule an appointment at an Apple store or licensed Apple repair shop, or alternatively, visit to the Apple Support website for some preliminary advice. But they would most likely tell you to take the device into one of their stores so it can be examined by a technician.