The Easiest Way to Restart an iPad (All Models)

The basic kind of restart—in which you turn the iPad off and then turn it back on—is the easiest to do and the first thing you should try when you experience hardware problems. The process won’t delete your data or settings. Follow these steps:

How to Hard Reset iPad (All Models)

The standard restart process doesn’t always work. Sometimes an iPad can be locked up so much that the slider doesn’t appear and the iPad screen doesn’t respond to taps. In that case, you need to try a hard reset.

For iPads with a Home button: Begin by pressing the on/off button. The on/off button is located on the top right corner of the iPad.For iPads without a Home button: Press and hold the on/off button and one volume button at the same time. Skip to step 4.

This technique clears the memory that apps and the operating system run in (but not your data; it will still be safe) and gives your iPad a fresh start. To perform a hard reset:

More Options for Resetting an iPad

There’s one other kind of reset that’s commonly used: restoring to factory settings. This technique isn’t usually used to solve problems (though it can work if the problems are bad enough). Instead, it’s most often used before selling an iPad or sending it in for repair.

For iPads with Home Buttons: Hold down the home and on/off buttons at the same time.For iPads without Home Buttons: Quickly press volume down, then quickly press volume up, then press and hold the on/off button. Skip to step 3.

Restoring to factory settings deletes all your apps, data, preferences, and settings and returns the iPad to the state it was in when you first took it out of the box. It’s a drastic step, but sometimes you need it.