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How to Unfreeze Your Phone

GigaBrain scanned 77 comments to find you 60 relevant comments from 10 relevant discussions.
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iPhone 14 not working
r/iphone • 1
My phone was overheating so I put it in the freezer, now it doesent turn on, what do I do?
r/shittyaskelectronics • 2
Why did freezing my phone work?
r/GalaxyS22 • 3
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7 more

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What Redditors are Saying

How to Unfreeze Your Phone

TL;DR For iPhones, try a force restart using the button sequence. For other issues like overheating or freezing due to cold temperatures, consider professional repair options.

Force Restart for iPhones

If your iPhone is frozen, performing a force restart can often resolve the issue. The recommended method involves pressing and releasing the volume up button, pressing and releasing the volume down button, and then pressing and holding the side button until the Apple logo appears [1:1], [4:5], [4:6]. This technique should work even if the phone doesn't respond to any buttons initially [4:2].

DFU Restore for Severe Cases

If a force restart doesn't work, you might need to perform a Device Firmware Update (DFU) restore via iTunes on a computer. Be aware that this process will erase all data on the device unless you have a backup [1:2]. This method is more invasive and should be considered when other methods fail.

Freezing Due to Temperature Changes

Some users have reported success in temporarily fixing their phones by freezing them, which might lower the resistance in circuits and allow the phone to boot [3:1]. However, this is not a permanent solution and could lead to further damage, such as bloated batteries or dislodged components [3:2], [3:3]. It's generally advised against using extreme temperature changes as a fix.

Professional Repair Options

If your phone has been exposed to extreme conditions, such as being put in a freezer, it may require professional repair. Overheating can cause permanent damage, and freezing could exacerbate existing issues [5:1]. Seeking assistance from a repair shop or contacting the manufacturer for support is recommended in these cases.

Avoiding DIY Extremes

Suggestions like putting the phone in rice, a microwave, or a toaster are not advisable and could lead to further damage [5:2], [5:4]. These methods are more likely to harm your device than help it recover.

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Source Threads

POST SUMMARY • [1]

Summarize

iPhone 14 not working

Posted by BrawIstar · in r/iphone · 2 months ago
8 upvotes on reddit
4 replies
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ORIGINAL POST
post image

I’ve tried force restarting it but it stays frozen. Any tips on how to unfreeze it?

i.redd.it
4 replies
pharmloverpharmlover · 2 months ago

DFU restore from computer via iTunes?

DEVICE FIRMWARE UPDATE

https://youtu.be/iIchFgJJXNA

Note: You will lose all of your data, unless you can restore from an old backup

-1 upvotes on reddit
kingston-cheng · 2 months ago

When you restarted, did it restart properly? Black screened? If not, press and release vol up, press and release vol down, press and hold power until the screen goes black then let it boot

8 upvotes on reddit
BrawIstar · OP · 2 months ago

yes this worked! Ty!

1 upvotes on reddit
kingston-cheng · 2 months ago

:D np

2 upvotes on reddit
See 4 replies
r/shittyaskelectronics • [2]

Summarize

My phone was overheating so I put it in the freezer, now it doesent turn on, what do I do?

Posted by Asleep_Chicken5735 · in r/shittyaskelectronics · 1 month ago
i.redd.it
9 upvotes on reddit
7 replies
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7 replies
Phitusa · 28 days ago

Las leyes de la termodinamica es lo que tienen. ¿ Eres de los que tiran agua caliente a los cristales congelados del coche ? Pues mas o menos lo mismo.

1 upvotes on reddit
Friendly-Web8816 · 1 month ago

Put it in the microwave for as long as an hour lasts

7 upvotes on reddit
Linux765465 · 29 days ago

Did you fill it up with water first?

1 upvotes on reddit
Asleep_Chicken5735 · OP · 29 days ago

Of course

1 upvotes on reddit
Trileak780 · 11 days ago

https://preview.redd.it/bprxbolvfqqf1.png?width=177&format=png&auto=webp&s=ef0fcf776b5df9b00c2bf114176065679b63b0d0

all you need to do buddy

2 upvotes on reddit
Asleep_Chicken5735 · OP · 11 days ago

lol nice 😂

1 upvotes on reddit
UnlikelyState2562 · 27 days ago

Put them in the rice

1 upvotes on reddit
See 7 replies
r/GalaxyS22 • [3]

Summarize

Why did freezing my phone work?

Posted by TonalDrump · in r/GalaxyS22 · 2 months ago

Earlier today my phone just shut down out of no where and would not turn on. Would not show a charging indicator either. Eventually it would only show the Samsung logo. I freaked out and went to two phone repair shops in my neighborhood. They couldn't figure it out and were asking me to leave the phone overnight and charging me a diagnostic fee. I decided to just bring the phone to fiddle with it. I saw online this weird thing where people were freezing their phones. So I tried that and after 20 minutes it WORKED! I'm so happy. I guess I want to know what is going wrong with my phone? Should I replace the battery or just get a new phone?

2 upvotes on reddit
3 replies
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3 replies
Able_Bet_8135 · 2 months ago

I would just get a new phone. I had to freeze my phone a few times then a few months later my battery bloated and the whole back of my phone popped open.$230 later to repair and the battery still sucks. Im going to upgrade soon

5 upvotes on reddit
harry_potter_191 · 2 months ago

The only logical explanation for this seems to be that due to the phone's excessive heat generation, some components on the motherboard are getting dislodged due to the melting of the solder. When the phone is cooled, the component is connected again due to the solder cooling down. But this isn't a permanent fix. The only permanent fix is to get a new motherboard or reball the components back onto the board.

2 upvotes on reddit
akaSHAMBLES · 2 months ago

A few different concepts all working in conjunction here:

  1. In general, the ability of a battery to produce a target current at a given voltage level reduces with time. So let's say there's a 12V, 3.6A battery. That's the optimal specs but you'll find that as the battery ages, it'll only be able to produce 3.4A

  2. One of the properties of circuits is that resistance reduces with temperature. So if a circuit needs 3.6A to operate at room temperature, it might only need 3.4A at freezing.

  3. Phones tend to have the highest current draw requirements around boot (turning on). The current needed for continued usage reduces a little after the phone has turned on, but will of course spike when you do heavy loads.

Combining these, it looks like your battery has degraded to the point where freezing your phone seems to allow it to just about power it on and then keep it on, but this will get worse as the phone continues to get old. Also if you play any games after it's turned on and back at room temperature, it will probably shut off again.

Would recommend just swapping out the battery if you don't want to change your phone. It's easy enough to do and your phone will be back to new.

1 upvotes on reddit
See 3 replies
r/applehelp • [4]

Summarize

phone frozen!!!!! SOS!!!

Posted by Traditional-Compote5 · in r/applehelp · 1 year ago

please help, my phone is frozen on the lock screen, it is an iphone 12 pro.i can still play music off of my apple watch series 3 and it plays through the phone. ive never dropped it or gotten the phone wet, does anyone know how i can remotely restart it? im scared of the lockscreen burning through the LCD. it wont respond to any buttons, not even the off button.

3 upvotes on reddit
7 replies
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7 replies
O
Ok_Friend69 · 1 year ago

Google is your friend

1 upvotes on reddit
Traditional-Compote5 · OP · 1 year ago

see, ive googled this. the phone wont respond to any buttons, thats why i turned to reddit. the link you sent advises me to press the phones buttons.

0 upvotes on reddit
O
Ok_Friend69 · 1 year ago

There’s no response you’ll see. Follow the button combo then when holding the side button, continue to hold until the Apple logo comes up.

3 upvotes on reddit
skittymcnando · 1 year ago

Just to be sure, you’re holding down the top volume button AND the power button together at the same time for like a minute?

Do not press them separately.

1 upvotes on reddit
3MDMA3 · 1 year ago

Jesus christ a hard reset has been a thing for years and people still don't get it

Swiftly press volume up then down real quick and then hold just the power button, it will get you out of any frozen or dead state

2 upvotes on reddit
T
ThannBanis · 1 year ago

Try a forced reboot.

Press Volume Up

Press Volume Down

Press (AND HOLD) the side button until the Apple logo appears

1 upvotes on reddit
P
predattor15 · 1 year ago

I am not sure, but try to hold the power button until it shuts off.

1 upvotes on reddit
See 7 replies
r/techgore • [5]

Summarize

My phone was overheating so I put it in the freezer, now it doesent turn on, what do I do?

Posted by Asleep_Chicken5735 · in r/techgore · 1 month ago
i.redd.it
37 upvotes on reddit
6 replies
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6 replies
EINoob0 · 1 month ago

Put it in rice

4 upvotes on reddit
PolskaBall712 · 1 month ago

Turn it on and off

3 upvotes on reddit
Toaster_Strudel_517 · 1 month ago

Put it in a toaster it'll go back to normal.

6 upvotes on reddit
Designer-Fish7278 · 1 month ago

A toaster? Never heard that one seems extreme. I use a dehydrater for making jerky. It works the best just don't keep in too long.

2 upvotes on reddit
Both-Explanation4168 · 26 days ago

r/haveyoutriedrice

1 upvotes on reddit
anti-scienceWatchDog · 29 days ago

Congrats, you invented the world’s first frozen brick phone.

1 upvotes on reddit
See 6 replies
r/techsupport • [6]

Summarize

My phone is frozen and will not turn off

Posted by Remix829 · in r/techsupport · 6 years ago

I went to open up an app while I was in school and the starting screen froze but I could still hear the music/start up sounds. I tried to turn it off holding the shut off button but nothing happened. I also tried to hold down the home button and shut off button at the same time for a couple seconds. Still nothing. This has somewhat happened before but it would fix itself in 30-60 seconds. It is an iPhone 7 that has not had as big as problem like this before. What do I do?

1 upvotes on reddit
2 replies
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2 replies
siowm6 · 6 years ago

Just pop off the back cover, and take the battery out. Ohh wait, that's not as easy as it used to be...

1 upvotes on reddit
T
TheEthyr · 6 years ago

To force a reboot, press the sleep/wake and volume down buttons until the Apple logo appears.

1 upvotes on reddit
See 2 replies
r/familylink • [7]

Summarize

My phone is frozen??

Posted by Apprehensive_Bad2753 · in r/familylink · 3 months ago

My phone usually unlocks at 6am, and today I woke up at 6:17 to check my phone but it was still locked. I didn't think much of it and went back to bed, but when I woke up at 9, the problem was still there and it said come back at 6am. My mom didn't change anything, and she already gave me a code, restarted her phone, yet nothing works. So, I used the code to stop supervision, now I'm stuck on a 'Please Wait' screen that has been loading for the past hour now. I can't go back or anything it's just stuck there. What do I do?? :( Idk if this helps but I own an android

7 upvotes on reddit
3 replies
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3 replies
Alternative_Path_629 · 3 months ago

What phone is it? Might just be a bad phone taking forever to load.

1 upvotes on reddit
Wee-Mewon · 3 months ago

Might be a hardware issue, but uts probably just family link being family link.

1 upvotes on reddit
Gustavoppw · 3 months ago

Force reboot, whats the phone (reboot NOT RESET) if its samsung hold vol - and power, the reboot might make it unlock

1 upvotes on reddit
See 3 replies
r/iPhone12 • [8]

Summarize

Please help

Posted by Latter-Ad6310 · in r/iPhone12 · 5 months ago

I was so stressed today. Suddenly my phone was frrezing. The screen was so unresponsive and the apps won’t open. I can’t force restart it coz the buttons are unresponsive as well. Then when closed my phone and enter my passcode, it won’t let me go to the home screen because the apps are stuck. Then it restarted by itself and went back to normal it seems. What could be the reason?

6 upvotes on reddit
10 replies
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10 replies
Absolute_Empathy · 5 months ago

Damn. Should have known that iphones dont actually last long. Or did you drop it onto hard floor or got it wet?

1 upvotes on reddit
Latter-Ad6310 · OP · 5 months ago

Oh I just dropped like twice maybe but nothing serious. Never got wet too.

1 upvotes on reddit
Hot_Temperature_8770 · 5 months ago

Updating it to the latest ios might help you

1 upvotes on reddit
Disastrous_Fix_9468 · 5 months ago

Mine saw its battery capacity increase by almost 50% …

1 upvotes on reddit
Latter-Ad6310 · OP · 5 months ago

When you updated it?

1 upvotes on reddit
Disastrous_Fix_9468 · 4 months ago

Yes

1 upvotes on reddit
ConsequenceHefty2088 · 5 months ago

Sounds like it's just done a force restart itself after detecting the issues. Could just be the age of the phone, depending on how long you've had it for, what the battery health is etc.

4 upvotes on reddit
Latter-Ad6310 · OP · 5 months ago

I had just over a year. My battery health is 87%

5 upvotes on reddit
ConsequenceHefty2088 · 5 months ago

Shouldn't be that then. Maybe it was just a one-off. If it starts happening regularly then it will need looking at.

2 upvotes on reddit
Disastrous_Fix_9468 · 5 months ago

2 or 3 days ago!

1 upvotes on reddit
See 10 replies
r/haveyoutriedrice • [9]

Summarize

My phone was overheating so I put it in the freezer, now it doesent turn on, what do I do? (I tried rice)

Posted by Asleep_Chicken5735 · in r/haveyoutriedrice · 1 month ago
post image
i.redd.it
31 upvotes on reddit
7 replies
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7 replies
marto3000 · 29 days ago

Did you try a second rice? Like a second grain of rice?

3 upvotes on reddit
Silly_Percentage3446 · 1 month ago

Try turning it off and on again.

3 upvotes on reddit
Emergency-Bite-3371 · 27 days ago

it doesnt turn on in the first place so its not possible to turn it off

1 upvotes on reddit
MATYWOSN · 25 days ago

r/beatmetoit

1 upvotes on reddit
RepairGold1944 · 1 month ago

Try again

8 upvotes on reddit
OkNewspaper6271 · 1 month ago

More rice.

5 upvotes on reddit
Emergency-Bite-3371 · 27 days ago

put it in hot rice

1 upvotes on reddit
See 7 replies
r/iPhone16Pro • [10]

Summarize

iPhone 16 Frozen

Posted by Primary_Eagle9 · in r/iPhone16Pro · 8 months ago
post image

Hi guys I woke up this morning and noticed my iPhone isn’t working properly! Can’t open most apps and decide to turn it off and restart, now almost half hour on this screen!

i.redd.it
3 upvotes on reddit
11 replies
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11 replies
J
jklx92 · 8 months ago

You may need to place the phone into a DFU mode and then restore it to factory settings.

Try this out https://9to5mac.com/2025/01/16/iphone-16-pro-force-restart-recovery-mode-dfu-restore-wireless-restore-nearby-iphone-disable-face-id-find-my-emergency-sos/#:~:text=To%20place%20your%20iPhone%2016%20into%20DFU%20mode%2C%20do%20the,Side%20button%20for%2010%20seconds.

If that doesnt work then the phone is bricked and may need to he replaced

2 upvotes on reddit
[deleted] · 8 months ago

Have you tried hard resetting? Not just turning the phone off but a hard reset? Press the up volume button once then the down volume button once and then hold the power button till you see the apple logo again. Try that if you haven’t. Usually a hard reset can help fix a good majority of problems.

2 upvotes on reddit
Primary_Eagle9 · OP · 8 months ago

Yeah I did the hard rest not working tho

1 upvotes on reddit
[deleted] · 8 months ago

Oh bummer. I’d say if you are near an Apple Store I’d try talking it in. Hope you are able to get it fixed!

1 upvotes on reddit
H
halcyon_andon · 8 months ago

Try “hard reset”. Click volume up, volume down, then press and hold power for 15-25 seconds. The screen should turn off and keep holding the power button until the apple logo comes back then release. If that doesn’t work probably time to stop by an Apple Store.

Coincidentally my 16pm froze today for the first time. Was plugged in a listening to podcast on AirPod. It just stop and phone was black and completely unresponsive. Had to reset it to bring it back.

4 upvotes on reddit
Primary_Eagle9 · OP · 8 months ago

I tried the hard reset but unfortunately not working, yeah I’m not sure what’s going with iPhone 16 it might have to do with excessive use of AI and Siri or smt

-1 upvotes on reddit
RoundApart4091 · 5 months ago

thank you, jesus. AI google was not helping with information

2 upvotes on reddit
O
ORC44 · 8 months ago

Apples quality is dropping fast! I’m on my second 16 pro as the first one also was messed up with a software issue.. not good

2 upvotes on reddit
Primary_Eagle9 · OP · 8 months ago

Did they replace it?

1 upvotes on reddit
O
ORC44 · 8 months ago

Yes my carrier did. It wasn’t through Apple directly. I was a big android guy, then back in 2020 I got my first iPhone, 12 PM, then the 14p, 15 pm and now the 16 p and this current device, compared to the previous ones is really bad, in terms of IOS. It’s very buggy, especially with the camera. I’m currently considering selling all my Apple stuff, AirPods(latest model) iPhone, Apple Watch Ultra 2, and iPad Air and moving back to Samsung.

1 upvotes on reddit
SecretSauce47 · 3 months ago

c

1 upvotes on reddit
See 11 replies

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Related

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AI Answer

🤖

How to unfreeze your phone

Here are some key steps to unfreeze your phone:

  1. Force Restart:

    • iPhone: Press and hold the Volume Up button, then the Volume Down button, and finally press and hold the Side button until you see the Apple logo.
    • Android: The method can vary by model, but generally, press and hold the Power button and Volume Down button simultaneously for about 10-15 seconds.
  2. Remove the Battery (if applicable): If your phone has a removable battery, take it out, wait a few seconds, and then reinsert it.

  3. Charge Your Phone: Sometimes, a frozen phone may be due to a low battery. Connect it to a charger and let it charge for a while before trying to turn it on again.

  4. Check for Overheating: If your phone is hot, let it cool down before attempting to use it again. Overheating can cause the device to freeze.

  5. Safe Mode (for Android): Booting into Safe Mode can help identify if a third-party app is causing the freeze. To enter Safe Mode, press and hold the Power button, then tap and hold the "Power Off" option until you see the Safe Mode prompt.

  6. Factory Reset (as a last resort): If your phone continues to freeze, consider performing a factory reset. Be sure to back up your data first, as this will erase everything on your device.

Recommendation: Start with a force restart, as it's the quickest and often resolves the issue. If problems persist, consider checking for software updates or uninstalling recently added apps that may be causing the freeze.

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