How To Disable an iPhone | Safe Power And Lock Steps

To disable an iPhone, hold the Side button and a volume button, then slide to power off or use Settings for shutdown and other lock options.

There are many moments when you want to disable an iPhone for a while. Maybe you are boarding a flight, handing the phone to a child, sending it for repair, or parking it in a drawer so you can focus on other things. iOS gives you several safe ways to switch an iPhone off or lock it down without harming its data.

This guide walks you through fast button shortcuts, the Settings shutdown option, ways to disable parts of the phone such as calls or notifications, and remote tools that let you lock a missing device. The aim is simple: you decide how far you want to go, from a quick power off through to a full lock and erase before sale.

What Does Disabling An iPhone Actually Mean?

Before you start, it helps to know what people usually mean when they talk about disabling an iPhone. iOS uses different features for different levels of lock, and mixing them up can cause confusion later.

In daily use, disabling an iPhone usually falls into one of these levels:

Powering Off The Device — The screen turns black, apps stop running, wireless radios shut down, and the phone stays off until you switch it back on.
Locking The Screen — A quick press of the Side button locks the display, but the phone remains online for calls, messages, and background tasks.
Enabling Lost Mode Or Remote Lock — Find My can lock the phone and show a message if it is missing, which keeps the data out of reach.
Erasing And Removing From Your Account — This is the most drastic level, used when you sell or give away the device, or when a lost phone is not coming back.

How To Disable An iPhone Quickly And Safely

When you need the phone off right away, hardware buttons give the fastest path. Modern iPhone models use slightly different button combinations, so pay close attention to which model you hold.

Disable An iPhone With Face ID Using The Buttons

For iPhone X and later with Face ID, the safe way to shut down uses both the Side button and one of the volume buttons. Apple describes this method in its guide on how to turn iPhone on or off.

Press And Hold Side Plus Volume — Press and hold the Side button and either Volume Up or Volume Down together until you see the slider screen.
Drag The Power Slider — When the Power Off slider appears, place your finger on it and swipe it from left to right.
Wait For The Screen To Go Dark — After the slider reaches the end, the screen goes black and the phone shuts down.

To turn the iPhone back on later, hold the Side button until the Apple logo appears.

Disable Older iPhones With The Side Or Top Button

On models with a Home button on the front, the process to disable the iPhone is slightly different but still quick.

Press And Hold The Power Button — On iPhone SE, 8, 7, and similar models, press and hold the Side button. On iPhone 5s and earlier, hold the Top button instead.
Swipe The Power Off Slider — When the Power Off slider appears, swipe it from left to right.
Wait For Shutdown — The screen turns black and the phone turns off fully.

You can turn the phone back on at any time by holding the same power button until the Apple logo shows.

Use Settings To Disable An iPhone When Buttons Are Hard To Press

If the Side or Top button is damaged, or you find button combos awkward, iOS offers a software power off option inside Settings.

Open Settings On The iPhone — Tap the Settings app from the Home Screen.
Go To General — Scroll down and tap General.
Tap Shut Down — At the bottom of the General screen, tap Shut Down to bring up the same Power Off slider.
Swipe To Power Off — Drag the slider from left to right and wait for the device to turn off.

This approach to disabling the iPhone uses the same shutdown routine as the buttons, only triggered through the software menu instead of hardware controls.

Quick Comparison Of Ways To Disable An iPhone

The table below compares the main ways to disable an iPhone so you can pick the one that fits your situation.

Method	Best Use Case	Basic Steps
Buttons On Face ID Models	Fast shutdown while holding the device	Hold Side + Volume, then slide Power Off
Buttons On Older Models	Fast shutdown on iPhones with a Home button	Hold Side or Top button, then slide Power Off
Settings > General > Shut Down	When hardware buttons are hard to use	Open Settings, tap General, tap Shut Down, slide

Disable An iPhone Through The Settings Menu

There are times when you want a more controlled shutdown than a quick press of buttons. You might be helping a friend over the phone, or you may want to disable an iPhone slowly while reading each prompt. The Settings menu gives that extra control.

Shut Down From Settings Step By Step

Once you are ready to disable the iPhone, follow the Settings path for a gentle shutdown.

Open Settings And Tap General — From the Home Screen or App Library, open Settings, then select General.
Scroll To The Bottom — Swipe down until you see the Shut Down option at the bottom of the list.
Tap Shut Down — Tap Shut Down to bring up the Power Off slider screen.
Drag The Slider — Swipe the slider to the right to disable the iPhone.

After the device turns off, all wireless activity pauses and the phone stays silent, which is useful when packing it in checked bags or placing it in a safe.

Temporarily Disable Parts Of Your iPhone Instead Of Everything

Sometimes you do not want to disable an iPhone entirely. You might still want to track it, listen to music, or receive urgent calls, but you want fewer interruptions or less network access. In these cases you can disable parts of the phone instead of shutting it down.

Use Airplane Mode To Cut Off Network Access

Airplane Mode disables the cellular radio, Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth in a single move while keeping the device running.

Open Control Center — On Face ID models, swipe down from the top right corner; on older models, swipe up from the bottom edge.
Tap The Airplane Icon — Tap the airplane symbol so it lights up, which turns off cellular service and usually Wi-Fi and Bluetooth.
Turn Wi-Fi Back On If Needed — If you still want local network access, tap the Wi-Fi icon to bring that one radio back while leaving cellular disabled.

Airplane Mode is a light way to disable iPhone connections while still using apps, notes, downloaded movies, and other offline content.

Silence The iPhone With Do Not Disturb

When you only want to disable alerts instead of powering off the device, the Do Not Disturb Focus mode keeps the screen dark and quiet while still allowing selected people or apps to break through.

Open Control Center Again — Use the same swipe gesture you use for Airplane Mode.
Tap The Focus Icon — Tap the Focus control, then tap Do Not Disturb.
Adjust Allowed People And Apps — In Settings > Focus > Do Not Disturb, select who can call or which apps can notify you during this mode.

Do Not Disturb does not disable the iPhone in the strict sense, yet it disables the interruptions that make a phone feel busy.

Disable Biometric Login If You Need Extra Security

There may be moments when you want to disable Face ID or Touch ID and rely only on a passcode, such as when crossing a border or handing the phone to a repair shop.

Open Settings And Tap Face ID Or Touch ID — Go to Settings > Face ID & Passcode or Touch ID & Passcode, then enter your passcode.
Turn Off Biometric Login — In the section that lists which features use Face ID or Touch ID, turn off phone access with biometrics.
Re-Enable Later When Ready — When you are ready to rely on biometrics again, return to the same screen and turn biometric access back on.

This does not disable the entire iPhone, yet it disables the quickest way to open the device, which can feel safer in sensitive settings.

How To Disable A Lost Or Stolen iPhone Remotely

If the iPhone is misplaced, stolen, or left behind, you can still disable it from another device. Apple’s Find My service lets you lock the phone, show a custom message, track its last known location, or erase it remotely if needed. Apple summarizes these options in its main Find My overview.

Lock A Missing iPhone With Lost Mode

Lost Mode disables direct access to the iPhone while still allowing you to track it.

Open Find My Or Visit iCloud.com/find — On another Apple device, open the Find My app; on a computer, sign in to iCloud.com and open Find Devices.
Pick The Missing iPhone — In the list of devices, select the iPhone you want to disable.
Turn On Lost Mode — Tap or click the option to mark the device as lost, then follow the prompts to add a contact number and message.
Confirm The Lock — Once activated, Lost Mode locks the screen with your message and keeps payment cards in Apple Pay suspended.

Lost Mode makes the iPhone far less useful to anyone else while still giving you a chance to recover it.

Erase A Lost iPhone You Do Not Expect To See Again

When it is clear that a missing iPhone is not coming back, remote erase gives you a way to disable that device permanently while protecting your information.

Open The Same Find My Screen — Use the Find My app or iCloud.com/find and select the missing iPhone.
Choose Erase This Device — Tap or click the erase option, then confirm that you understand it cannot be undone once complete.
Leave The Device In Your Find My List — Do not remove the erased iPhone from your Apple ID yet; this keeps Activation Lock in place.

Remote erase both disables the iPhone and protects your accounts.

Prepare An iPhone For Long Term Disable Or Sale

Sometimes you disable an iPhone because you are retiring it, passing it to a family member, or trading it in. Preparation matters here, because you want your data safe and the new owner able to set up the device without obstacles.

Back Up The iPhone Before You Disable It

Before any permanent change, confirm that your information lives somewhere safe.

Use iCloud Backup — In Settings > [your name] > iCloud > iCloud Backup, turn on iCloud Backup and tap Back Up Now while connected to Wi-Fi and power.
Back Up To A Computer — On a Mac or PC, connect the iPhone with a cable, then use Finder or iTunes to create an encrypted backup that stores passwords and Health data.

Once you have at least one fresh backup, you can disable the iPhone and wipe it without losing personal data.

Turn Off Find My And Activation Lock

To let a new owner activate the device, you should disable Find My for that iPhone before you erase it.

Open Settings And Tap Your Name — At the top of Settings, tap your Apple ID banner.
Tap Find My — Choose Find My, then tap Find My iPhone.
Turn Off Find My iPhone — Toggle off Find My iPhone, then enter your Apple ID password to confirm.

This step removes Activation Lock, which is required before a buyer or family member can set up the iPhone with their own Apple ID.

Erase All Content And Settings

After you disable Find My for that device, you can erase it so your personal data does not remain on the phone.

Open Settings And Tap General — Go to Settings > General.
Choose Transfer Or Reset iPhone — Select Transfer or Reset iPhone, then tap Erase All Content and Settings.
Follow The Prompts — Enter your passcode and follow the on-screen steps to erase the device and return it to factory settings.

When the process finishes, the iPhone restarts at the Hello screen and is fully disabled for your use, ready for its next owner to set up from scratch.

Common Problems When You Disable An iPhone And How To Fix Them

Disabling an iPhone is usually smooth, yet there are a few snags that people run into.

Power Slider Does Not Show Up

If you press and hold buttons and the Power Off slider never appears, something may be off with the timing or the device may be frozen.

Check Your Button Timing — On Face ID models, be sure you press the Side button and a volume button at the same time and hold them until the sliders show up.
Force Restart A Frozen iPhone — If nothing on the screen responds, you may need a force restart. Apple describes the steps for your model in its guide on what to do if your iPhone will not turn on or the screen is black.

Once the device responds again, try the standard shutdown method to disable the iPhone in a controlled way.

The iPhone Turns Back On By Itself

Sometimes an iPhone that was disabled earlier appears to come back on in a bag or pocket. This often happens when the power button gets bumped or when the phone connects to a charger.

Avoid Holding The Side Button — When placing the phone in a case or bag, avoid pressure on the Side button so the device does not start up unexpectedly.
Unplug From Power — Most iPhones will wake when connected to a charger, so wait until the device is fully off and unplugged before storing it.

Choose The Right Way To Disable Your iPhone

Disabling an iPhone can be as light as a quick power off or as firm as remote erase and removal from your Apple ID. When you understand each level, you can pick the option that matches your moment: button shortcuts for quick breaks, Focus or Airplane Mode when you still want to use the device quietly, Lost Mode when it is missing, and full erase when the phone is changing hands. The control stays with you, not with the device.