How to Turn Off iPhone Without Button — Tricks I Wish I Knew Sooner

So there I was, standing in line at the grocery store, and my iPhone’s power button just… stopped working. Completely dead. I’m not gonna lie, I panicked a little because I had no clue how to shut the thing down without that little side button. Turns out, roughly 20% of iPhone repairs are related to broken or stuck buttons, so I’m definitely not alone here!

Whether your side button is jammed, cracked, or just acting weird, knowing how to turn off iPhone without button is honestly something every iPhone owner should have in their back pocket. Let me walk you through every method I’ve personally tested, because trust me, I’ve been through the wringer with this one.

Use AssistiveTouch to Shut Down Your iPhone

This is the method that literally saved me that day at the store. AssistiveTouch is a built-in accessibility feature that puts a virtual button right on your screen, and it’s a total game-changer when your physical power button isn’t cooperating.

Here’s exactly how to set it up and use it:

• Open Settings > Accessibility > Touch > AssistiveTouch and toggle it on.
• A small floating button will appear on your screen — tap it.
• Tap Device, then press and hold the Lock Screen icon until the “slide to power off” slider shows up.

I remember the first time I tried this, I kept just tapping the lock icon instead of holding it down. Felt pretty silly when I figured it out. Apple’s official AssistiveTouch guide is actually really helpful if you want to explore all the other stuff this feature can do.

Shut Down iPhone From Settings — The Easiest Way

Okay, this one is embarrassingly simple, and I’m kinda mad I didn’t know about it for years. Starting with iOS 11, Apple added a shutdown option right inside your Settings app.

Just go to Settings > General, scroll all the way to the bottom, and tap Shut Down. That’s it. The familiar “slide to power off” screen pops right up, no buttons needed whatsoever.

This is probably the fastest method if your iPhone screen is working fine and you just have a broken side button or a stuck power button. I use this one the most now, honestly.

Let Your Battery Die (The Lazy Method)

Look, I’m not proud of this one, but it works. If you’re in a pinch and nothing else is clicking for you, just let your iPhone battery drain completely. The phone will shut itself off automatically.

I actually had to do this once when my screen was being glitchy AND my button was broken — talk about a bad day. It’s not ideal because it takes forever, and running your battery to zero regularly isn’t great for battery health long-term. But hey, desperate times.

Use Siri to Restart Your iPhone

Here’s a fun one most people don’t think about. You can just say “Hey Siri, turn off my iPhone” and Siri will actually ask you to confirm, then shut it down for you. Pretty slick, right?

There’s a small catch though — Siri needs to be enabled and listening. If you’ve got “Hey Siri” turned off, this obviously won’t work. Also, I tried this in a noisy coffee shop once and Siri thought I said something completely different. That was awkward.

What About Turning It Back On?

So here’s the thing nobody tells you — turning your iPhone back on without a working power button is trickier. The easiest workaround is to just plug your iPhone into a charger. It’ll boot right up automatically.

I keep a charging cable at my desk, in my car, and in my bag specifically for this reason. You can also connect it to your computer via USB and it’ll power on. Problem solved.

Your iPhone, Your Rules

A broken power button feels like a disaster at first, but it’s really not. Between AssistiveTouch, the Settings menu, Siri, and a good old charger, you’ve got plenty of options to power down and restart your iPhone without ever touching that side button.

Obviously, getting that button fixed is still a smart move when you can — don’t ignore hardware issues forever. But these workarounds will keep you going in the meantime. If you found this helpful, make sure to check out more practical guides over on the Fix Fable blog — we’re always cooking up tips to keep your tech running smooth!