iPad frozen? Here’s how to fix it

You’re on a Wordle roll when suddenly your taps go unrecognized. Then you notice the entire screen is stuck. There goes your timed streak. An iPad® with a frozen screen shouldn’t stand in the way of fun—at least not for long. 

From tackling iPad screen flickering to overheating, we know tech at uBreakiFix® by Asurion. From bugs to breaks, we’ve got all of your device care needs covered. Here’s what to do when your iPad is frozen.

Restart your iPad

A simple restart can fix a frozen screen by refreshing the system and clearing out any glitches that might be causing trouble. Follow these steps to restart your iPad:

1. Hold the top button until the power off slider appears, then drag the slider to turn off your iPad.
2. Press and hold the top button until the Apple logo appears to turn the iPad back on.

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Force close the faulty app

Is your iPad freezing when using a specific app? Force closing it might solve the problem. Here’s how:

1. Swipe up from the bottom of the screen and hold (On an iPad with a Home button, quickly double-click the Home button). All of your open apps should appear. 
2. Swipe left or right to find the app you want to close.
3. Swipe up on the app's preview to close it.

Charge your iPad

A low battery increases the risk of your device dying in the middle of something important and can sometimes cause your iPad to freeze, too. Plug your iPad into a power source and let it charge for a while—at least 1-2 hours.

Restore using iTunes

Restoring your iPad using iTunes can resolve deeper software issues. This will only work if you’ve previously connected your iPad to iTunes via a computer—if this is your first time connecting the two, iTunes might not recognize your iPad. 

Follow the steps below to restore your device using iTunes:

1. Connect your iPad to a computer and open iTunes.
2. Select your iPad when it appears in iTunes.
3. Select Restore iPad and follow the on-screen instructions.

Perform a hard reset

A hard reset can solve more significant software issues. This reset isn’t the same as an iPad factory reset, so you don’t have to worry about losing personal data. If you encounter a frozen iPad that’s become unresponsive, try this trick:

• For iPads without a Home button: Press and quickly release the Volume Up and Volume Down buttons, then press and hold the Top button until the device restarts.
• For iPads with a Home button: Hold down the Home and Top (or Side) buttons at the same time until you see the Apple logo.