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If your iPhone is frozen on the “Home Would Like to Send You Critical Alerts” prompt, force-restart it instead of trying to use the on-screen power slider. The correct button sequence depends on your iPhone model, and a force restart does not take you through the data-erasing Restore process.

This prompt is a permission request from Apple’s Home app—not a government emergency alert. Follow the model-specific steps below.

Try a force restart first

A force restart is the safest first step when the dialog is visible but the screen will not respond to taps. Apple says the final button may need to be held for more than 10 seconds before the Apple logo appears.

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iPhone 8 or later, including iPhone SE (2nd generation and later)

  1. Quickly press and release Volume Up.
  2. Quickly press and release Volume Down.
  3. Press and hold the Side button.
  4. Keep holding until the Apple logo appears.

The first two presses must be quick. Do not hold a volume button and the Side button together, because that can open the Emergency SOS or power interface instead of performing the force restart.

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  1. Press and hold the Side button and Volume Down button together.
  2. Keep holding until the Apple logo appears.

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  1. Press and hold the Home button and the Side or Top button together.
  2. Keep holding until the Apple logo appears.

These sequences are from Apple’s guidance for restarting an unresponsive iPhone. A force restart may take longer than a normal restart, so do not release the final button just because the screen briefly goes black.

What to do after the iPhone restarts

  1. Wait for the iPhone to finish booting.
  2. Unlock it normally.
  3. Check whether the Home permission prompt has disappeared.
  4. If it appears again, choose Allow or Don’t Allow deliberately.

If you do not want high-priority notifications from Home, open Settings > Notifications > Home. If the option is available, turn off Critical Alerts.

Apple says Critical Alerts are supported only by eligible apps and can bypass Silent mode or a Focus. Therefore, the switch may not appear on every iPhone or in every software configuration. Turning it off can also prevent urgent notifications from Home accessories, such as cameras, alarms, sensors, or automations.

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For background on the permission screen and the post-restart settings path, see this Apple Community discussion about iPhones stuck on Home Critical Alerts.

If the prompt keeps returning

A recurring prompt does not prove that one specific iOS or HomeKit bug is responsible. It may be related to a notification-permission or interface failure, or to repeated events from a Home accessory or a third-party smart-home app integrated with Home.

Once the iPhone is usable:

  • Install available updates at Settings > General > Software Update.
  • Open the App Store and update Home-related smart-home apps.
  • Check whether a camera, alarm, sensor, hub, or automation is generating repeated events.
  • Review notification settings for third-party smart-home apps individually.
  • Restart affected smart-home hubs or accessories if they are repeatedly producing alerts.

Do not delete the Home app or disable every emergency notification as a first response. Removing or disabling Home-related notifications can affect smart-home controls and urgent accessory warnings.

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Home Critical Alerts are not Government Alerts

The Home prompt is an app notification permission. It is separate from:

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  • Government Alerts: carrier or government emergency broadcasts.
  • Enhanced Safety Alerts: separate Apple safety features with regional and software-version limits.

Apple’s notification documentation describes Critical Alerts for supported apps, while Apple’s Government, Emergency, and Enhanced Safety Alerts documentation describes the separate emergency-alert systems. Do not disable Government Alerts to fix a frozen Home permission dialog. Those settings are found separately at the bottom of Settings > Notifications.

If the force restart does not work

1. Charge the iPhone

Connect the iPhone to power and let it charge for up to an hour. Then try the correct force-restart sequence again. If you see a low-battery symbol, Apple recommends charging for at least 30 minutes or until the device starts.

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2. Use recovery mode and choose Update

If the iPhone remains stuck on the Apple logo or will not start normally, connect it to a computer. Use Finder on a recent Mac or the current Apple Devices app on Windows. Follow Apple’s recovery-mode instructions for your model.

When the computer offers Update or Restore, choose Update first. Update attempts to reinstall iOS without taking the data-erasing Restore step.

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If the software download takes more than 15 minutes and the iPhone exits recovery mode, let the download finish. Then repeat the recovery-mode button sequence and choose Update again.

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3. Treat Restore as a last resort

Restore erases the iPhone. Before choosing it, back up the device if it becomes usable and consider what locally stored data may not be included in a backup. A backup may recover photos, messages, settings, and app data depending on what was backed up.

Do not choose Restore merely because the Home prompt is inconvenient. A force restart normally avoids the Restore process, and Apple recommends trying recovery-mode Update first.

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When to contact Apple or a service provider

Seek Apple or authorized service when:

  • A Side, Volume, Home, or Top button is broken or stuck.
  • The iPhone will not power on after charging.
  • Recovery-mode Update fails.
  • The device repeatedly freezes after restarting.
  • There are signs of liquid damage, impact damage, overheating, or a swollen battery.

Do not keep forcing damaged hardware or continue charging a phone that is unusually hot or swollen.

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Quick decision guide

What you see Best next step Data risk
Frozen Home Critical Alerts dialog Force restart using the correct model sequence Normally avoids the Restore process
Phone restarts but the prompt returns Review Settings > Notifications > Home Low
Apple logo or startup freeze Recovery mode, then choose Update Intended to preserve data
Update fails or the iPhone remains unusable Review backups before considering Restore Restore erases the iPhone
Broken button or physical damage Contact Apple or an authorized service provider Hardware and safety concern

Updated September 22, 2026. Apple’s recovery guidance was updated August 12, 2026; button sequences and settings labels may change with future iPhone models or iOS releases.

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