How do I reboot or restart a "frozen" or "hung" iPad? How do I reboot or restart a "frozen" or "hung" app or otherwise "force quit" an app?

Apple explains how to turn off and reset the iPad in the manual for each device (on page 170 of the original iPad manual to be precise) as well as on the company support site. However, as this is a very frequently asked question, the answer also is provided below for your convenience.

Restarting iPad

Apple notes that a restart -- turning it off and back on again -- should be the first effort to resolve a "frozen" or "hung" iPad. The procedure is:

Press and hold the Sleep/Wake button until the red slider appears. Slide your finger across the slider to turn off iPad. To turn iPad back on, press and hold the Sleep/Wake until the Apple logo appears.

Resetting iPad

If turning the iPad off and back on again doesn't fix the problem, or the iPad is unresponsive when you try to turn it off, you have to reset it by doing the following:

Press and hold the Sleep/Wake button and the Home button at the same time for at least ten seconds, until the Apple logo appears.

Force Quitting an App on an iPad

If you have a single misbehaving app on your iPad, you can "force quit" it by doing the following:

Press and hold the Sleep/Wake button on top of iPad for a few seconds until a red slider appears, then press and hold the Home button until the app quits.

If none of the above solves the problem, Apple recommends alternately resetting iPad settings by selecting Settings > General > Reset > Reset All Settings.

If that doesn't work, Apple recommends erasing all content on the iPad -- be absolutely sure you have everything backed up first -- by choosing General > Reset > Erase All Content and Settings.

Finally, as the method of last resort, Apple recommends restoring the iPad to its original factory settings.

Apple's official instructions to restore an iPad are:

1. Connect iPad to your computer.

2. Select iPad in the iTunes sidebar, then click the Summary tab.

3. Click “Check for Update.” iTunes tells you if there’s a newer version of the iPad software available.

4. Click Restore. Follow the onscreen instructions to complete the restore process. When restoring, it is recommended that you back up iPad when prompted. When the iPad software has been restored, you can choose to set up iPad as a new iPad, or restore your music, video, app data, and other content from a backup.

It is hoped that one of the above will help you solve the problem with your iPad.

Also see: How do I send in my iPad for service?