Clearing the RAM on iPhone can help, if the performance of your device has slowed down and it is exhibiting noticeable delay while opening, closing and switching of the apps.
Even if your device has not slowed down by much, it is still a good idea to periodically clear RAM, in order to prevent the possibility of its Random Access Memory being clogged up with temporary, broken and expired files.
Such proactive maintenance should help in preventing the gradual slowing down of iPhone that occurs with time and help in avoiding performance related issues that begin to creep up as you continue to use your device.
Clear RAM on iPhone (Any Model)
Since, iPhone is designed to automatically manage RAM, it does not come with a built-in feature or an option, which can be used to clear RAM.
However, it is still possible to clear RAM on any model of iPhone by force-restarting the device using its side/volume buttons and also by using the Assistive Touch Menu and Virtual Home button.
In our opinion, Soft Reset using the second method (Assistive Touch) is a safer way to clear RAM and the first method (Force Restart) should only be used if your device is stuck, become unresponsive and difficult to operate.
1. Clear RAM on iPhone Using Side/Volume Buttons
On newer models of iPhone, you can reset RAM by using the Volume and Side (Power) button to force restart your device.
1. Press and hold the Side button and any of its Volume buttons, until you see the Slide to power off screen.
2. Drag the Slider to power-off your device.
3. Wait for iPhone to completely power off and press and hold the Side button to restart your device.
2. Clear RAM on iPhone Using Assistive Touch
You can also add an Assistive Touch Icon to the Home screen of your iPhone and use it to clear RAM.
1. Go to Settings > Accessibility > Touch > tap on AssistiveTouch.
2. On the next screen, move the toggle next to AssistiveTouch to ON position.
3. You should now see an AssistiveTouch Icon appearing on the screen (bottom-right corner) of your iPhone
4. Tap on the AssistiveTouch Icon and this will open the AssistiveTouch Menu on your iPhone.
5. Using the Assistive Touch Menu, go to Device > More and select the Restart option.
6. On the Confirmation pop-up, select the Restart option to confirm.
You should now see the screen of your iPhone going black for about 15 seconds, after which it will restart.
3. Clear RAM on iPhone Using Virtual Home Button
After adding the AssistiveTouch Icon to the Home screen of your iPhone, you can follow the steps below to access the Virtual Home Button and use it to clear the RAM on your iPhone.
1. Go to Settings > General > scroll down and tap on Shut Down.
2. When the “Slide to power off” OFF screen appears, tap on the AssistiveTouch icon to open the Assistive Touch Menu.
3. In the AssistiveTouch menu, long-press on the Home icon, until the screen flashes and goes back to Home Screen.
As mentioned above, the second method (Assistive Touch) is easier to use and is recommended for periodically clearing the RAM on your iPhone.
4. Clear RAM on iPhone 6/6S/7/8 and Earlier Models
If you have an iPhone with a Home button, you can quickly clear RAM by using the Home button.
1. Press and hold the Power button, until you see Slide to Power OFF screen.
2. Now, release the Power button and press/hold the Home button for about 5 seconds.
If the above steps were properly executed, you should find the screen of your iPhone going blank for a few seconds and returning back to Home screen.