These instructions apply to the Hyundai i10 Mk2 (IA) 2014-2019.
For other models, please choose your vehicle here.
If the audio or screen in your Hyundai i10 (IA, 2014–2019) locks up — the radio keeps playing but the buttons or display stop responding, or Bluetooth won’t reconnect — you can almost always clear it yourself. What you press depends on which head unit your i10 has.
Which System Does Your i10 Have?
Most IA-generation i10s use a compact button radio/CD unit (with Bluetooth phone on higher trims). The 2017 facelift added an optional 7-inch Display Audio touchscreen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto on top trims. The fix differs slightly between the two.
How to Restart It
- Touchscreen (Display Audio) cars: press and hold the Power / Volume knob for about 10 seconds until the screen goes dark and the Hyundai logo reappears. If your unit has a small reset pinhole on the fascia, press it briefly with a straightened paperclip instead.
- Button radio cars: there is no dedicated reset button. Switch the ignition fully off, open and lock the car, wait 2–3 minutes, then restart — the unit powers down and reboots. Hyundai’s own manual lists “restart the audio system” as the cure for a stuck Bluetooth link.
- Still frozen (either unit): disconnect the 12 V battery for about 15 minutes as a last resort.
This Is Safe — Nothing Is Erased
A reboot or ignition cycle only restarts the software; your radio presets and paired phones are kept. The same is true after a short battery disconnect. Only a deliberate factory reset (in the touchscreen’s Settings menu) wipes your pairings and presets back to showroom state — use that only if a plain restart won’t hold.
If Bluetooth Is the Problem
- Turn Bluetooth off and on again on the phone, then re-pair.
- Delete the i10 from the phone’s paired-device list and the phone from the car, then pair fresh (the system holds up to five devices).
- On CarPlay/Android Auto cars, try a known-good USB cable — a worn cable is a common cause of a frozen projection screen.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will restarting the radio delete my presets?
No. A reboot or a short ignition/battery cycle keeps your presets and paired phones. Only a factory reset clears them.
Where is the reset button on the i10 radio?
The button radio doesn’t have one — cycle the ignition instead. The touchscreen units reboot with a long press on the volume/power knob, and a few have a tiny pinhole on the fascia.
The screen is black but the radio still plays — is it broken?
Almost never. A black screen with working audio is the classic case a restart fixes: hold the volume knob (touchscreen) or cycle the ignition (button radio).
My i10 keeps dropping Bluetooth — why?
Usually a phone-side glitch. Re-pair from scratch, and if it persists, restart the audio system as above.
If a dashboard warning light appeared alongside the glitch, look the code up on autodtcs.com. As a last resort, see our i10 battery disconnect guide.
Independent guide — not affiliated with Hyundai. Always follow your official service manual and safety precautions. Read our full disclaimer.