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Common Troubleshooting for iOS and iPadOS Devices

By Ivan ·

Most iPhone and iPad problems come down to a few familiar culprits: storage pressure, failed updates, and software glitches. This guide walks through fixes for each, ordered from the least invasive to the most drastic.

Start With a Restart

A restart clears temporary files, refreshes memory, and restarts system processes. It fixes app crashes, general sluggishness, and flaky Wi-Fi or Bluetooth more often than any other single step.

How to restart:

iPhone with Face ID, or iPad without a Home button:

  1. Press and hold the Side (or Top) button with either Volume button
  2. Drag the power-off slider when it appears
  3. Wait 30 seconds
  4. Press and hold the Side (or Top) button until the Apple logo appears

iPhone 8 and earlier, or iPad with a Home button:

  1. Press and hold the Top (or Side) button
  2. Drag the slider when it appears
  3. Wait 30 seconds
  4. Press and hold the same button until the Apple logo appears

When a Restart Isn’t Enough: Force Restart

If the device is completely frozen, the screen is black while it’s clearly on, or a normal restart does nothing, force restart it. This reboots without the normal shutdown process and doesn’t erase data. Full per-model details are in our force restart guide; the short version:

iPhone 8 and newer (all Face ID models, iPhone SE 2nd/3rd gen):

  1. Press and quickly release Volume Up
  2. Press and quickly release Volume Down
  3. Hold the Side button until the Apple logo appears (15–30 seconds)

iPhone 7 / 7 Plus:

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

iPhone 6s and earlier (incl. SE 1st gen):

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

iPad without a Home button:

  1. Press and quickly release Volume Up
  2. Press and quickly release Volume Down
  3. Hold the Top button until the Apple logo appears

iPad with a Home button:

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

(Official Apple instructions: Apple Support.)

Battery and Charging

Battery Drains Fast

Check Settings > Battery first; the list of apps by usage usually names the culprit immediately. Then:

  • Enable Low Power Mode (Settings > Battery)
  • Disable Background App Refresh for non-essential apps (Settings > General > Background App Refresh)
  • Set Location Services to “While Using” for apps that don’t need always-on access (Settings > Privacy & Security > Location Services)
  • Check Battery Health & Charging. If Maximum Capacity is below 80%, the battery itself is the problem, not the software. Our battery health guide explains the thresholds and the replacement-vs-downgrade decision

Device Won’t Charge

  1. Clean the port: power off, then gently clear lint with a wooden or plastic toothpick. Never use metal.
  2. Swap equipment: try a different cable, adapter, and power outlet. Cables fail far more often than ports.
  3. Check temperature: iOS refuses to charge when overheated. Remove the case, let it cool.
  4. Reset All Settings (Settings > General > Transfer or Reset iPhone > Reset > Reset All Settings). This resets settings without deleting data.

Connectivity

Wi-Fi Problems

  1. Toggle Wi-Fi off and on, then restart the device
  2. Forget the network: open Settings > Wi-Fi, tap the (i) next to the network name, tap Forget This Network, then reconnect
  3. Restart the router; move closer to it
  4. Reset Network Settings (Settings > General > Transfer or Reset iPhone > Reset > Reset Network Settings). This wipes saved Wi-Fi and VPN settings, so reconnect afterward
  5. Still broken after an update? Check the router’s firmware, then your ISP

Bluetooth Problems

  1. Toggle Bluetooth off and on, then restart both devices
  2. Forget This Device: open Settings > Bluetooth, tap the (i) next to the device, then re-pair it
  3. If all else fails, Reset Network Settings (Settings > General > Transfer or Reset iPhone > Reset > Reset Network Settings)

Cellular Data Issues

  1. Toggle Airplane Mode, then Cellular Data (Settings > Cellular)
  2. Restart the device; remove and reinsert the SIM
  3. Check for a carrier settings update (Settings > General > About; a prompt appears if one exists)
  4. If nothing helps: check for outages or account issues with your carrier

Apps and Updates

Apps Crash or Won’t Open

  1. Update the app: open the App Store, tap your profile picture, then Update All. Outdated apps after an iOS update are the #1 cause
  2. Force-close and reopen the app (swipe up and pause, swipe the app away)
  3. Delete and reinstall: this removes corrupted app data
  4. Free up storage (Settings > General > iPhone Storage). Apps misbehave when storage drops below ~1 GB free; our storage cleanup guide walks through it

Update Problems

Before updating: back up, charge above 50%, use strong Wi-Fi, and keep several GB free. If the update itself fails:

  • Download stuck or failing: try another network, or wait; Apple’s servers get overloaded on release day
  • Installation fails repeatedly: update via computer instead, or install with an IPSW file
  • Device stuck mid-update: see our recovery mode guide
  • Acting up after updating: restart, update your apps, and only then consider a reset

Screen, Sound, and Microphone

Unresponsive screen: clean it with a microfiber cloth, remove the screen protector to test, force restart, then Reset All Settings. Physical damage means repair, not settings.

Display looks wrong (dim, odd colors, flickering): check Settings > Display & Brightness (brightness, True Tone, Night Shift) and Settings > Accessibility > Zoom. Flickering that survives a restart is usually hardware.

No sound: check the Ring/Silent switch, volume levels, and whether audio is secretly playing over a Bluetooth device. Open Settings > Bluetooth and disconnect anything listed.

Microphone not working: check per-app permissions (Settings > Privacy & Security > Microphone), clean the mic openings with a soft brush, then test speakerphone vs. regular calls. If one works and the other doesn’t, note that for Apple Support.

When to Stop and Get Help

Contact Apple Support when basic troubleshooting hasn’t worked after real attempts, you suspect hardware damage, or the device shows recurring error messages. Options: Apple’s support site, phone support, Genius Bar, or authorized service providers.

Before contacting them: note exactly when the problem occurs, list what you’ve already tried, have the serial number ready (Settings > General > About), and back the device up if it still works.

Preventing the Next Problem

  • Install iOS and app updates reasonably promptly
  • Keep at least ~10% storage free
  • Back up regularly (iCloud daily, computer backup occasionally)
  • Use Find My, a strong passcode, and two-factor authentication
  • Avoid extreme heat and cheap charging cables

Most issues resolve in the order presented here: restart first, then storage and apps, then resets, and only then a restore. Work down the ladder and don’t skip to the drastic steps first.

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