Apple makes some of the most reliable, high quality smartphones around, and with over 50% of world-wide market share, chances are you or someone you know owns one.
Despite the company’s reputation for craftsmanship and ease of use, Apple’s smartphones have become extremely complex devices requiring multi-functional hardware to work in harmony with extremely sophisticated software. For this reason, issues can sometimes arise, and because you rely on your phone to do so many things, it is important you know how to fix some of the most common issues you might encounter with your phone.
Keeping Your iPhone Up-to-Date / App Issues
One of the single most important things you can do for your phone is to keep your software and applications updated. Not only does software introduce new features to your phone, they also introduce optimization and bug fixes that often keep your phone running smoothly and efficiently. In most cases, these updates are scheduled, but don’t always come at regular intervals. Make sure you are checking often to download these when they become available.
To update your iPhone Software:
Find and open your Settings Application
Tap General > Software Update
From here, you can see which version of iOS you’re running, and whether there are any updates available. You can also turn on Automatic Updates to automate the process for you. With this option on, your iPhone will update as soon as a new version is out, often overnight since this requires your phone to be charging and connected to WIFI.
To update your Apps:
Find and open your App Store Application
Tap your profile icon in the top right
Scroll down to see pending updates and release notes. Tap the update button next to your app to manually update.
Optimize Your battery
Chances are, you worry about your phone battery constantly. Depending on your usage habits, you may even struggle to keep your battery charged during the day. Luckily, your phone has a built-in feature to help called “Optimized Battery Charging”. When turned on, this feature is designed to learn your phone charging habits and better optimize your battery health to reduce again over time by limiting charging capacity past 80% until you need it.
To activate this feature:
Open Settings > Battery > Battery Health to toggle “Optimized Battery Charging” to on
Network Issues
Every so often, you may notice poor cell reception on your phone, despite being in a location that typically has great coverage. Sometimes as you travel, your iPhone can get stuck when changing between towers and a few quick steps can get you reconnected in no time.
Toggle Airplane Mode:
The easiest way to fix network issues is to turn airplane mode on and off. This will stop your phone from transmitting cellular data long enough to reset and reconnect to the nearest tower.
Tap Settings > Airplane Mode
Reboot Your iPhone
If you notice your phone responding slowly to taps or swipe gestures, freezing when opening apps or menus, or any other type of software issues, forcing your phone to restart can help fix a lot of issues. Rebooting your phone is different from a simple power down, and the steps are slightly different depending on which iPhone you have.
iPhones with Home Button:
If your iPhone has a home button, reboot your phone by holding down the power button and the home button together at the same time for 15 – 20 seconds. You will notice your screen go black, and eventually you’ll see the Apple logo appear. The phone will restart.
iPhones without Home Button:
If your iPhone does not have a home button at the bottom center, reboot your phone by holding down the power button and the volume up button at the same time for about 15 – 20 seconds. You will notice your screen go black, and eventually you’ll see the Apple logo appear. The phone will restart.
Taking Your Phone to a Repair Store
Sometimes, your iPhone may be experiencing issues stemming from external factors like a broken screen or water damage. If your iPhone is broken or having hardware issues, you may not need to completely replace it. Instead, try taking your phone into a local repair shop. In most cases a reputable repair shop may be able to replace individual components of your smartphone for much less than buying a whole new one.