How to Fix iPhone Restarting Randomly

Say what you will about whether the iPhone or iOS is boring, but the truth remains that Apple’s well-known for having some of the most stable devices out there. This hasn’t been as much of the case in recent memory, as there have been a few bugs here and there that have wreaked havoc for users.

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One such instance that seemingly continues to crop up is when you have to fix iPhone restarting randomly. Luckily, there are a few different steps you can take to try and stop this from happening on your iPhone and get things back in working order.

How to Fix iPhone Restarting Randomly

Check For A Software Update

Apple has a tendency of releasing updates on a regular basis, and it’s possible that you simply are running an older version of iOS that needs to be updated. Here’s how you can check for (and install) an update:

  1. Open the Settings app.
  2. Tap General.
  3. Tap Software Update.
  4. If an update is available, tap the Download and Install button.
  5. Enter your passcode to confirm.

To avoid any potential update-related problems from happening again, you might want to enable Automatic Updates. When enabled, any new updates will automatically install overnight, while your iPhone is charging. Here’s how you can enable Automatic Updates:

  1. Open the Settings app.
  2. Tap General.
  3. Tap Software Update.
  4. Select Automatic Updates.
  5. Toggle the following options to the On position:
    • Download iOS Updates
    • Install iOS Updates

Once enabled, you shouldn’t need to worry about whether a new software update has been released but is not yet installed.

Toggle Airplane Mode

Airplane Mode is one of those features that can really come in handy, but it definitely causes headaches. Thankfully, it also doubles as a method for troubleshooting and fixing issues that may arise. The first option is to simply open Control Center and tap the button.

  1. Open Control Center.
  2. Tap the Airplane Mode button.
  3. Wait 10-15 seconds.
  4. Tap the button again to turn it back off.

If you don’t want to use Control Center and would prefer to go into the Settings app, here’s how you can toggle Airplane Mode from there.

  1. Open the Settings app.
  2. Tap the toggle next to Airplane Mode to turn it on.
  3. Wait 10-15 seconds.
  4. Tap the toggle again to turn Airplane Mode off.

Update Your Apps

You might be surprised to know that if you don’t update an app, it can cause problems with your iPhone. This includes finding that you need to fix iPhone restarting randomly. One of the easiest things you can do to remedy the situation is by simply updating your apps.

  1. Unlock your iPhone.
  2. Locate the App Store app.
  3. Long-press on the app icon.
  4. From the context menu that appears, tap Updates.
  5. Tap the Update All button. You can also scroll the list of app updates and tap the appropriate Update button.

While the steps above are convenient if you have the App Store icon on your Home Screen, you might not always remember that the context menu appears. Here’s how you can access your app updates when just using the App Store:

  1. Open the App Store on your iPhone.
  2. Tap the Profile image in the top right corner.
  3. Scroll down until you reach the Available Updates section. If you have Automatic Updates enabled, the app will update the next time you connect to a charger.
  4. Either tap Update All or locate a specific app and tap the Update button.

Restart Your iPhone

If you need to force restart your iPhone X or newer, it can be a bit frustrating, as you need to perform the steps rather quickly in succession.

  1. Press the Volume Up button and release.
  2. Press the Volume Down button and release.
  3. Press and hold the Side button for 10-15 seconds until your iPhone reboots.

In the event that you followed the steps above and the iPhone doesn’t reboot, you might want to try pressing the buttons in a faster sequence. The timing is key, as you’ll need to make sure the iPhone recognizes what it is that you’re trying to do.

Those who are using an older iPhone (or iPhone SE) that still includes a home button, will need to follow a different series of steps:

  1. Press and hold the Side (Power) and Volume Down buttons at the same time.
  2. Continue holding until the Apple logo appears.
  3. Release both buttons.

This should help work out any kinks and is the easiest step to take if you need to get your cellular data working again.

Close Your Open Apps

While it’s no longer recommended to close your apps on a regular basis, as it puts a strain on battery life, you might want to close apps if something isn’t working properly. Ever since making the switch to the iPhone X, Apple hasn’t changed this methodology, but if your are using an iPhone for the first time, here’s how you can close your open apps:

  1. On an iPhone or an iPad with no home button from the Home screen, swipe up from the bottom of the screen and pause slightly in the middle of the screen to open the app switcher
  2. Swipe right or left to locate the app you want to close
  3. Swipe up on the app’s preview to close it

Free Up Space On Your iPhone

One of the most common issues with iPhone models, especially older ones, is that you’re running out of space. Until fairly recently, the base model iPhone only offered 64GB of storage, and before that it was only 32GB. Now, the iPhone 14 ships with 128GB of storage, but it doesn’t take long for you to run out of space between the different apps, photos, videos, and anything else you may store on your device.

  1. Open the Settings app on your iPhone.
  2. Tap General.
  3. Scroll down and tap iPhone Storage.
  4. Scroll through the list of apps and options until you see Software Update.
  5. Tap Software Update.
  6. Tap the Delete Update button.

You can also work on getting rid of unnecessary caches on your phone. These are saved data from app use that don’t really need to hang around that long, but do. Unfortunately, there isn’t a way to universally clear caches. You’d have to go into each app and look for how to clear its cache.

  1. Open the Settings app on your iPhone.
  2. Scroll down and tap Safari.
  3. Scroll down and tap the Clear History and Website Data button.
  4. When prompted, tap the Clear History and Data button.

You might be surprised to know that website data (i.e. cache) can take up a lot of data on your iPhone. If you’re running low, clearing the cache could help get your iPhone back in working order.

Another option that you have if you need to quickly clear up space is to simply delete apps that you aren’t using. There are a couple of different ways you can do so:

  1. Unlock your iPhone.
  2. Locate the app that you want to delete on your Home Screen.
  3. Long-press the app icon.
  4. From the context menu, tap the Remove App button.
  5. Confirm that you want to delete the app.

Here’s how you can delete apps using the App Library:

  1. Unlock your iPhone.
  2. Swipe all the way to the right to reveal the App Library.
  3. Locate the app you want to delete in one of the pre-populated folders.
  4. Long-press the app icon.
  5. From the context menu, tap the Remove App button.
  6. Confirm that you want to delete the app.

Unfortunately, you can’t delete multiple apps at the same time. However, if you unlock your iPhone and long press on an empty space, you enter “Edit mode”. Each of the apps on your iPhone will then have a “-” icon in the top left corner of the app icon. Just tap that icon and then confirm that you want to delete the app.

Reset Network Settings

Another great method to try and fix any problems with your cellular network is to reset all of the network settings. This was implemented in recent years as another method for you to get your network back in working condition if you happen to run into any problems.

  1. Open the Settings app on your iPhone or iPad.
  2. Tap General.
  3. Scroll to the bottom and tap Transfer or Reset iPhone.
  4. Tap the Reset button at the bottom of the page.
  5. Tap Reset Network Settings.
  6. Enter your passcode if prompted.

Reset All iPhone Settings

When it comes to resetting different settings, there’s a relatively-new method that allows you to reset all of the settings on your iPhone. But the great thing about following these steps is that you can essentially reset your iPhone back to new, without needing to perform a factory reset. This means that all of your apps, downloads, and everything else will remain on your iPhone while still being able to reset everything else.

  1. Open the Settings app on your iPhone.
  2. Tap General.
  3. Scroll to the bottom and tap Transfer or Reset iPhone.
  4. Tap the Reset button at the bottom of the page.
  5. Tap Reset All Settings.
  6. Enter your passcode if prompted.

Factory Data Reset

Last but not least, Apple’s Reset option includes the ability to wipe your iPhone or iPad completely. This gives you a blank slate, which helps if you’ve been dealing with a few problems, or are just planning to sell your device. The only thing that we would recommend before going down this path is to make sure your iPhone or iPad is backed up, so you don’t lose any pertinent information.

  1. Open the Settings app on your iPhone or iPad.
  2. Tap General.
  3. Scroll to the bottom and tap Transfer or Reset iPhone (iPad).
  4. Tap Erase All Content and Settings.
  5. Enter your passcode if prompted.

Check Your iPhone’s Battery Health

There once was a time where the only way to check the health of your battery was to take it to the Apple Store. And even then, this isn’t exactly feasible for everyone, as these brick and mortar locations aren’t found everywhere. Thankfully, Apple finally listened to its user base and implemented a tool to check your iPhone’s battery health right from your device.

  1. Open the Settings app on your iPhone.
  2. Scroll down and tap Battery.
  3. Tap the Battery Health & Charging button.
  4. Look for Maximum Capacity.

If your iPhone’s battery health is at 80% or above then you have nothing to worry about. However, if your “Maximum Capacity” is below 80%, you might want to consider reaching out to Apple Support and seeing what you can do. Otherwise, especially if you have an older iPhone, it might just be time to upgrade to a newer iPhone model.

Contact Apple Support

In the event that you are still experiencing issues with your iPhone, your last resort is to contact Apple Support. There’s a chance that Apple may end up needing to replace the entire device, or perform a reset in order to perform a series of diagnostics tests. Apple also states that if there is previous damage to the iPhone, such as a cracked screen, you’ll need to have that repaired first.

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