iOS 16 Troubleshooting Guide: Common Problems And How To Fix Them

iOS 16 has been out for a few months now, and as such, it’s a good time to start going over some iOS 16 troubleshooting. In this post, we’re going to look at the kinds of problems you may have encountered when using or installing iOS 16 and quick fixes.

Using this guide, you can quickly solve many of the most common issues with iOS 16 without needing to reach out to Apple Support to solve it for you.

iOS 16 troubleshooting common problems overview

First, let’s take a quick look at some of the most common problems you can expect to run into during and after installing iOS 16.

One of the main types of problems you’ll encounter when iOS 16 troubleshooting is connectivity issues. That could mean your WiFi, Bluetooth, or cellular connectivity is spotty or simply not working. Generally, restarting your iPhone is a reliable way to solve this.

Another segment of issues that are common after updating to iOS 16 are power and performance problems. This can happen for a variety of reasons, which we’ll cover later in the article. Usually, giving the update a few days to settle in will solve these problems.

iOS 16 troubleshooting: Embrace minor updates!

Before we dive into specific problems and solutions, we did want to mention that installing minor updates, including the recent iOS 16.5, can go a long way towards solving these sorts of issues.

We know it can be annoying to update your iPhone again after you just finished updating to iOS 16. However, these small updates are usually intended to solve the exact kinds of problems you may be running into. And they often come with important security updates and new emojis, so there are multiple reasons to install them.

iOS 16 troubleshooting: Fixing iOS 16 install errors and problems

Alright, let’s go ahead and dive into some of the issues you may experience when iOS 16 troubleshooting. The issues covered over the next several headings are all related to the installation process for iOS 16. If you’ve already installed iOS 16 and didn’t experience any issues while doing so, you’ll want to look deeper into this article to find the issue you’ve been experiencing.

iOS 16 update isn’t showing as available

One of the first and most common issues that people face when updating to a new iOS is that the update isn’t showing as available. That means you open the Settings app on your iPhone, tap General and then Software Update, and find that there is no update waiting for you.

There are a few reasons why this might be:

  • Your iPhone isn’t compatible with the latest update. You can check if your iPhone model is compatible with the latest update here.
  • The latest update isn’t available in your time zone yet. iOS updates roll out around the world at different times occasionally, so you might just be in a region that hasn’t received the update yet.
  • Apple is still rolling out the update to users. Apple doesn’t always widely drop an update for everyone at once. Sometimes, to ease pressure on its servers, it’ll release it to segments of users at a time. You could be in a later segment if this is the case.
  • You’re using a Beta version of iOS. If you are using a Beta version of iOS, then you’ll need to remove that beta profile before updating to iOS 16. Here’s how.
  • You need to restart your iPhone and connect to a network. Lastly, it might be as simple as you needing to restart your iPhone and/or ensuring that you’re connected to a network.

What if iOS 16 fails to install?

Sometimes, for a variety of reasons, iOS 16 might fail to install. This happens whenever something goes wrong during the installation process. Some kind of bug or issue with your iPhone can cause this to happen.

To resolve this, the best thing to do is to restart your iPhone and try again. You might also want to wait a few hours before trying again. Additionally, consider updating your iPhone via your Mac or PC. Read here to learn how.

What is “Other” storage on my iPhone, iPad, or Mac and how do I get rid of it?

Freeing up storage on your iPhone before installing iOS 16

Another issue you might encounter during iOS 16 troubleshooting is that you have too little storage on your iPhone to install iOS 16. That’s because iOS 16 has to download to your iPhone, then install on your iPhone. If you don’t have enough space for the initial download, then you won’t be able to download and install the update.

There are lots of ways to free up space on iPhone – you can check out this article for in-depth support.

Some fast ways to free up space include:

  • Signing up for iCloud storage
  • Deleting large photos and videos
  • Removing apps (specifically social media apps and mobile games)

What if you can’t free up enough storage for iOS 16?

Unfortunately, it’s only recently that Apple has started offering iPhones that start off with 128GB. Prior to the last year or so, if you bought a new iPhone with base level storage, you likely grabbed one with just 64GB. If that’s you, then don’t be too surprised if you run into a situation where you can free up any more space on your iPhone.

64GB is not enough storage in 2023 and it shows when it comes time to update your iPhone.

Fortunately, if you have a computer, you can update your iPhone using that computer. The update will download to your computer instead of your iPhone, so you don’t need very much free space to download and install the update. Read here for a guide on how to install iOS updates on your computer.

My iOS 16 update is failing multiple times

There are a few reasons why your iOS 16 troubleshooting might bring you to the realization that iOS 16 is failing to install multiple times in a row. If that’s you, then the solution can be a bit difficult to pinpoint.

That’s because this means that something is probably wrong either deep within your iPhone or on the backend. For that reason, we recommend trying to update your iPhone through your Mac or PC rather than the Settings app. Additionally, disconnect from any VPNs or proxy servers you may be using, as that could be preventing the update from going through.

iPhone Keeps Resetting Itself, How-To Fix

iPhone stuck on Apple logo when upgrading to iOS 16

Whenever your iPhone begins the installation process, the screen will go black except for a white Apple logo in the middle of the screen. Occasionally, your iPhone will get stuck updating at this point, freezing on the white Apple logo so that nothing else happens.

When this happens, there are two potential solutions:

  1. Forcefully restart your iPhone. On iPhones that have Face ID, that means holding the Volume Up and Power Button at the same time for ten seconds. For older devices that use Touch ID, it means holding down the Home Button and the Power Button at the same time.
  2. Boot your iPhone into Recovery Mode. You can read more on how to do this here.

iOS 16 troubleshooting: Solving the most common problems after updating

Now that we’ve covered all of the iOS 16 troubleshooting issues that can occur during the installation process, we’re now going to look at the problems you may be experiencing after upgrading.

iOS 16 is a very stable release, so you shouldn’t be having too many issues with it. But as with all software, there are issues that can cause it to malfunction. Here are some of the most common malfunctions with iOS 16 and their solutions.

My battery won’t charge past 80%

If you’ve noticed that your iPhone suddenly stops charging at 80% and won’t go any higher, you aren’t alone. But what you may not realize is that this is a feature of iOS 16, not a mistake.

In iOS 16, there is an algorithm that monitors when and for how long you charge your iPhone. So say you charge your iPhone overnight and unplug it at 6a.m. Under iOS 16, your iPhone should notice this and stop charging once it hits 80%. Once it starts to get close to 6a.m., charging will resume until your iPhone hits 100%.

This is supposed to improve the longevity of your iPhone battery, and there is some evidence to back this up. However, it can also be frustrating for some users, especially if the feature isn’t working correctly.

To turn this feature off, open the Settings app, tap Battery, then Battery Health & Charging, then disable the Optimized Battery Charging feature. And that’s it!

Bluetooth devices not able to connect to my iPhone

Another issue that can happen after you upgrade to iOS 16 is that Bluetooth devices stop connecting to your iPhone. This can be an annoying problem to encounter while iOS 16 troubleshooting, but luckily, it’s usually an easy fix.

The first thing we recommend trying is forgetting the device and reconnecting to it in your Bluetooth settings in the Settings app. This is pretty simple to do, just open the Settings app, tap Bluetooth, make sure Bluetooth is enabled, then tap the blue “i” next to the device you want to forget. From there, tap Forget This Device. Then, try reconnecting to that device.

If that doesn’t work, try restarting your iPhone and starting the above process over again.

Fixing issues with WiFi and connectivity after updating to iOS 16

Some who have updated to iOS 16 have reported experiencing WiFi and connectivity issues. This isn’t too uncommon after a major update, and luckily, it’s usually easily fixed.

Just open the Settings app on your iPhone, tap General, then Reset, then choose Reset Network Settings. You will need to reenter your WiFi information after doing so, but it will effectively restart your connectivity settings, allowing you to start fresh.

FaceTime is waiting for activation

Another problem that may have sent you iOS 16 troubleshooting is FaceTime waiting for activation. But don’t worry, you aren’t alone! This is a pretty common problem.

To fix it, we’re going to try resetting your connectivity, then resetting your FaceTime. To start, turn on Airplane Mode in Control Center, wait a few seconds, then turn it back off. That’ll restart your connectivity and make sure that you’re connected to the internet. If you aren’t connected to the internet after doing this, that’s the problem!

Next, to restart FaceTime, open the Settings app on your iPhone, scroll down and tap FaceTime, then toggle FaceTime off, wait a few seconds, then turn it back on.

That should resolve 90% of cases where FaceTime is stuck waiting for activation.

iPhone is running slow after updating to iOS 16

A less pertinent (but still frustrating) issue you can run into while iOS 16 troubleshooting is that your iPhone has starting running slower. There are a few reasons why this might be:

  • Your iPhone is indexing information. This happens a lot after a big update. Your iPhone gets new features, but for those new features to work, your iPhone needs to organize your data in a new way. So it starts indexing existing data, which can make it run slow for the first few days of use. There’s nothing to fix here, you just have to wait it out.
  • New tasks are running in the background. If your iPhone is still running slow after the first few days of installing iOS 16, then it might be that new tasks are running in the background. These could be new major features or minor updates that have started using up more of your iPhone’s processing power. Again, there’s nothing to fix here – you might just have a slightly slower phone now.
  • You now have less storage. Something you can fix (to an extent) is iOS 16 taking up more of your storage. Generally, iOS updates get bigger year over year, which means that you may have less storage. Having less storage can slow down your iPhone’s performance. To free up storage, read here.
  • Your iPhone is showing its age. The last and most unfortunate possibility is that your iPhone is simply getting older. iOS 16 may be a tad bit more than your iPhone can handle. Sometimes, you can resolve this by purchasing a battery replacement for your device. Other times, it’s simply time to grab a new iPhone.

Slow iPhone - Battery

iPhone feels hot after installing iOS 16

The last issue you that may have you iOS 16 troubleshooting is that your iPhone feels hot after updating to iOS 16. If that’s the case, it’s probably nothing to worry about.

This generally happens because of new features running in the background for the first time, indexing data and doing other startup tasks. This is only cause for concern if your iPhone has been feeling hot for a few days, in which case it might be time to take it to the Apple Store for inspection.

iOS 16 troubleshooting: I’m still having issues after updating

Those are the solutions to most of the problems that can lead you iOS 16 troubleshooting. But if these still haven’t fixed your problem, then it’s probably time to contact Apple Support. It’s free, usually fast, and is a great way to solve most problems.

For more insights, news, and guides on all things Apple, check out the rest of the AppleToolBox blog.

See you next time!

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