If your iPhone keeps switching on and off or has random restarts issue, it could be due to the software or a sign of a hardware problem. Many iPhone users have already complained about this annoying problem and I have also addressed this issue a few times in the past. To get the best benefit for my readers, I will tackle this problem again in this post.
Random restart emerged as one of the symptoms of performance degradation. This symptom usually occurs on old devices, but sometimes, it can transpire in new devices if they are triggered by some factors such as system bugs, corrupted system files, and rogue apps. Memory issues are also one of the possible triggers. Thus, before going to an Apple service center, there are some useful tweaks you can try to fix the random restart problem on your end. Refer to these subsequent solutions and if none of them gives the remedy, you can then consider bringing your iPhone to a service or iPhone repair.
How To Troubleshoot iPhone With Random Restarts
Solution 1: Force restart your iPhone
Rouge apps, corrupted files, and firmware crashes are the common factors that cause your iPhone system to act up and get unstable. In this case, performing a forced restart will likely fix the issue. This can be considered as the first solution to apply. The steps to force restart are different between iPhone models
If you are using iPhone 8/8 Plus/X or later models, follow these steps below to force restart your iPhone
- Press and release the Volume Up button.
- Do the same with the Volume Down button.
- Press and hold the Power button and release it when you see the Apple logo.
On iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus models, you can perform a forced restart by this way:
- Press and hold the Volume Down + Power button at once and then release both of them when the Apple logo appears on the screen
If you are using older models of iPhone like the iPhone 6s, 6s Plus, a forced restart can be done this way:
- Press and hold both the Power + Home button at once for a few seconds and release them when you see the Apple logo on the screen.
Wait for your iPhone to complete booting up. Then, you use it normally and check if the problem is already gone. If the random restarts still remain, move on to the next solutions.
Solution 2: Free up your iPhone memory space
As I said earlier, insufficient memory space might be also the underlying causes of the random restart problem. To clear it out, follow these steps to manage the storage on your iPhone:
- Open Settings app from your Home screen.
- Tap General > iPhone Storage.
If the leftover storage is less than 1GB, you should delete unused apps or files to free up some space. You can also back up your personal data to iCloud, iTunes software. Once you free up some space, check if the random restarts problem disappears. If not, try the next solution.
Solution 3: Update all your apps
Rouge apps also trigger your phone to experience random restarts. Apps that are acting up are those that aren’t up-to-date. Thus, installing pending app updates is like to fix the problem. Here is how you can update apps on your iPhone
- Launch theApp Store app from your Home screen.
- In the App Store screen, tap Updates section at the bottom and you will see a list of apps with pending updates.
- Tap on the Update button next to each app to start an individual update.
- Tap on the Update All button if you want to update all apps at once.
Once you update your apps successfully, reboot your iPhone to apply the recent changes. Now, continue using your phone and check whether it still turns off and on after it. If the random restarts still persist, this might be a widespread issue and you need to update your iPhone to the latest firmware.
Solution 4: Update your iPhone to the latest iOS version
Apart from app updates, updating your iPhone to the latest iOS version is also a potential solution in case the system errors are the main cause of the random restart problem. After your iPhone is connected to stable Internet access, has ample storage space and at least 50% battery life, you can perform an OTA update by following these steps below:
- Open Settings app from the Home screen
- Tap on General > Software Update.
If there is a new iOS update available, you will see a notification on the screen. Just review the update details as well as system requirements. After that, back up your important files to iCloud for safekeeping. When you are done, simply follow the onscreen prompts to download and install the latest iOS update on your phone.
Reboot your phone when the process is completed. Doing so will make sure that all new system changes are properly saved on your iPhone. Additionally, a restart can also prevent apps from acting up after the recent system change.
Solution 5: Reset all settings on your iPhone
Some incorrect configurations can also cause your iPhone system to act up. So, this is the case if the symptom got started after customizing settings on your phone. To fix it, resetting all settings is a recommended solution. The reset will not affect any saved data on your phone memory, so you don’t have to create a backup beforehand. To perform an all settings reset on your iPhone, follow these steps below:
- Launch Settings app from the Home screen.
- Tap on General > Reset.
- Select Reset all settings option
- Enter your passcode when prompted to continue.
- Tap on the popup to confirm resetting all settings on your iPhone.
Your iPhone will reboot automatically once the reset is completed and then loads up the default values. If you want to use features disabled by default, enable them again on your phone.
Solution 6: Erase your iPhone and restore it to factory defaults
The mentioned solutions above are usually enough to remove minor culprits. However, if your iPhone continues to appear random restarts, there are chances that complex system errors are occurring. At this point, a factory reset will be the next option. The process will erase everything from your iPhone system, including system errors and bugs that are causing random restarts. However, before proceeding, remember to back up all your important files so that you can recover them later. Once your backup is done, simply follow these steps below to factory reset your iPhone directly from settings:
- Launch Settings app from the Home screen
- Tap on General > Reset.
- SelectErase all content and settings
- When prompted, enter your phone to proceed.
- Tap on the popup to confirm a full system reset on your iPhone.
You can also use iTunes to manually reset your iPhone and then restore it to the factory defaults. This is a better option since you might not know when your iPhone system shuts down again.
Also read: How to fix iTunes error 9 on iPhone XS Max
Solution 7: Restore your iPhone in iTunes
If nothing else helped you, then performing a restore can be the last resort. You can use iTunes software installed on a computer to restore your iPhone. Start with a standard iTunes restore. If it is not possible to fix the problem, you can then proceed and restore your iPhone through recovery mode. Here’s how to do so: (I tested it on my iPhone X.)
- Power your iPhone off and plug it into your computer using the certificated Apple Lightning cable. Then boot your iPhone into recovery mode by following these next steps.
- Press and quickly release the Volume Up button.
- Do the same with the Volume Down button.
- Next, press and hold the Power button until the Connect to iTunes screen appears. Your iPhone has now entered recovery mode.
- Once you see Update or Restore option, click on Update if you want to restore without removing data. Otherwise, click on Restore to erase everything from your iPhone.
- To restore from a previous backup, just click on Restore option and then follow the onscreen instructions to choose the backup file to restore from.
Apart from a recovery mode restore, you can also restore your iPhone through DFU mode. DFU, standing for default firmware update mode restore, is the deepest type of restore on an iOS device. iTunes can still communicate with your iPhone even when the boot loader is not activated, thus making it possible to fix system errors in case the system totally gets corrupted.
