How to Fix iPhone 13 random restarts after an iOS update

This post highlights potential solutions to a problem on the iPhone 13 that’s randomly restarting from an update. Read on to learn how to deal with the iPhone 13 random restarts issue.

Is your new iPhone suddenly misbehaving and restarting on its own after updating? If so, then that’s likely due to some random software bugs or iOS glitches. Feel free to try the drafted solutions to eliminate the usual culprits.

What triggers random restarts on an iPhone?

Unexpected random restarts, otherwise referred to as “boot loops” are typically emerging among other performance issues in earlier smartphones, particularly those that are already running low on storage. This symptom is usually teamed up with random freezes, lags, and system crashes.

Even newer devices may likewise succumb to this issue at some point due to various reasons. And Apple’s newest iPhone lineups are no exception.

In modern high-end devices like the iPhone 13, random restarts are usually tied to some fatal system error like when critical system data got corrupted. The same thing can happen when a downloaded app or file contains some mulish bugs and malware. Random restarts are also manifesting among other post-update flaws. This is when your iPhone suddenly misbehaves and reboots by itself after installing the latest iOS update. 

Post-update system issues are usually deemed as minor and temporary. All you have to do is perform some workarounds to eliminate the common culprits.

But dealing with random restarts on an iPhone that are hardware-related is a different story. In this case, an iPhone technician’s aid would be necessary.

If by any chance your iPhone 13 is restarting unexpectedly after installing a software update, eliminating software-related triggers is highly recommended. To give you some inputs, I’ve mapped out some basic tweaks as personal reference.

Troubleshooting iPhone 13 random restarts after updating

The following procedures will help eliminate common culprits that can trigger random reboots on an iPhone after a software update implementation.

Before you begin troubleshooting, remove any protective casing from your iPhone (if you’ve one installed). Some third-party phone cases don’t fit perfectly with the iPhone and if you’re using one, it might have squeezed the side key. As a result, the phone reboots whenever the nearby part is jostled.

After removing any protective casing, you may go ahead and start ruling out software-related triggers with these subsequent tweaks.

Solution #1: Force restart your iPhone.

As the name implies, this method forcibly terminates all running apps and services and prompts the device to instigate system reboot. This method is usually regarded among the first potential solutions when dealing with various system issues causing apps freezing, stopping, crashing, lagging, loading errors.

fix iphone13 random restarts after updating force restart

Here’s how to force restart an iPhone 13:

  • Press and quickly release the Volume up button, Press and quickly release the Volume down button, then press and hold the Power/Side button. 
  • When the Apple logo appears, release the button. 

Wait for your iPhone to finish the boot sequence and load up to the Lock screen.

Performing a forced restart doesn’t delete any user data so you won’t lose any important files and documents from the iPhone storage.

Solution #2: Diagnose and fix faulty apps.

Recent iOS devices have a feature called Analytics. As the name implies, it allows you to diagnose system issues and determine which of your apps is causing the problem.

fix iphone13 random restarts after updating analytics

You can make use of this feature to run a thorough test and find any problematic apps that might have triggered the device to reboot unexpectedly.

  • To access this information, just go to Settings-> Privacy-> Analytics & Improvements-> Analytics Data and then scroll through the entire list of apps. If you see any apps appearing in the list multiple times, then that app is likely acting app and causing the problem. 

Updating or removing the app from your iPhone is therefore a potential solution.

Manually updating apps via App Store

Any of the third-party apps installed on the phone might have gone rogue from the recent update and eventually caused conflicts to the entire system. As a result, the random restarts are triggered.

fix iphone13 random restarts after updating update apps

Oftentimes, apps that would go rogue from an update are those that are outdated. Since they’re outdated, it’s possible that the minimum system requirements are no longer met. This is when installing pending app updates on the App Store is needed.

And here’s how it’s done on the iPhone 13:

  • Open the App Store app and then tap on your Apple ID profile. 
  • On the succeeding menu, tap Update All to install all pending app updates at once or tap the Update button next to the name of the app to update apps individually.

Be sure to keep your device connected to the internet and is sufficiently charged so all updates will finish installing. Ample storage is also needed to ensure that all new updates files are lodged.

If the problem continues after installing all pending app updates in the App Store, uninstalling the problematic app would be the next option.

Solution #3: Offload unused apps.

For random restarts tied to memory problems, enabling the iOS feature called offload unused apps can also help.

fix iphone13 random restarts after updating offload1

To enable this feature on your iPhone 13, just follow these steps:

  • Go to Settings-> App Store menu.
  • Then tap to turn the Enable Offload Unused Apps switch ON to enable automatic offloading of unused apps.

When enabled, apps that you don’t use after a long period of time are automatically deleted whenever the phone detects it’s running low on storage space.

This therefore optimizes and maximizes your phone storage.


Manually offloading errant application

If the boot loop occurs only when using a certain app, then that’s likely an isolated problem with that application. In this case, manually offloading the problematic app will likely fix it.

fix iphone13 random restarts after updating offload2

To manually offload an app on the iPhone 13, just refer to these steps:

  • Open the Settings app.
  • Go to General-> iPhone Storage menu.
  • Select the errant app from the list.
  • On the App info screen, tap Storage and then tap the option to Offload app.
  • If prompted, read the warning prompt and then tap Offload app to confirm.

After offloading the problematic app, use your iPhone like you usually do and see if the boot loop has stopped.

You can redownload the app from the App Store whenever you need to use it on your phone again or download another better and more stable app that serves the same purpose.

Solution #4: Reset all settings on your iPhone.

If the recent software update automatically altered or overridden the current settings, chances are that some of the system settings were messed up from the update overrides and thereby results in some conflicts. As a result, the phone system becomes unstable and the device misbehaves.

fix iphone13 random restarts after updating resetall

To clear this out, you can trigger the iPhone’s native command to reset all settings. This reset doesn’t affect any user data from the internal storage and therefore it’s recommended before performing a factory reset.

To reset all settings on the iPhone 13, just follow these steps:

  • Go to Settings-> General-> Transfer or Reset iPhone menu.
  • Tap Reset and select Reset all settings on the next menu to proceed.
  • Read the reset details then tap Reset settings.
  • Enter your device passcode if prompted and then tap Reset to confirm.

After the reset, the phone reboots by itself and then loads up the default system settings and options. 

Allow your phone to finish rebooting and once it’s up, you can start re-enabling necessary features, set default apps for specific file types and data protocols. 

Solution #5: Restore factory defaults (factory reset).

A drastic solution to recurring system issues including boot loops is a factory reset. This is usually needed if the recent update has totally ruined your iPhone critical services. 

fix iphone13 random restarts after updating factory reset

Please note though that this reset will wipe everything from your device including all your downloaded apps and files, custom settings and saved documents. These pave a way for a fresh iOS install. After the reset, the phone returns to its factory state. 

Should you wish to proceed, try any means to back up all your important data to iCloud or a dedicated computer drive using iTunes.

A factory reset can be carried out through the Settings app or using iTunes. Since your iPhone system is unstable, the latter method is recommended.

fix iphone13 random restarts after updating itunesfactoryreset

That said, you will need to secure a Mac or Windows computer that has the latest version of iTunes app installed.

Once you have it, connect your iPhone to the computer using the Apple-supplied USB/lightning cable. When the device is connected, launch iTunes on your computer and instigate iOS restore using the built-in restore command in iTunes.

After restoring, your iPhone will return to its factory state and be running with the latest iOS version. By then you can proceed with the initial setup and configure your iPhone as new.

Is your iPhone still restarting on its own?

Some iPhone owners who have encountered the same issue after updating iOS have managed to resolve it by reinstalling the SIM card. The recent update might have ruined the SIM card system and thereby results in corrupted SIM card data. Eventually, the entire system gets affected and thus the boot loop instigated.

To deal with this problem, reinstalling the SIM card is recommended. To do so, simply remove and reinsert the SIM card on  your iPhone 13. Be sure to power off your iPhone before removing the SIM card to prevent damaging the SIM or the device itself.

Restore iPhone in iTunes

If reinstalling the SIM card doesn’t fix the problem and your iPhone 13 still keeps restarting, the next thing you can try is to restore your iPhone 13 in iTunes. 

fix iphone13 random restarts after updating recovery dfu restore

You can carry out the standard iOS restore or restore iPhone via Recovery mode or DFU mode.

Performing the recovery and DFU mode restores are typically deemed as the last resort when dealing with complex iOS problems on an iOS device including those that are caused by a software bug.

Although this offers a great chance to fix iPhone restarts, it’s also worth noting that these restore methods would result in permanent data loss so be sure to back up all your important files beforehand, if possible. You can back up files to your iCloud account or to a dedicated folder in iTunes.

Third-party iPhone system repair solutions

If iTunes fails to fix your iPhone and boot loops continue, you may resort to any of the third-party iOS repair apps that’s compatible with your device.

These apps can be downloaded and installed on a Windows or Mac computer for free or via one-time purchase. After installing the app, run it like what you do with iTunes and then use the built-in commands and features to fix critical system errors on your iPhone that made it succumb to the random boot loops.

Among the widely used iPhone repair tools available to-date include Dr. Fone iPhone Repair, iMyFone – Fixxpo, AnyFix iOS System Recovery, PhoneRescue for iOS and Tenorshare ReiBoot, to name a few.

Just read the descriptions, previous reviews and ratings so you can decide on which tool to use.

Seek More Help

You may escalate the problem to Apple Support for further assistance if none of the above solutions works and random restarts continue. This way Apple would become aware that such a problem emerged from the recent iOS update and thereby prompt them to look into it. Should this be confirmed as a post-iOS update issue, they’d be compelled to create the required patch as a permanent solution.

Repair Options

If random restart doesn’t stop after performing all the above solutions, then there’s a higher chance that you’re dealing with a hardware issue. 

If you suspect that the problem is attributed to faulty hardware, then you can take your device to the nearest Apple-authorized service center in your area and have it diagnosed by an iPhone technician. 

Although the onset of the problem was from a recent update, it doesn’t always denote a post-update issue. Your iPhone might have already acquired some sort of physical or liquid damage from a prior incident of dropping or liquid exposure and the symptoms had just coincidentally emerged after updating.

If the problem is hardware-related, your iPhone needs repair.

Don’t forget to avail warranty if your device is still eligible for one either service or new unit replacement.

Please keep posted for more comprehensive iOS tutorials and troubleshooting guides on this site. Or you can check out this YouTube channel to view more comprehensive tutorial and troubleshooting videos including recent iOS devices.

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