iPhone 7 Plus Not Responding After iOS Update? Here’s How to Fix It

If your iPhone 7 Plus froze, crashed, or became unresponsive after installing an iOS update (like iOS 11.4), you’re not alone. It’s not unusual for software glitches to creep in after an update—especially if the installation didn’t go smoothly. Luckily, most of these problems can be fixed at home without heading to the Apple Store.

Try these proven fixes to get your iPhone working again.

Force Restart Your iPhone 7 Plus

A frozen or stuck iPhone can usually be revived with a force restart. It’s like pulling the plug and powering it back on—no data is lost.

Here’s how:

Press and hold the Power (Side) button and the Volume Down button at the same time.
Keep holding both for about 10–20 seconds until you see the Apple logo.
Let go and wait for the phone to reboot.

If it boots up normally, see if things are working fine. If not, move on to the next steps.

Update All Your Apps

Apps can crash or misbehave after an iOS update, especially if they haven’t been updated to support the new version.

To update your apps:

Open the App Store.
Tap your profile icon in the top right.
Scroll down to see a list of apps with pending updates.
Tap Update All, or update apps one by one.

After updating, restart your iPhone to clear out any lingering glitches.

Reset All Settings

Sometimes, iOS updates mess with system settings, which can cause unexpected issues. A quick settings reset can clean that up—without deleting your personal data.

Here’s how:

Go to Settings > General > Transfer or Reset iPhone > Reset.
Tap Reset All Settings.
Enter your passcode if prompted.
Confirm the reset.

This resets Wi-Fi networks, Bluetooth connections, and system preferences, but your photos and apps will stay intact.

Factory Reset (If It’s Still Glitchy)

If your iPhone is still acting up, a factory reset may be necessary. This erases everything and restores the phone to its original state—so back up your data first.

To do it through your iPhone:

Open Settings > General > Transfer or Reset iPhone.
Tap Erase All Content and Settings.
Enter your passcode and confirm.

If your iPhone isn’t responsive enough to do this, you’ll need to use iTunes (or Finder on macOS Catalina and later).

Restore Your iPhone Using iTunes (Recovery Mode or DFU Mode)

If a factory reset doesn’t help—or your iPhone won’t boot—you’ll need to restore it via a computer.

Start with Recovery Mode:

Connect your iPhone to your computer with a Lightning cable.
Open iTunes (or Finder on newer Macs).
Force restart the iPhone while it’s connected (press and hold Power + Volume Down).
Keep holding until you see the Recovery Mode screen.
When prompted, click Restore.

Still nothing? Try DFU Mode (Device Firmware Update):

Connect your iPhone to your computer.
Press and hold Power + Volume Down for 10 seconds.
Release the Power button but keep holding Volume Down for another 5 seconds.
If the screen stays black and iTunes/Finder detects the device, you’re in DFU mode.
Follow the prompts to restore the firmware and iOS.

This is the most thorough software restore method and often fixes deep-level iOS issues.

Still Stuck? Let Apple Take a Look

If none of the above works, the issue might be more serious—like a hardware fault or a buggy update that needs a fix from Apple. Head to your nearest Apple Store or Authorized Service Provider, or contact Apple Support online.

Want help with a different iPhone problem? Just drop it here and I’ll walk you through it.