How to fix an iPhone 11 that keeps lagging and freezing

New Apple devices rarely show adverse system behaviors. However, it doesn’t denote that these devices are totally free of flaws. Even the newest powerful iPhones are no exception. Among the dreaded issues any iPhone owner could bump into is on random to frequent lags and freezes. These symptoms are often seen in early devices with hardware damage or wear and tear as the underlying cause. In new devices that are acting the same, software-related factors are usually the main triggers. Lined up below are potential solutions to deal with software-related problem on an iphone 11 that keeps lagging and freezing. Read on for more detailed solutions.

Before moving on, feel free to browse through our troubleshooting pages to find potential solutions to other problems with your other Apple devices. If your iPhone is in the list of our supported devices, then you can visit its exclusive troubleshooting page and find the problem that you need help dealing with. You can refer to or use our provided solutions and workarounds if needed. In the case where you’d prefer to get direct assistance from us, simply fill up our iOS issues questionnaire and hit submit to contact us.

Troubleshooting an iPhone 11 that keeps lagging and freezing

Below are possible solutions that are used to deal with software-related performance issues on an iPhone. Pick and try the applicable methods then see which of them is able to solve the problem.

First solution: Force restart your iPhone.

400;”>Performance issues resulting in atypical display symptoms, particularly random freezes can be remedied by a force restart given that minor firmware crashes are the underlying causes. A force restart is a simulated battery removal procedure that is used to forcibly shut down and restart a frozen iPhone. Similar to a soft reset, this reboot process does not affect the internal data saved on your iPhone storage so it’s a safe method to begin with. Just follow these steps:

1. Quick-press then release the Volume Up key.
2. Quick-press then release the Volume Down key.
3. Press and hold the Side button for about 10 seconds then release when you see the Apple logo.

Allow your iPhone to finish its boot sequence then use it as you normally do to find out if the symptoms are gone. If it continues to lag and freeze after a force restart, try other options to eliminate other factors.

Second solution: Update or delete bad apps.

Installing updates can also help fix such problems if they’re attributed to malwares and system bugs. Similar to iOS updates, app updates also embed some fix patches to address in-app issues. Installing these updates can also fix performance issues on your iPhone that are attributed to rogue apps. If your device is still able to respond and can connect to the internet, try to check and install pending app updates with these steps:

1. From the Home screen, tap on the App Store icon to open the application.
2. Tap on Today tab at the bottom.
3. Then tap on the user profile icon (Apple ID header) on the top right corner of the screen. You should see the account details showing up on the display.
4. Scroll down to the Available Updates section.
5. Tap on Update<span style=”font-weight: 400;”> next to the name of the app to install individual app updates.
6. If multiple app updates are available, tap on Update All to update all apps at once.

In the case where lagging and freezing symptoms instigated after installing a new app, that app must be the trigger. That said, try to delete or uninstall the suspicious app and see how your phone behaves afterward. Just continue with these steps to remove any suspicious apps from your iPhone 11:

1. Start by heading on to your Home screen.
2. Scroll to and find the app that you’d like to delete or uninstall from your iPhone.
3. Tap and hold on the app icon for a few seconds. Keep holding the app icon when the pop-up menu appears and then release when the app icon starts to jiggle.
4. Tap Delete from the warning message.
5. Follow the same steps to delete other apps that you’d like to uninstall.
6. Finally, tap Done on the top-right corner of the screen once you’re done deleting apps.

Reboot or soft reset your iPhone after making all these changes and then see if the problem is gone. If your phone continues to lag or freeze, try the next applicable solutions.

Third solution: Manage contents and internal memory.

Memory issues like when the storage space of your iPhone is shrinking or running low can also trigger similar symptoms to occur. While this isn’t likely the case with your new iPhone given that it has ample of storage space, it wouldn’t hurt to verify its current memory status. Just follow these steps to check:

1. From the Home screen, tap Settings.
2. Select General.
3. Tap iPhone Storage.

View how much space each app used up. If you see any suspicious storage utilization of an app, then you might as well consider ruling that app out from the possible triggers. You can delete all unwanted contents from your device  not only to free up space but more importantly to remove any other possible culprits.

Fourth solution: Install the latest iOS version to fix your iPhone 11 that keeps lagging and freezing.

New firmware updates released by Apple to iOS devices usually contain dedicated patches to fix widespread issues. Thus, keeping your device software updated is highly recommended. If your iPhone is still able to respond and is connected to Wi-Fi internet, follow these steps to check for available iOS update for your device:

1. Tap Settings from the Home screen.
2. Select General.
3. Tap Software Update.

If an update is available follow the onscreen instructions to download and install the update on your phone.

In the case where your iPhone is not responding, you can use iTunes to manually check and install any available firmware updates. Just get a computer ready and then proceed with these steps:

1. Connect your iPhone to the computer using the original USB or Lightning cable.
2. If you’re using a Mac computer running on macOS Catalina, open the Finder app. Otherwise, open iTunes. Be sure to use the latest version of iTunes.
3. Wait for your iPhone to be recognized in iTunes and when you see its icon in iTunes, click on it.
4. Navigate to the Summary section then click the button to Check for Update. This should trigger iTunes to start check for new updates available.
5. If an update is available, click the Update button to begin installing the update on your iPhone.

Wait until the update is finished and then you can disconnect your iPhone from the computer. Don’t forget to reboot your iPhone to implement the recent system changes. Then try to see if that solves the problem.

Fifth solution: Erase your iPhone and restore it in iTunes.

A factory reset can be deemed among the last options if none of the prior methods is able to fix the problem. This reset will wipe everything from your iPhone system including saved files and personal information. Downloaded apps, customized settings, and other added data will also be erased from your iPhone. Recurring symptoms inflicted by major system errors and malwares are likewise obliterated. Just don’t forget to back up your critical data beforehand so you’ll be able to recover them after the reset. Then you can start wiping your device in iTunes with these steps:

1. Open iTunes on your computer, if you haven’t already.
2. Connect your iPhone to the computer with the USB cable or Lightning cable that came with it.
3. Wait for iTunes to recognize your device and when it does, you should see your iPhone’s icon in iTunes.
4. Click to select your iPhone 11 when it appears in iTunes.
5. Then navigate to the Summary section.
6. Click on the Restore [iPhone] button.
7. If prompted, click on the Restore button again to confirm.

Follow the rest of the onscreen commands to finish wiping data from and restoring factory default settings on your iPhone. To use necessary features and applications, you’ll need to set your iPhone up as new.

Last resort: Restore your iPhone in iTunes (recovery mode).

Major system issues that could not be handled by a factory reset are usually taken care of by a recovery mode restore. It is a system restore that’s used to put your device in a recovery state and then allows iTunes to fix and correct major iOS flaws that triggered adverse performance symptoms like random lags and freezes. In order to proceed, you’ll need to secure a Windows or Mac computer that has the latest version of iTunes. If you’ve got to use a Mac computer with macOS Catalina, open the Finder app instead then follow the rest of the instructions:

1. Connect your iPhone to a computer using the original USB cable or Lightning cable that came with it.
2. Open iTunes on your Windows and/or earlier Mac computer or Finder on your Mac running macOS Catalina.
3. While your device is connected, quickly press and release the Volume Up key.
4. Then quickly press and release the Volume Down key.
5. Next, press and hold the Side button until the Connect to iTunes or recovery mode screen appears. Do not release the button if you  see the Apple logo as you’ll need to boot your phone in recovery mode.
6. Follow the rest of the commands to restore and fresh install the firmware on your iPhone through iTunes.

You can disconnect your iPhone from the computer as soon as the recovery mode restore process is complete.

Is your iPhone 11 still lagging and freezing?

If you wish to troubleshoot further, the remaining option you’ve got would be a DFU mode restore. DFU or Device Firmware Update mode allows iTunes to access and communicate with your iPhone even when the bootloader or operating system is corrupted or not activated. This process is deemed as the deepest type of system restore done on an iPhone. It was typically carried out by iPhone technicians at the Genius bar whenever there’s a need for them to fix major system issues. If you wish to give it a try, your device must have sufficient storage space and that all your files are backed up to iTunes or iCloud beforehand. A more detailed walkthrough on how to carry out a DFU mode restore on an iPhone can be found on this site’s tutorials section. Feel free to visit that page whenever you need help in the process.

You can also escalate the problem straight to your iPhone carrier or Apple Support so that they’ll become aware of it and give you some further recommendations.

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