The #iPhone7 and #iPhone7Plus are generally free of voice calling and texting issues but in this troubleshooting episode, we’ll address some uncommon problems other users have encountered. As guidance, please don’t treat this post as an exhaustive source of troubleshooting steps for similar issues. We only provide advice based on the circumstances mentioned by our readers. If you think you’ve already tried our suggestions in this post, try looking for other iPhone 7 posts we’ve published in the past.
Before we proceed let us remind you that you can contact us by using the link provided at the bottom of this page. When describing your issue, please be as detailed as possible so we can easily pinpoint a relevant solution. If you can, kindly include the exact error messages you are getting to give us an idea where to start. If you have already tried some troubleshooting steps before emailing us, make sure to mention them so we can skip them in our answers.
Problem 1: iPhone 7 microphone stopped working on calls
IPhone 7 plus voice and audio stopped working as well as any app connected to it. ie phone calls voice memo, FaceTime, Facebook messenger calls. These apps will either freeze or crash every time I attempt to test the phone. I was on iOS 11.1 when it stopped working. I have updated it to 11.2.2 with no success as well as then downgrading it back to 11.2. while it was still being signed by Apple still no success. The phone has had the screen replaced about 6 months ago but i haven’t had any issues until the other day. It was not dropped or had anything spilt on just before it stopped working. — Drew
Solution: Hi Drew. It’s not uncommon for physically impacted devices to not show problems right away. Sometimes, the phone can continue working for days or weeks before a damaged part can start showing issues. We don’t know how exactly how much damage was done to the motherboard or to the hardware in general that led to a screen replacement but if you’ve done nothing drastic leading to the issue you’re facing right now, you shouldn’t eliminate the possibility that a hardware malfunction plays a central role. If you haven’t realized at this time, an end-user can only do so much when it comes to fixing iPhone issues. At most, you can try to recover the software after doing the basic things like reset all settings, install updates, check for app errors, and factory reset.
If software recovery did not work at all, you should consider having the motherboard checked, starting with the audio chip. It may not be working properly by sending bad signals or inputs to the system causing apps that uses it to crash. Checking for a fault in a particular chip is very tricky and not every technician can do it. In a lot of cases, hard-to-diagnose problems will be left unchecked since there’s no way to know for sure if a certain component is working, or if replacing it will fix the issue. A common method to fix a problem due to an irreplaceable component usually leads to motherboard replacement. It’s possible that the app crashes are not the result of a software glitch or a bad app since you said that downgrading the OS back to an older version did not change anything. The most probable reason for it must be a broken component/s. Let a professional check the phone physically so a thorough hardware diagnostics can be performed.
Problem 2: iPhone 7 network signal keeps going out
I’m having issues with my iPhone 7 continuously going in and out of service. I can toggle airplane mode which temporarily resolves the issues but this only fixes the problem for a few minutes. It is a Verizon phone running iOS 11.2.2. I have reset the carrier settings, cleaned the SIM card, replaced the SIM card (at Verizon), and looked for a carrier update (there was not one). I plan on performing a factory reset and restore but I think this might be iOS related as it began after the update. What should my next steps be? — Joey
Solution: Hi Joey. If you are positive that the problem coincided with the installation of a new update, then the best thing that you can do is to let your carrier know of the problem so they create a troubleshooting ticket for it, or update a previously created one. If the issue is not isolated to your device, then most probably other users have reported it ahead of you. What your carrier has to do is to gather more pertinent data so they can find a pattern and eventually solve it with later updates. We would advise against doing any factory reset on your device at this time unless your carrier will give the go ahead signal. Don’t waste your time and effort for a possible firmware coding issue.
Contacting your carrier will also allow you to confirm if your area has intermittent network signal issue at this time. From time to time, network maintenance is conducted by carriers without actually letting their subscribers know in advance. For most, routine maintenance is conducted when there’s minimum impact on service, which usually occurs at night. If your signal problem only happens during particular time of the day, it may be due to on-going maintenance in your location.
Problem 3: iPhone 7 Plus cannot send photo in camera app, links in email won’t open in Safari
I have an iPhone 7 Plus. I can no longer send a picture to text directly from the camera using the forward feature. It only gives options to email, Facebook, Twitter etc. The Message option has disappeared but I can send pictures if I start a message to someone first and then select the pictures.
Second problem is when I click a link directly from an email, it opens Safari and the link appears in the search bar but it doesn’t connect. I have to cancel it and reload the address link to be able to direct to the page. — Trivera
Solution: Hi Trivera. Both issues may be caused by caused by the same bug, app, or software issue. To fix them, here’s what you need to do:
Restart your iPhone
Minor bugs are sometimes fixed by doing a simple troubleshooting step: restarting your device. If you haven’t tried it yet, make sure that you do before doing more troubleshooting steps. Restarting your iPhone 7 clears its memory and can put an end to a developing bug or memory error so it should be a good first step.
Install app and iOS updates
One other preventing maintenance step is by keeping apps and iOS up-to-date. At times, installing a new update fixes other known and reported bugs too so it pays to really keep the system and apps updated.
Reset all iPhone settings
There are instances wherein user customizations can lead to system errors or bugs. If you have the tendency to tweak things that you don’t really understand well in your operating system, it’s good if you can revert everything back to their known, working defaults. To do that, kindly do the following:
- From the Home screen, go to Settings>General>Reset.
- Tap Reset All Settings.
- If presented, enter the passcode.
- Tap Reset All Settings to confirm.
Do a factory reset
Should resetting all settings won’t change anything, you can then proceed to wiping the phone and start the software environment from scratch. Here’s how:
- Create a backup in iTunes or iCloud.
- Open Settings app.
- Tap General.
- Tap Reset.
- Tap Erase All Content and Settings.
- If prompted, enter your passcode.
- Tap Erase iPhone.
Contact Apple support
If nothing has changed to this point, the issues you’re having are most probably due to a software bug that cannot be fixed at your level. Be sure to let Apple know about them so they can help you further.
Problem 4: iPhone 7 messaging app not working properly
When I hit the message button it automatically pulls up the “new message” screen. However when I hit cancel it should take me back to my list of messages but the screen is blank. Also, on the new message screen, if I select a contact, it will show as unknown. And I can type a whole message but cannot send. I have tried restarting, turning messaging on and off, turning wifi on and off. — Ykj0313
Solution: Hi Ykj0313. If you’re having an issue with a core iOS app — the Messages app — below are the steps that you do to try to fix it.
- Restart the device.
- Force quit the problematic app.
- Install app and iOS updates.
- Contact Apple
Force quit the app
Like restarting your iPhone, force quitting an app can clear the memory and the processes that may be responsible for the bugs you mention. To force quit your Messages app, follow these steps:
- Double-click the Home button to show your most recently uses apps.
- Swipe right or left to find the app that you want to close.
- Swipe up on the app’s preview to close the app.
Should force quitting the app won’t help, try to see if there are app and iOS updates that you can install to hopefully fix the problem. If that won’t work either, contact Apple (developer) and report the bugs.
If you happen to be having issues with a non-Apple app, you can also try to remove and reinstall the app on top of the steps we suggest. If reinstallation is ineffective, contact the app developer to report the problem.
Engage with us
If you happen to have a problem with your own iPhone, let us know about it and we will do our best to post them and their solutions in our upcoming articles. You can use this link to contact us for assistance. We can’t guarantee an answer to every question but rest assured that we will exhaust everything on our end to help you.
Be as detailed as possible when describing your problem to help us diagnose your issue easily. If you can include error messages, popups, attempted troubleshooting steps, and circumstances leading to the problem, that would be very helpful.