Hello and welcome to yet another #iPhone7 post. This article discusses 12 more iPhone 7 related cases and their respective solutions so hopefully you’ll find it informative.
Below are specific topics we’re bringing for you today:
Problem 1: iPhone 7 uses mobile data allocation fast when hotspot is enabled
I just bought my new iPhone 7 Plus and it used up my hotspot in a matter of minutes. No it is not my service provider, I have been with them for 8 years and I have had the same plan since 2013. I know how to use my hotspot and I know how long it should last me. Not my first rodeo. With that being said and taking all the user error possibilities out I need to find out why for 2 months in a row now I receive all my new data on the 15, did not use my hotspot at all until today. And 30 minutes later get a text that I have used 80% of my hotspot!!! Why??? — Bel Free
Solution: Hi Bel Free. Are there other devices using your hotspot aside from your own iPhone 7? If there is, it’s possible that such device/s may be downloading large files that consume most of your monthly data allocation. For example, if said connected devices are set to automatically download files when turned on, that may not show up in your radar until you receive an alarm from your carrier. To check, stop using your hotspot (you don’t need it anyway if you won’t allow other devices to connect) and observe how your mobile data consumption works for another month. If your bandwidth consumption goes back to normal, then you just find out the reason for your issue.
If you need more assistance regarding this issue though, we suggest that you work with your carrier in isolating other possible reasons for this issue.
Problem 2: iPhone 7 can’t send SMS during calls
First time iPhone owner here. Just got iPhone 7 plus last Friday. Husband is an over the road truck driver so we thought being able to facetime while he’s gone would be great! And it has been. What is really frustrating for both of us is not being able to talk on the phone and text or talk and surf the web. Why can’t we do both?? This is very disappointing to both of us as we are used to being able to with all of our previous Galaxy series phones. The only other change is that we switched to US Cellular from Verizon. Could that be the problem? — Melissa
Solution: Hi Melissa. iPhones on CDMA networks can’t send or receive SMS while phone is actively making or receiving a call. That’s just how iPhones are designed. That may not be ideal but Apple, for some reason, designed their device in this manner in order to ensure good voice quality during calls. Your phone’s network chip temporarily disables SMS and/or data service to ensure there’s enough resources for a call. Unless you can do better than Apple designers, there’s really nothing that you can do about it.
A good workaround though is this: If you want to surf the web during calls, make sure to connect to wifi. Wifi connection can continue working even during calls so you can surely split your attention between calls and browsing. The same is true when using Facetime. Make sure to connect to wifi before you facetime so you will be able to send and receive SMS.
Problem 3: iPhone 7 messaging app keeps crashing, won’t send SMS, overheating
When I receive any message, the text tone rings and the message is shown in the notifications. However, when I try to read it by pressing/touching Messages, the screen flashes white for sometime and return to the home screen not letting me read any message.
Also, the phone turns hot on the back side under the camera near the apple logo. Due to this I am unable to send any messages too. I tried to write messages by going to messages through Contacts but the same result. Please help. — Muktadir
Solution: Hi Muktadir. Looks like your messaging app appears to be crashing repeatedly. This can be due to an app bug or an operating system glitch. Below are the things that you can try to fix it.
Restart the app
This is the first troubleshooting step that you want to do. Sometimes, it just takes a simple restart to make everything start working good again. To do that, simply kill the app by following these steps:
- Tap the Home button twice quickly to pull up the app switcher.
- Look for the messaging app you’re using and flick it up until it disappears.
- Open the messaging app again and send a message.
Restart the phone
Sometimes a simple troubleshooting such as a device restart fixes things. If you haven’t tried that yet, make sure that you do.
Ensure that iOS and apps are updated
Updates are released for a reason. Sometimes, they are there for cosmetic changes to the user interface. At times, updates are meant to effect modifications and improvements to under-the-hood components of the software. Make sure that you install updates for apps or iOS whenever they become available. To make it easy on yourself, simply enable automatic updates if you previously changed the default setting. Just go to Settings>iTunes&App Stores.
Reinstall the app (if you’re using a third party app)
We assume that you’re using the native Apple messaging app so this should be optional. However, if you happen to be having an issue with non-Apple messaging app, consider re-installing it.
Wipe the phone clean
If all the steps above won’t work, make sure to wipe the phone by doing the following steps below. Make sure to back important files up before wiping the phone.
- Sign out of your iCloud account (if applicable).
- Go to Settings.
- Tap General.
- Tap Reset.
- Tap Erase All Content and Settings.
If your issues won’t go away, especially the heating issue on the back, contact Apple and have the phone checked.
Problem 4: iPhone 7 microphone not working, can’t record sound using voice memo
I cleaned my iPhone’s screen once with toothpaste. I think toothpaste has been frozen inside my microphone speaker but the main problem is that my phone is fine with recording video with camera. It hears me clearly but social apps are not able to hear me including voice memos. Siri can hear me clearly. 🙁 i’ve cleaned the microphone so many times. already have reset my phone 3-4 times … but nothing is working .. :(( pls help i dont want it to be repaired after opening the casing of the phone !! :(((( — Fatima
Solution: Hi Fatima. An iPhone 7 has four microphones — two of them are on the side of Lightning port, the other one is on the back between the True Tone flash and iSight camera, and another one inside the earpiece. If Siri captures your voice fine but Voice Memo app doesn’t, there may be an issue with the primary microphone located at the bottom of the phone.
You can do a full restore on the phone via iTunes to see if there’s software issue involved. To do a full restore, follow these steps:
- Create a backup of your files. You can do that in a number of ways but the fastest and most effective way is by using iTunes in your PC or Mac. If you don’t want to create a back at all, you can simply erase everything on the phone by following the steps in this link.
- Connect your iPhone to your computer with the cable that came with your phone.
- We assume you remember your phone’s passcode so simply enter it when you’re prompted for it.
- Select your iPhone once iTunes asks you for the specific device.
- Once you’re in the Summary panel or screen, select the option that will restore your device (Restore).
- Confirm by clicking on Restore button.
- Wait for a few moments while iTunes restores your device to its factory settings. It may also take some time if iTunes will need to install an updated operating system version.
- After this factory reset, all software settings should be restored to their defaults.
If that won’t work and you don’t want to contact Apple for assistance, try to replace the bottom microphone.
Problem 5: iPhone 7 can’t send and receive SMS
I am unable to receive or send SMS Text Messages (non-iPhone users). I have done every trouble shoot method. I haven’t even had the phone 24 hours yet. It is frustrating to make a not so small purchase for these types of issues to happen. On top of that that, I called in to iPhone support and it said the wait time would be 2 minutes. I have now been on hold for 57 minutes. Crazy! I really hope I can get a response soon. — Amanda
Solution: Hi Amanda. If you’re having trouble sending SMS to non-iPhone users only (we assume you can send messages to fellow iPhone users), then you must ask yourself one important question: what type of message are you sending or expecting to receive? In an iPhone device, there are at least 3 types of messages — SMS, MMS, and iMessage. So what’s the difference you may ask. Well, SMS and MMS allows you to send regular text message to other devices (both iOS and non-iOS). iMessage, on the other hand, only works between two iOS devices. An Android device, for example, won’t receive your iMessage. iMessage works fine if you have internet connection in your phone (either wifi or mobile data) as you’ll not incur charges unlike the regular text message.
If you’re trying to send a regular text message to a non-iPhone device, make sure that you have a text subscription with your carrier (Apple is the device manufacturer, not your carrier). If you aren’t sure, contact them and ask. That simple.
Now, here’s an important indicator in order to differentiate between an iMessage and regular SMS or MMS. If you see a green bubble message, then your message was sent as an SMS or MMS. If your message is showing as a blue bubble, then you’re sending an iMessage. Again, if you’re unsure why your text messages aren’t working, the best party that can help you is your carrier. Apple and third party support sites like us can only do so much.
Problem 6: iPhone 7 won’t stay connected with wifi networks, only right speaker is working
I purchased an iPhone 7 plus in January 2017 and I have 2 issues iPhone refuse to address:
- when using wifi, it struggles to hold a connection. This happens on ALL wifi… can’t find any resolution except to manually specify IP settings that improve it but not cure it.
- They have done away with headphone socket so now we have a lightning to 3.5mm Jack. However, whenever I try to use this in either of my cars (Aston Martin DB9 & Mini Roadster, I can ONLY get sound from the right speakers…. tried different leads and jacks/adapters but no cure for the problem. — Anonymous
Solution: A wifi issue like this must be caused by an issue with the device. If your iPhone runs the latest iOS updates and all apps are up-to-date, the only troubleshooting that you can try before sending the device in is a full factory wipe (not restore from your previous backup). This will return all factory settings to their defaults, which means that wifi should work normally. This will also confirm our suspicion that there may be a deeper cause for the problem. If wifi remains problematic after wiping the phone clean with a factory reset, then there may be hardware malfunction causing it, or coding-related glitch that won’t go away even after a full reset.
For the second issue, it’s not really an issue unless there’s also another hardware or software malfunction that cause it. You iPhone 7 will be in mono sound mode if it’s positioned standing up. It does not have a speaker at the lower bottom side. If you want a stereo mode, simply flip it on its side (landscape mode) so that both the earpiece speaker and bottom right speaker will work to give you stereo mode.
Problem 7: iPhone 7 volume cuts in and out while recording videos
When I’m video recording live shows/concerts, the volume on my iPhone 7 would automatically lower down as if cancelling background noises. It has been quite annoying as we’ve been to loads of shows & this issue has messed up with my recordings. It usually happens when vocals come in after there has been music playing in the beginning. The audio/volume automatically either just shuts off then turn on & off all throughout the recording. I’ve upgraded the iOS & all that but it’s still messing things up. What do you think is wrong? How can I correct this problem? Please help! All the best! — Adriaenne
Solution: Hi Adriaenne. Is your iPhone inside a protective case? If yes, remove the case and try to replicate the issue.
If removing the case won’t make a difference, contact Apple and demand for a phone replacement.
Problem 8: iPhone 7 can’t send SMS
Hi. I am unable to send SMS messages. I can send all messages in a blue bubble but none in the green bubble. I can receive all messages and all calls. Sending SMS to non-iPhone seems to be my only problem. This has been happening since Telstra changed my phone number, not sure if this is coincidental or not. Please help, I am using an iPhone 7 plus. I need to be able to send SMS messages to everyone, Telstra are not helping me at all. I have changed my phone, my number and my SIM and still have this problem. Thank you. — MARIE lee
Solution: Hi MARIE lee. One of the most common reasons why SMS won’t send in an iPhone device is an incorrect or misconfigured Message Center Number. Make sure that you contact your carrier to ask for the correct Message Center number on your phone. Once you have the correct one, compare it with the currently set one. Here’s how to check your device’s Message Center number:
- Open your Phone or dialer app.
- If the dial pad is not visible, tap Keypad.
- Enter *#5005*7672#.
- Tap Call. The screen should display the message center number. If you want to edit it, tap Dismiss.
- Enter **5005*7672*MessageCenternumber#, with MessageCenternumber being the Message Center number from your carrier.
- If “Setting succeeded, Service Centre Address, No Address” appears, simply dismiss it.
- Enter *#5005*7672# then tap Call.
If changing the Message Center number won’t work, you should continue to work with your carrier. They’re responsible in making sure that your paid service with them is working.
Problem 9: iPhone 7 microphone keeps cutting in and out
In almost every conversation I have, I have been told by the person on the other end that at times my voice fades in and out or that my voice gets muffled or becomes really “tinny” sounding. At first, I thought it was because I might have been holding my phone wrong or that my case was covering the microphone, but it’s not. This is a brand new, fresh out-of-the-package iPhone 7. Should I contact the company? — Emily.o.egerton
Solution: Hi Emily.o.egerton. Do a quick factory wipe on your phone by following the steps below:
- Sign out of your iCloud account (if applicable).
- Go to Settings.
- Tap General.
- Tap Reset.
- Tap Erase All Content and Settings.
Make sure to back important personal files such as photos, videos, etc before doing the steps above.
If the problem remains, try to remove the protective case (if you are using it) and see if the microphone works fine. If nothing changes, yes, you must contact Apple and demand for a new phone.
Problem 10: iPhone 7 speaker makes crackling sound, microphone not working
I love the white noise app. A few weeks ago, the left microphone started “crackling” or sounding staticky. Then last week, it stopped working completely. At the same time, I was also unable to hear someone when they called me. If I put them on speaker, then I was able to hear them. We went to Sprint, who sent us to an Apple Store, who sent us home to contact Apple online. We did and Apple sent me a new phone today AND ITS DOING THE SAME THING!!! My husband has the same phone and his works correctly, with sound coming from both speakers/microphones. Could it be my SIM card? — Melinda
Solution: Hi Melinda. Your iPhone only has two speakers, one in the top part near the earpiece and the other in the bottom right hand side. There’s no speaker in the left bottom grille. If you think the microphone is acting up, try to record your voice using voice memo app and listen to your voice. If it sounds bad, try to wipe the phone to factory defaults by following the steps we provide for Emily.o.egerton above. Once you’ve wiped all contents and settings, record your voice using voice memo again. If the problem remains, contact Apple support.
Problem 11: Brand new iPhone 7 won’t turn on
My wife’s brand new iPhone 7 (bought yesterday from Carphone Warehouse in London) will not switch on. The screen is totally blank (and black). It was purchased yesterday when it seemed to be working fine. I have tried the ‘soft’ way of switching it on. That does not work.. The battery has been charged on two different charges (although of course nothing shows on the screen). This is seriously unimpressive. — John
Solution: Hi John. If your phone does not restart when you press and hold both the Sleep/Wake and Volume Down buttons for about 10 seconds, there must be a hardware problem causing it. Unfortunately, there’s only so much that you can do in this case so you want to bring it back to the store so it can be replaced.
Problem 12: iPhone 7 keeps dropping calls, getting delayed SMS, and slow internet
Has anyone else experienced having to go into AT&T 5 times trying to fix an issue with their phone that LITERALLY EVERY TIME YOU GO IN THERE, they tell you something different every time and yet the issue is not resolved? I really shouldn’t have left Sprint because the grass is definitely ain’t greener my friends!
So the gist of the issue is just really bad service everywhere I go! But wait I thought AT&T was a leading service. Apparently not, they just overcharge for bad service and don’t give a crap.
My phone is almost always on search followed by dropped calls and delayed texts. Literally if you’re trying to get ahold of me in the morning, good luck. Searching the internet isn’t a breeze and playing music or watching a video is crap. I HAVE TO LITERALLY TURN MY PHONE OFF AND ON PROBABLY A FEW TIMES EACH HOUR JUST TO GET THE SERVICE OUT OF SEARCHING.
They have done a soft reset, changed my SIM twice and even sent me to Apple to get a new phone, which I have right now. And still doesn’t work.
I have iCloud issues which I have talked to corporate Apple about but is still unresolved. And I’m not sure if that affects service on my phone but I don’t see why it would?!
They once said there was something wrong with my apps and too much data coming through which was making service bad. They said it may be the difference with 3G and 4G, but like shouldn’t that happen automatically? And still that trip was a fail. I’m really frustrated and wish someone COULD HELP ME! Rant over. For the love of god someone help. — Martiniitinyxx
Solution: Hi Martiniitinyxx. If you rely on mobile data connection (not wifi) on your phone to connect to the internet then it looks like there’s a network issue going on. Dropped calls, erratic SMS behavior, and slow or intermittent mobile data connection are all network-related so it’s either due to poor signal/coverage problem, or there’s an on-going network maintenance or outage in your area. Either way, you must work with your carrier to identify the cause. That the problem occurs even after getting a phone replacement is a strong indication that this a carrier issue. If your device is receiving only 1 or 2 signal bars at best, you can’t expect to have reliable network services like SMS, voice calls, or mobile data internet.
If your current carrier can’t remedy the situation, you should switch to a carrier that works best in your location.