How to fix an Apple iPhone 8 Plus that is not responding after installing a new iOS update [Troubleshooting Guide]

by Grace updated   

There can only be two outcomes from installing new software updates in mobile devices and that would be either good or bad. For successful update implementation, everything is good and works as intended on the receiving device. Otherwise, it’s the opposite outcome. When a firmware update yields a negative outcome, various symptoms can occur on the receiving device. Sometimes the symptoms are minor and easily remedied by the usual restarts. But there are also instances when the outcome turned out to be a complex error and therefore requires more advanced solutions.

Tackled in this post is post-update issue on the iPhone 8 Plus that gets stuck or unresponsive following the latest iOS update implementation. Read on to find out how to deal with this issue after updating your iPhone 8 Plus to iOS 11.3.1, 11.4, or iOS 12. While these are just generic solutions, they’ve been proven to work wonders to a number of iPhone users who have dealt with pertinent issues following an iOS revamp.

For owners who are looking for a solution to a different problem, drop by our troubleshooting page for we have already addressed some of the most common problems with this device. Browse through the page to find issues that are similar with yours and use the solutions we suggested. If they don’t work or if you need further assistance don’t hesitate to contact us by filling up our iPhone issues questionnaire.

First solution: Force restart your iPhone 8 Plus.

Some device would end up being stuck or unresponsive when a new platform change is implemented. This can happen due to many different factors including rogue apps, data corruption and update bugs, to name some. Oftentimes, this can be remedied by a force restart. A force restart works similar as the usual reboot or soft reset but done through the hardware keys. This won’t affect any data stored on the internal memory for as long as it’s carried out correctly. And here’s how to force restart your iPhone 8 Plus:

  1. Quickly press and release the Volume Up button.
  2. Then press and release the Volume Down button.
  3. Finally, press and hold the Side/Power button until the phone reboots.

Let your phone finish booting up. If your iPhone 8 Plus successfully boots up and responding properly,  then continue to reset all settings. Doing so will restore your iPhone settings to their default values or original configuration without affecting any data you’ve saved on the internal memory or your device. Any conflict settings or invalid options caused by the new update will be cleared, and so as the transpiring errors.

  • To reset all settings on your iPhone 8 Plus, navigate to Settings-> General-> Reset menu, and then select Reset all settings from the given options. If prompted, enter your device passcode to continue. Let your device finish the reset and then reboots.

Afterwards, you can configure options and enable necessary features according to your previous preferences, before the problems instigated.

Second solution: Reset your iPhone on a computer through iTunes (factory reset).

Performing a factory reset will delete all information and settings on your iPhone then restores the default configuration. The latest iOS version will also be installed. This procedure is often recommended when dealing with more intricate software issues in mobile devices. It’s also the ultimate solution to memory-related issues that caused smart devices to slow down. Should you wish to proceed, back up all your important data so you would still be able to recover them later.

Once you’re backup is finished, get your computer ready. Given that your iPhone is unresponsive, a factory reset through iTunes would be a better choice to ensure everything gets done successfully. You can use either a Windows PC or Mac computer for as long as it’s running on a later, if not the latest operating system. Also check that you have the latest version of iTunes installed on your computer. Once you all have the requisites checked, proceed with these steps:

  1. Launch iTunes on your computer.
  2. Connect your iPhone 8 Plus to your computer using the USB cable or Lightning cable that came with it.
  3. If prompted to enter your device passcode or to Trust This Computer, follow the onscreen instructions to continue.
  4. Your iPhone will then appear in iTunes when it’s recognized. Select your iPhone in iTunes.
  5. Then, navigate to the Summary panel in iTunes.
  6. Click the Restore [device] button.
  7. Read the information from the message prompt then click the Restore button again to confirm.
  8. Allow iTunes to erase your device and install the latest iOS version.

After the device restores to factory default settings, it will reboot automatically. When for it to finish booting up and then set it up as new.

Everything should be working fine by now. But if not, then you’ll have to consider performing an iOS restore.

Third solution: Restore iOS in iTunes.

An iOS restore would be the next and possibly a last-ditch solution you can try on if a factory reset failed to resolve the issue and that your iPhone 8 Plus is still stuck or unresponsive. You’ve got two restore options to try — a recovery mode restore and DFU mode restore. You can start with a recovery mode restore first. To do so, connect your iPhone 8 Plus to your computer then open iTunes. When your device is connected to iTunes, do a force restart then carry out a recovery mode restore with these steps:

  1. Press and quickly release the Volume Up button.
  2. Then press and quickly release the Volume Down button.
  3. Finally, press and hold the Side/Power button until you see the Recovery Mode screen (Connect to iTunes screen). Don’t release the button when you see the Apple logo since you will need to boot your iPhone 8 Plus in recovery mode.
  4. Release the buttons when the Recovery Mode screen appears.
  5. If prompted to Update or Restore, select Restore.
  6. Allow iTunes to try reinstalling iOS and download the software for your device.

Your device will exit recovery mode if the download takes more than 15 minutes. If this happens, you will need to go back to the prior steps to enter recovery mode again.

If the recovery mode restore doesn’t work, then you can proceed with a Device Firmware Update (DFU) mode restore. It’s the deepest type of restore done on an iPhone. And here’s how to put your iPhone 8 Plus in DFU mode and restore iOS:

  1. Connect your iPhone to your computer and open iTunes.
  2. Press and quickly release the Volume Up button, then quickly press and release the Volume Down button. Finally, press and hold the Side/Power button until the screen goes black.
  3. As soon as you see your iPhone screen turns black, press and hold the Volume Down button while continuing to hold the Side/Power button.
  4. After 5 seconds, let go of the Side/Power button but keep holding the Volume Down button until your iPhone shows up in iTunes.
  5. When your iPhone appears in iTunes, release the Volume Down button.
  6. At this point, your iPhone should be in DFU mode.

Meanwhile, if you see an Apple logo on the screen, it means that you’ve held the Volume Down button for too long and that you’ll need to start all over from the very start. Note that entering DFU mode requires timing so if you failed in your first attempt, you should try again.

Once your iPhone is in DFU mode, you can restore it through iTunes.

Every bit of code that controls your iPhone software and hardware will be erased and then reloaded in the process.

Seek more help

If none of the prior solutions worked for you, then you can take your iPhone 8 Plus to a Genius bar nearby and have it examined by an Apple technician instead. There might be something else like hardware damage that’s causing your iPhone to become unresponsive. Don’t forget to avail for warranty, if you’re device is still covered.

Connect with us

If you need more help with the use of certain functions and features of the new Apple iPhone 7 smartphone, feel free to visit our Tutorial Page. There you can find a list of how-to contents, step-by-step tutorials, as well as answers to FAQs regarding iPhone 7. If you have other concerns or encountered some troubles while using the phone, you can reach us through this form. Just be sure to tell us more details of the problem or device issue(s) you may have and we will be more than happy to assist you further.

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