Fix an iPhone that keeps turning off and on, random restarts problem

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An iPhone that keeps turning on and off or has random restarts problem could have an issue with its firmware or it could be a sign of a hardware problem. Many iPhone users have actually complained about this problem and we’ve already addressed this issue several times in the past. For the benefit of our readers who contacted us regarding this problem, we will tackle it again in this post.

iPhone keeps turning off and on?

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Automatic random restarts emerged among the symptoms of performance degradation in mobile devices. These symptoms usually occur on old devices but can also transpire in new devices when triggered by some factors like malwares, system bugs, corrupt system files, and bad apps. Memory-related issues like when the phone’s internal memory is running low are also among the possible triggers. In worst cases, the phone would experience the same symptoms due to hardware damage. But before rushing to a service center, there are some helpful tweaks you can try to solve the problem on your end. Feel free to refer to these subsequent solutions and if none of these gives the remedy, that’s when you may opt for service or iPhone repair.

First solution: Force restart your iPhone.

Glitching apps, corrupted caches and random firmware crashes are usually the common factors that trigger the device system to act up and become unstable. If the transpiring symptom isn’t that fatal, performing a forced restart will likely suffice. Hence, this must be considered among the first potential solutions to apply. The steps to force restart different between iPhones.

If you’re using an iPhone 8, 8 Plus, or newer variant, follow these steps to force restart:

  1. Press and release the Volume Up button.
  2. Then press and release the Volume Down button.
  3. Finally, press and hold the Side button and then release it when the Apple logo appears.

On early iPhones like the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus, a forced restart is done this way:

  • Press and hold the Volume Down button and the Power (Sleep/Wake) button simultaneously and then release both buttons with the Apple logo appears.

If you’re using an earlier version of iPhone like the iPhone 6s, 6s Plus, 6, SE and 5s, a forced restart is done this way:

  • Press and hold both the Power (Sleep/Wake) button and the Home button for a few seconds and then release both buttons when the Apple logo is displayed on the screen.

Allow your device to finish booting up then use it as you normally do to test if the problem is gone. If the random restarts still occur after doing this, then move on to the next solution.

ALSO READ: Facebook won’t open on Apple iPhone XR. Here’s the fix.

Second solution: Free up memory space.

As mentioned earlier, insufficient memory is also among the underlying causes of the problem. To rule this out, refer to these steps to check and manage your iPhone storage:

  1. Tap Settings from your Home screen.
  2. Tap General.
  3. Tap iPhone Storage.

If the available storage is significantly low or less than 1GB, free up some space by deleting unnecessary files like old messages and unused applications. You can also move or transfer some important contents to iCloud, iTunes or other storage media. After freeing up some space and the random restarts didn’t disappear, then try the next solution.

Third solution: Update your apps.

Apps that are acting up can also trigger your iPhone to experience random restarts. Apps that are prone to acting up are usually those that aren’t up-to-date. Having said that, installing pending app updates on your iPhone will likely solve the problem. So here’s what you can try doing next:

  1. Tap to open the App Store from your Home screen.
  2. From the App Store screen, tap Updates at the bottom section. Doing so will show up a list of apps with pending updates.
  3. Tap the Update button next to an app to update individual apps.
  4. Tap the Update All button to update all apps at once.

After updating your apps, reboot the phone to apply the recent software changes and app fixes. Continue using your phone if it would still turn off and on after it. If the random restarts still occur, then perhaps it’s a widespread issue and Apple may have already rolled out an update to fix it.

ALSO READ: How to fix AirDrop that is not working on Apple iPhone XR

Fourth solution: Update your iPhone software.

Aside from app updates, installing the latest iOS update for your iPhone is also a potential solution especially if system errors and malwares are the root cause of the problem. If your iPhone has stable Internet access, ample of storage space and battery life, then you can implement OTA updates with these steps:

  1. From the Home screen, tap on Settings.
  2. Tap General.
  3. Tap Software Update.

If a new iOS update is available, an notification should be displayed. Read and review the update details and system requirements. Then back up all your important files to iCloud for safekeeping. Once your iPhone backup is secured, follow the onscreen instructions to download and install the iOS update.

Reboot your iPhone when the update is completely installed. Doing so will ensure that all new system changes are properly applied or saved on your device. Restarting also prevents apps from acting up after the recently applied system changes.

Fifth solution: Reset all settings.

Misconfigured settings or incorrect configurations can also trigger the phone system to misbehave. This is usually the case if the symptom started after installing new updates or customizing your iPhone settings. To clear this out, resetting all settings on your iPhone is recommended. This reset does not affect any saved data on the internal memory, so you don’t need to create backups beforehand. Here’s how it’s done:

  1. From the Home screen tap on Settings.
  2. Tap General.
  3. Scroll down to and tap on Reset.
  4. Choose the option to Reset all settings.
  5. Enter your passcode when asked to proceed.
  6. Tap to option to confirm that you want to reset all settings on your iPhone.

Your device should reboot automatically when the reset is finished and then loads up the default options and original values. To use features that are disabled by default, you have to re-enable them first.

ALSO READ: How to fix iMessage that is not working on an Apple iPhone XR

Sixth solution: Erase your iPhone and restore its factory defaults.

Performing the above solutions is usually enough to get rid of minor culprits. But if your iPhone continues to turn on and off on its own, chances are that complex system errors still exist. And that’s what you need to eliminate next. At this point, performing a factory reset is your next option. This will erase everything from your iPhone system including complex system errors and malwares inflicting random restarts. But before you proceed, back up all your important files so that you’d still be able to recover them later. Once your backup is secured, follow these steps to factory reset your iPhone through settings:

  1. From the Home screen, tap on Settings.
  2. Tap General.
  3. Scroll down to and tap on Reset.
  4. Choose the option to Erase all content and settings.
  5. If prompted, enter your passcode to proceed.
  6. Then tap the option to confirm full system reset on your iPhone.

Alternatively, you can use iTunes to manually erase your iPhone and restore its factory defaults on a computer. This may be a better option because you don’t know when your iPhone system crashes and shuts down again.

Seventh solution: Restore your iPhone in iTunes.

If nothing else works, performing iOS restore can be considered among the last options. You can use iTunes to restore your iPhone on a computer. You can start with the standard iTunes restore. If that still failed to fix the problem, then you can proceed and restore your iPhone in recovery mode. Here’s how to get started:

  1. Turn off your iPhone then connect it to the computer using the Apple-supplied USB cable/Lightning cable. Then enter recovery mode with these next steps.
  2. Press and quickly release the Volume Up button.
  3. Next, press and quickly release the Volume Down button.
  4. Then, press and hold the Side/Power button until you see the Connect to iTunes screen. This means that your iPhone has entered recovery mode.
  5. When you see the option to Update or Restore, select Update if you want to restore without deleting files. Otherwise, click Restore to wipe everything from your iPhone.
  6. To restore your iPhone from a previous iOS backup, click the option to Restore then follow the onscreen instructions to select the backup file that you want to restore from.

Aside from a recovery mode restore, you can also restore your iPhone in DFU mode. DFU or default firmware update mode restore is the deepest type of system restore done on an iPhone. It allows iTunes to communicate with your iPhone without activating the boot loader, thus making it possible to repair fatal system errors even when the system is totally corrupted. You can view a comprehensive guide on how to perform a DFU mode restore on this site’s tutorials section.

Last resort: Use iOS repair tools.

In the case where iTunes is unable to put an end to the problem, resorting to third-party or non-Apple iOS repair software can be deemed among the last options. You can choose from any of the widely used tools to repair fatal system errors that caused your iPhone to randomly shut down and crash on its own. Among the most reliable tools that are designed for this purpose include Dr. Fone – Repair, iMyFone iOS System Recovery, FonePaw iOS System Recovery, and Tenorshare Reiboot, to name a few. To gauge the efficacy of these tools, reading previous reviews will help. Be sure to pick the tool that’s compatible with your computer and iOS version. Once you’re decided, download and install your preferred software on your computer. And by then you can start using the software to repair your problematic iPhone. Just connect your iPhone to the computer using the Apple-supplied Lightning cable or syncing cable. Then open the repair software on your computer and wait for it to sync with your iPhone. Once they synced, you can use to given commands and controls to start repairing your iPhone.

Service/iPhone Repair

If random restarts persist and that your iPhone continues to turn on and off after exhausting all possible solutions, at this point, you can visit the nearest Apple-authorized service center in your place. Ask an authorized iPhone technician to scrutinize your device for any indications of hardware damage. Your device might have obtained some sort of liquid damage or physical damage from a previous liquid exposure or accidental dropping incidents. In that case, your iPhone needs repair. If your iPhone is still covered by AppleCare Warranty, contact your carrier for official recommendations.

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