How to fix an Apple iPhone XR that is not responding after installing an update [Troubleshooting Guide]

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System crashes depicted by stuck screen or unresponsive display is one of the common issues encountered by smartphone owners after installing new update. This usually occurs as many apps can become rogue after the platform transition. When apps go rogue, various symptoms can be triggered. Thus, certain apps or the phone’s operating system itself suddenly stops working. Such problems can occur on both old and new devices after a new system installation.

Tackled in this post is a similar post-update issue occurring on the new iPhone XR handset. Read on to find out what to do if your iPhone XR is suddenly acting or and not responding properly after installing a new update to iOS. The following solutions will help you rule out app problems and system errors from the underlying causes.

But before anything else, if you have another issue with your phone, drop by our troubleshooting page as we have already addressed hundreds of issues reported by the owners. Odds are that there are already existing solutions on our website or at least, there are similar problems we already fixed. So, try to find ones that are similar or related to your problem. If you need further assistance, however, feel free to contact us by filling up our iPhone issues questionnaire.

First solution: Force restart.

The first recommended solution to stuck display issues on an iPhone is a force restart. It works the same as a soft reset but carried out using the physical buttons. Since would be necessary given that the usual restart method could not be performed because the phone’s display is not responding to touches. Background apps that have gone rogue are forcibly closed and the phone system to shutdown and reboot abruptly. Similar to a soft reset, performing a force restart does not affect any saved data on the phone memory so you won’t lose any important information in the process. Here’s how to force restart an iPhone XR:

  1. Press and quickly release the Volume Up button.
  2. Press and quickly release the Volume Down button.
  3. Then, press and hold the Power button on the side of the phone and then release when the phone starts up.

If your iPhone is able to start up and works properly again after a force restart, apply the next workarounds to get rid of the potential triggers.

Second solution: Install pending app updates.

Apps that go rogue after an update are usually those that are not updated. If you haven’t configured your apps to install updates automatically, then there’s a higher chance that some of your apps are no longer able to meet the minimum system requirements after updating the phone system. Loading these apps can therefore lead to a problem because they’re no longer supported unless they’re updated. To manually check for any pending updates for your apps, simply follow these steps:

  1. Tap to open the App Store then scroll down to Updates section.
  2. Navigate through the list of apps with pending updates.
  3. To install individual app updates, tap the Update button next to an application.
  4. Or tap the Update All button to install all app updates at once. This option is only available of multiple app updates are present.

In order to update apps, your phone must have strong and stable Wi-Fi internet access, sufficient power and memory space. After updating apps, reboot your iPhone to clear cache from the internal memory and likewise to refresh the operating system.

Third solution: Reset all settings.

Symptoms that emerge after installing new updates are usually remedied by resetting all settings. Consider applying this method to rule out invalid settings override from the possible triggers as some updates automatically changes or overrides system settings and options. Here’s how it’s done:

  1. Tap Settings from the Home screen.
  2. Select General.
  3. Scroll down to and then tap on Reset.
  4. Select Reset all settings from the given option.
  5. Enter your passcode when asked to continue.
  6. Then tap the option to confirm all settings reset.

After the reset, your iPhone reboots by itself and then loads up the default or original options. This means that you need to enable individual features including Bluetooth and Wi-Fi so you can use them again on your device.

Fourth solution: Factory reset/master reset.

The problem might be very complex that could not be remedied by any of the prior solutions. To deal with complex system errors including post-update bugs, resetting and restoring the phone to its factory defaults is usually needed. This however, should only be considered among the last options as it will result to data loss. To avoid losing critical data, back them up to iCloud or iTunes. Once you’re all set, follow these steps to factory reset your iPhone XR through settings:

  1. Tap Settings from the Home screen.
  2. Then tap on General.
  3. Scroll down to and then tap on Reset.
  4. Select the option to Erase all content and settings.
  5. Enter your passcode when asked to continue.
  6. Finally, tap the option to confirm full system reset (factory reset).

If the above method could not be carried out because the phone screen is still stuck or unresponsive, then you will need to use iTunes and restore your iPhone on a computer. To evade from system conflicts and errors, be sure to use a computer that runs on a compatible operating system with that of your iPhone (iOS 12 or later) and has the latest version of iTunes software installed. Then get started with these steps:

  1. Launch iTunes on your computer.
  2. Connect your iPhone to the computer using the supplied USB cable/Lightning cable.
  3. If prompted to Trust This Computer or enter your device passcode, follow the onscreen instructions to continue.
  4. Then select your iPhone XR when it shows up in iTunes.
  5. Navigate to the Summary section then click the Restore [iPhone] button.
  6. Click the Restore button when asked to confirm.

Doing so will prompt iTunes to start erasing your device and install the latest software available.

Fifth solution: Restore iOS in iTunes.

Performing an iOS restore is usually the next method to use when dealing with major system issues that could not be rectified by a factory reset. This will put your iPhone in a recovery state and allows you to fix errors and repair the software. Before restoring your iPhone, try to back up all your important files to prevent losing them in the process. To start restoring, connect your iPhone to your computer and then open iTunes. While your iPhone is connected, force it to restart with these steps:

  1. Press and quickly release the Volume Up button.
  2. Press and quickly release the Volume Down button.
  3. Then, press and hold the Power button on the side of the phone.
  4. Do not release the button when you see the Apple logo. Instead, keep holding the button until the Recovery Mode screen (Connect to iTunes screen) appears.
  5. When prompted with the option to Update or Restore, select Update to command iTunes to try reinstalling iOS without erasing your data. Otherwise, select the option to Restore iOS.

This command will prompt iTunes to start downloading the software for your device. The download usually takes 15 minutes.

Contact Apple Support

If your iPhone XR remains stuck or unresponsive after applying all prior workarounds, escalate the problem to Apple Support so they can be notified, conduct further assessments, and if necessary, develop a fix patch to eliminate system bugs that trigger the symptoms. For other options and official recommendations, you can also call your iPhone carrier.

Alternatively, you can take your device to the nearest Apple service center and have it examined by an iPhone technician. While the symptoms instigated following an update, it doesn’t always mean that the update is at fault. Your device might have obtained some sort of physical or liquid damage and the symptoms had just coincidentally occurred after updating the system. The only way to find out is to have thoroughly checked by an iPhone technician.

I hope that we’ve been able to help you fix the problem with your device. We would appreciate it if you helped us spread the word so please share this post if you found it helpful. Thank you so much for reading!

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