Post-update issues like a device that’s not responding or frozen can be due to some erratic apps that eventually caused the entire system to encounter errors and stop working. Such issues are hard to evade because some software updates do embed unexpected bugs that trigger adverse symptoms to occur on the receiving device. Written below are the most common troubleshooting steps that will help you deal with a similar issue on an iPhone XR that’s not responding after iOS 13 update. Read on and check which method works and fixes your device.
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Troubleshooting an iPhone XR that’s not responding after the iOS 13 update
Devices that end up not responding after a major system update are usually experiencing random system instability. This usually happens when some apps get rogue as the platform transitions. Unless your iPhone has already obtained some sort of physical or liquid damage before updating the software, eliminating common software-related factors will likely get it fixed and running smoothly again. The following procedures can be deemed among the potential solutions.
First solution: Force restart your iPhone XR.
The very first solution to an unresponsive iPhone is to perform a force restart. This is an alternative battery removal procedure that is used to forcibly close rogue apps that are adversely affecting your phone’s display and system functions. Doing so will also refresh your phone’s system and enhance phone’s performance. Here’s how a force restart is done on your iPhone XR:
- Press and release the Volume Up button quickly.
- Press and release the Volume Down button quickly.
- Lastly, press and hold the Side button for a few seconds until you see the Apple logo.
Wait for your phone to finish rebooting and once the reboot process is complete, use it as normal then see if the problem is gone. If your iPhone is able to boot up and responding properly again after a forced restart, perform the second and third solutions to remove possible triggers. Otherwise, skip to the fourth solution.
ALSO READ: How to fix iPhone XR iOS 13 delayed touchscreen response issue
Second solution: Install pending app updates on your iPhone XR.
Rogue apps that might have been causing your iPhone to stop responding can also be fixed by updating them. Outdated applications on the phone are more likely to act up as they’re no longer able to meet the minimum system requirements to work with the current iOS interface. This is usually the case if you haven’t configured some third-party apps to auto-update. If this is the case, then you will need to manually download and install pending app updates on your iPhone XR. Any of these updates likely contain patches that were programmed to remove in-app bugs that caused apps to become erratic from an iOS update. Simply refer to these steps to manually update apps:
- From the Home screen, tap on App Store to open it.
- Tap on Today tab at the bottom.
- Then tap on the user profile icon on the top right corner of the screen.
- You should see the account details.
- Scroll down to the Available Updates section.
- Tap on Update next to the app to update individual apps.
- Tap on Update All to update all apps simultaneously.
After updating all apps, perform a soft reset on your device to implement changes and refresh your phone’s system.
Third solution: Reset all settings on your iPhone XR.
Performing all settings reset is usually recommended if your phone suddenly stopped responding after a major system installation. There’s a tendency that the recent major system update has changed some of your phone settings automatically and those changes resulted in some conflicts that triggered certain apps or system functions to act up. Any invalid or incorrect settings on your device could also trigger occurrence of major system errors. To ensure that the saved settings on your iPhone XR are the intended settings for it to get optim without deleting any critical information stored on the internal memory. Just follow these steps whenever you’re ready:
- Access Settings from the Home screen.
- Tap General.
- Scroll down to and then select Reset.
- Tap the Reset All Settings option.
- Enter your device passcode once prompted.
- Then tap to confirm all settings reset.
Allow your phone to finish the reset process. Your iPhone XR should reboot automatically after the reset and then restores the default options. Enable necessary features individually so that you can use them again on your phone. Then see if that solves the problem.
ALSO READ: How to fix iOS 13 ghost touch bug on your iPhone, screen reacts even when untouched
Fourth solution: Factory reset (master reset) your iPhone XR that’s not responding after iOS 13 update.
If the issue persists after performing the steps above, erasing all contents on your iPhone XR is likely needed. Stubborn glitches caused by the recent software upgrade might be the main reason why your iPhone is not responding. These errors can be rectified by performing factory reset as this will delete all saved data and revert them to the default configurations. The only downside is that you’ll lose all personal information. However, you can create backups through iTunes or iCloud before performing this procedure. Since your device is unresponsive, you will need to use iTunes to carry out a full system reset and restore its factory default settings on a computer. You can use either a Mac or Windows computer for as long as it has the latest version of iTunes software and runs on a later or latest operating system. Once you’ve got your equipment set, you may go ahead and start erasing your iPhone through these steps:
- Using the Apple-supplied USB/lightning cable, connect your iPhone to the computer that you used to synced before.
- Open iTunes on your computer once it’s connected.
- From the iTunes main screen, select the Sync option.
- Once prompted, enter your device passcode to unlock your phone. This will backup your iPhone to the computer.
- Click the option to Restore iPhone from the most recent backup.
- Then follow the rest of the on-screen prompts to complete the process.
Follow the rest of the on-screen instructions to complete the factory reset. After the reset is completed, your iPhone will reboot automatically and then restore all default configurations. You’ll need to set it up like a new one in order to use it again.
Fifth solution: Put your iPhone XR in recovery mode restore.
Your last resort if the procedures listed above failed in fixing the problem is to perform a recovery mode restore via iTunes. Complex system issues brought by the recent iOS update may need an advanced solution to fix them. Recovery mode restore will permanently delete all data including those fatal system errors that’s causing the problem on your iPhone XR. Should you wish to give this a try, here’s how it’s performed:
- Using the Apple-supplied USB/Lightning cable, connect your iPhone XR to the computer.
- Once connected, press and release quickly the Volume Up button.
- Then press and release quickly the Volume Down button.
- Press and hold the Power/Side button and keep on holding as it restarts. Do not release the Power/Side button if you’ll see the Apple logo as you’ll need to put the device on recovery state.
- Release the Power/Side button once you see the Connect to iTunes logo on the screen.
- Then, navigate to iTunes on your computer. You should see a message saying that your connected iOS device is in recovery mode and prompts options to update or restore.
- Select Restore on the option to wipe everything from the phone system and then restore iOS through iTunes.
Do not disconnect your iPhone from the computer unless you’ll see that the restore process has been completed. It usually takes 10 to 15 minutes for a recovery mode restore process to complete. You should see iTunes prompt a message saying that restore is finished. If you see relevant prompts, then that’s the time to safely disconnect your iOS device. To exit recovery mode and get back to normal mode, just reboot or force restart your iPhone XR.
ALSO READ: How to fix an iPhone that’s stuck on white Apple logo after iOS 13 update
Is your iPhone XR still not responding in iOS 13?
The solutions listed above are usually effective in dealing with the problem of unresponsiveness due to software-related triggers. If none of that helps, then your next option would be to resort to some third-party iOS repair tools or take your iPhone to the nearest Apple service center and asked an authorized technician to scrutinize your device. Although the symptoms had instigated from the recent update, it is also possible that your iPhone has already obtained physical or liquid damage that eventually led to an unresponsive display.
For further suggestions, you can escalate the problem straight to Apple Support. This might also be another iOS 13 bug that requires a dedicated fix patch.
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