What to do if your iPhone has the random restarts issue

Random restarts — this is when your device would just shut down and then starts up on its own–is one of the most annoying issues any device owner can encounter due to software and hardware factors. In old devices, random restarts are often tied to memory issues and performance degradation. In new devices, it’s more likely triggered by software-related factors including malwares, software update bugs, and rogue apps. Random restarts can also be linked to battery draining symptoms.

In worst cases, random restarts emerged as direct symptom of hardware damage like when your device obtains physical or liquid damage from accidental drops or liquid exposure. To deal with hardware-related symptoms, physical repair is needed. But before rushing to a service center, performing some applicable troubleshooting methods is highly recommended in order to rule out software-related issues.

Highlighted below are potential solutions to a similar issue on the iPhone that just turns off on its own. Read on to learn what triggers the iPhone to act up and how to get it back to its normal working state.

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First solution: Eliminate bad apps.

As mentioned earlier, random restarts in mobile devices are often tied to rogue apps. To rule this out, check your iPhone storage and see which apps are using up a significant amount of power. Apps that are draining the most of your iPhone’s battery must be updated, otherwise deleted. So here’s what you should do first:

1. From the Home screen, tap Settings.
2. Tap Battery.
3. Select the option to Show Activity.
4. Tap the option to Show Detailed Usage. A breakdown of on-screen and background activity by apps and services will be displayed.
5. To view power usage breakdown by percentage, tap Battery Usage.
6. To view more details on the power consumption over the Last 24 hours, tap on Last 24 Hours. Otherwise, tap 10 Days to view over time power usage.

Find out which apps are showing unusual power usage over time as these often lead to battery draining and unexpected shutdown. To deal with these bad apps, you can either update the apps or delete them completely. Refer to the lined up steps below to update apps on your iPhone, if update is available. Otherwise, delete the app with these steps:

1. Go to the Home screen then tap and hold on an app icon until the icons start wiggling.
2. Tap the X on the upper left corner of the app that you want to delete.
3. Tap Delete if prompted to confirm app deletion.
4. Tap the Home screen to stop the apps from wiggling.

If you still want to use the app, then you can have it reinstalled from the App Store. Just search for the latest version of the app to download and install.

Once you’re done updating or deleting and reinstalling bad apps, reboot your iPhone to clear out junk files from its memory cache and to refresh the operating system. If the random restarts continue after this, then move on to the next solution.

ALSO READ: What to do if Spotify keeps crashing or not working on your iPhone X (easy steps)

Second solution: Manage your iPhone storage.

Memory-related issues like low storage are also among the underlying causes of random restarts. If your iPhone has already a lot of apps and saved contents, then perhaps it’s the right time to free up some space. That said, head over to your iPhone storage and delete apps that are no longer used, old messages, and other unwanted files.

• To do this, head over to Settings-> iPhone Storage menu then find the app(s) that you want to remove from your phone.
• To delete old messages, open the Messages app then remove the messages threads that are no longer useful.

Aside from messages, old and unused media files like photos and videos are also among other things that you should delete.

Third solution: Update apps and iOS, if available.

Installing app updates can potentially fix the problem if rogue apps are the main trigger. Apps that are prone to getting rogue are usually the ones that are out-of-date. Developers regularly push app updates as their way of keeping their apps optimized and bug-free. If you haven’t configured your apps to auto-updates, then you can manually check for and implement pending app updates on your iPhone with these steps:

1. Tap to open the App Store.
2. Scroll down and tap the Updates tab at the bottom of the App Store screen. A list of apps with pending updates will then show up.
3. Tap the Update button next to the name of the app to start updating.
4. If multiple app updates are available, tap the Update All button on the upper-right side of the screen.

Aside from updating apps, installing the latest iOS version available for your iPhone is also a possible solution if system bugs and malwares are the underlying cause of the problem. A faster way to check check for new iOS update is through settings. Just follow these steps:

1. Tap Settings from the Home screen.
2. Tap General.
3. Tap Software update.

An update notification will show up if a new iOS version is available. While there’s an option to Download and Install iOS update via wirelessly, there is no guarantee that over-the-air update installation will be completed since you don’t know when your iPhone would shut down and reboot on its own. In this case, updating your iPhone through iTunes is recommended. Just get a computer (either Windows or Mac) ready, connect your iPhone via Lightning cable or USB connector, launch iTunes then wait for it to sync with your iOS device. Finally, follow the onscreen commands to manually update your iPhone in iTunes.

Be sure to use the latest version of iTunes to avoid bumping into system conflicts. Also make sure that your computer has stable Internet access as it needs to communicate and sync with Apple’s update server.

Once you’re done updating, reboot your iPhone to apply the recent system changes and to clear out random app flaws and software glitches.

ALSO READ: How to fix iPhone X screen issue: screen glitches after installing iOS 12

Fourth solution: Reset all settings.

Customized settings on your iPhone might have contained some invalid options or settings that are conflicting with the default system functions and that likely destabilized the platform. This is usually what happens if automatic updates are implemented. Some updates are programmed to override settings, which could sometimes result to conflicts and thus, adverse symptoms are triggered. To clear this out, reset all settings on your iPhone with these steps:

1. From the Home screen, tap on Settings.
2. Tap General.
3. Scroll down to and tap on Reset.
4. Tap Reset all settings. This will reset all your customized settings and then restores the default values and options.
5. If prompted, tap Reset to confirm that you want to reset all settings on your iPhone.

Allow your iPhone to finish resetting and then restarts when done. After it boots up, enable necessary features to use them again on your phone.

Fifth solution: Factory reset/master reset.

Among the last options and potential solutions to recurring symptoms is a factory reset or master reset. This can be the key to resolving the issue if complex system errors and malwares are to blame. The only downside of this reset is the fact that it erases all saved information from the internal memory including saved contacts, downloads, customizations, and personal information. If you wish to proceed, then you should back up all your important files so you can still recover them later. Then you can factory reset your iPhone through settings with these steps:

1. From the Home screen, tap on Settings.
2. Tap General.
3. Scroll down and tap Reset.
4. If prompted, enter your passcode to proceed.
5. Tap Erase All Content and Settings.
6. Enter your passcode when asked to continue.
7. Then tap the option to confirm that you want to factory reset your iPhone.

Alternatively, you can use iTunes to manually erase and restore your iPhone to its factory defaults on a computer. This is actually a better option than a factory reset through settings given that your iPhone is just restarting on its own. You can use either Mac or Windows computer for as long as it has the latest version of iTunes installed and is connected to the Internet.

Last resort: iOS restore in recovery mode or DFU mode.

If the problem isn’t rectified by a factory reset, fatal system errors are likely present. In this case, your next option would be an iOS restore through iTunes. You can start with a recovery mode restore to put your device in a recovery state and then repair its flawed system through iTunes. To carry out a standard iOS restore in iTunes, simply follow these steps:

1. Launch or open iTunes app on your computer to get started. You can use either a Mac or Windows computer for as long as it has the latest version of iTunes app installed.
2. Connect your iPhone to the computer using the Apple-supplied cable or Lightning cable that came with it.
3. If prompted to enter your device passcode or Trust This Computer, simply follow the onscreen instructions to proceed.
4. Select your iPhone when it shows up in iTunes.
5. Navigate to the Summary section, then click the button to Restore [iPhone]. You may also opt to back up files from your iPhone before restoring it. Just click the Back Up iPhone button to do so.
6. Finally, if prompted with a warning message, click the Restore button to confirm.

If that still failed to fix your iPhone and random restarts continue, you may resort to a DFU mode restore. It’s the deepest type of iOS restore you can do to fix or repair a corrupted operating system of your iPhone. Again you will need to use iTunes to restore your iPhone in DFU mode.

Other options

If your iPhone is still turning off randomly after performing the previous procedures, then there’s a higher chance that hardware damage is present. Oftentimes, a bad battery or other flawed power components are to blame. To deal with physical or hardware damage, service or iPhone repair is needed. You can take a trip to the nearest Apple-authorized service center in your place and ask an iPhone technician to assessment your device and repair any damaged component, if needed. Getting an upgrade is also another option to consider especially if your problematic iPhone is already old. Perhaps, it has reached its maximum years of operation and therefore it could be the right time to get a new iPhone. Talk to your carrier for more information on how to upgrade to any of the iphone x series. This could be a better choice than paying for a hefty service  or iPhone repair.

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