How to Fix Lagging and Freezing Issue in iPhones?

Your iPhone may continue to freeze if it has been overused and become too hot. In this situation, it’s important to stop using it when it becomes overheated. Your iPhone may also have battery issues, so you should check the battery’s health. If it’s below the acceptable level, you may need to replace it.

Additionally, there could be glitches, software bugs, or problems with apps that cause your iPhone to freeze. It might also be experiencing storage issues.

How do I get my iPhone to stop freezing?

We have researched the most effective methods to help fix your iPhone if it keeps freezing. Let’s dive into the details!

1. Restart your iPhone.

Restarting your iPhone is one of the simplest and quickest ways to address freezing issues on the device. Restarting at least once a week can help resolve various problems, including preventing software crashes, improving smoothness, and enhancing battery life. Therefore, if your iPhone is freezing, the first step is to restart it.

How to Restart an iPhone SE (2nd or 3rd Generation), 6, 7, or 8.

1. Press the side button and hold it until the power-off slider appears on your iPhone.

   

2. Next, drag the slider to turn it off and wait for around 30 seconds.
3. Lastly, turn on your device by pressing the side button and holding it until the Apple logo appears.

How to Restart an iPhone X or Later Version

1. Press the volume up or down button, along with the side button, until the power-off slider appears on the screen.
2. Then, drag the slider to turn off your iPhone and wait for approximately 30 seconds.
3. Press the side button until the Apple logo appears on your screen to turn it back on.

   

If your device cannot shut down because it freezes during the process, perform a force restart. Here is how to do a force restart:

1. Press the volume up button and release it immediately.
2. Press the volume down button and release it instantly.
3. Next, press the side button and hold it until the Apple logo appears on the screen.
4. Release the side button.

2. Reset the network settings.

Sometimes, your iPhone may freeze because of a VPN service installed on your device. In this case, a network reset can help.

Resetting network settings can fix issues your device faces while connecting to Wi-Fi or cellular networks and help resolve other glitches. Therefore, attempting a network reset should not cause any harm.

However, if you decide to proceed, make sure to back up or note down your network-related data, as it will be removed. Save your Wi-Fi passwords, VPN details, and Bluetooth connections. No other information will be deleted.

1. Go to Settings and click on General.

   

2. Next, scroll down and tap on Transfer or Reset iPhone.

   

3. Click on Reset.

   

4. Lastly, select Reset Network Settings.

   

3. Clean your iPhone’s storage.

Your iPhone may experience low storage, which could cause it to freeze. If your device has low storage, it might slow down and eventually lead to freezing. Apple recommends maintaining at least 1 GB of storage on your Apple devices for better performance. The device will create space for additional content if you have less than 1 GB of storage on your iPhone.

Here’s how you can check your iPhone’s storage:

1. Go to Settings and click on General.
2. Then, tap on iPhone Storage.

   

From here, you can view your iPhone’s storage and delete any unused apps by tapping on the app and then selecting ‘Delete App.’ You can also tap on ‘Offload App‘ to free up the storage used by the app without deleting the data.

In addition to this, you can delete any unnecessary text messages, photos, and videos. Also, avoid opening several apps simultaneously, as this takes up RAM. Finally, clear your Safari data; here’s how to do it:

1. Go to Settings, scroll down, and click on Safari.
2. Scroll down again and tap on Clear History and Website Data.
3. Lastly, select Clear History and Data.
4. Once you’ve completed all the steps, restart your phone and check if this method has worked.

Moreover, you can also try clearing the cache data on the iPhone.

4. Update Your iPhone Using a PC.

If your iPhone is completely stuck when you turn it on, with a frozen screen where only the Apple logo appears, you need to update it using a PC. If this happens, you can’t try any other method because the screen is unresponsive. So, using a PC is the only option that can help.

Updating your device can make it run faster and more smoothly, as it fixes bugs, updates security, and adds more useful features, which may contribute to improved performance.

1. Connect your device to a PC. If you are using a Mac with macOS Catalina, go to the Finder. For Macs with macOS Mojave or an earlier OS, go to iTunes. Follow the same steps on a Windows PC.
2. Next, choose your device on your PC.

• If you are using Finder (macOS Catalina or the latest OS), your device name will appear in the sidebar.
• If you are using iTunes (macOS Mojave, earlier operating systems, or a Windows PC), an iPhone icon will appear in the upper left corner.

Once your device is connected to your PC, follow these steps:

• For iPhone 6s or earlier versions, press and hold the home and side buttons/top buttons.
• For iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus, press and hold the side button and volume down button.
• For iPhone 8 or later versions, press the volume up button and release it immediately. Then, press the volume down button and release it quickly. Lastly, press and hold the side button.

While holding the button, you will see that the recovery mode appears on your screen.

Next, you’ll receive a pop-up message on your PC or Mac about restoration or update. At this point, you should select “Update.”

If the process takes longer than 15 to 18 minutes, you must repeat the steps, as your iPhone will exit the recovery mode.

5. Reset Your iPhone.

If your iPhone continues to freeze after updating it, you may need to reset it, as some files may not be compatible with your device. A reset will restore your phone to its factory settings, essentially making it like new. This can also solve any software-related issues or app crashes. However, if you reset your iPhone, it will erase all data stored on it. Therefore, make sure to back up all important data before a reset. Here’s how you can reset your device:

1. Go to Settings > General.
2. Scroll down and tap on Transfer or Erase iPhone.

   

3. Next, tap on Erase All Content and Settings.
4. Hit the Continue button.

   

5. Enter the password you use to unlock your device.
6. Choose Erase iPhone. This will start the process of erasing all your data.

When setting up your iPhone, you can restore the data. However, if your iPhone starts to freeze again, reset it, but do not restore any backed-up data, as there may be some corrupt files causing the freezing issue. You can download the apps after a few days.

If you have tried all the methods and your iPhone still freezes and doesn’t work properly, contact Apple support for help in resolving the issue or inquire about replacing your device if it is still under warranty.