How to Fix iOS 17 Performance

As we push away from the latest iOS 17 update we’re hearing about a variety of performance issues plaguing iPhone users.

While many iPhone users are having a great experience on Apple’s operating system, others are complaining about bugs and performance problems.

The current list of iOS 17 performance issues includes UI lag, freezes, lock ups, and random reboots. These are extremely common, particularly on aging iPhone models. Newer iPhone models aren’t immune to performance problems though.

Performance issues can be difficult to fix. And while you might be able to solve them on your own, others may require a fix from Apple in a software update. In some cases, you may need to contact Apple support or bring your iPhone into an Apple Store.

If you can’t wait for a new version of iOS 17 and/or you don’t have time to get in touch with Apple support, we have some fixes that could help bolster iOS 17 performance.

Restart Your Phone

If you start noticing UI lag or another performance issue after installing a new version of iOS 17, try restarting your iPhone.

Power it down, leave it off for a minute, and the turn it back on. This has resolved many performance issues for us in the past.

Update Your iPhone

Apple will occasionally push new iOS 17 software to your iPhone. Point updates (iOS 17 x.x.x) are typically focused on fixing bugs while milestone upgrades (iOS 17 x.x) usually deliver a mix of new enhancements.

The company might not call out performance fixes in an iOS 17 update’s change log, but new software always has the potential to help (or, in some cases, hurt) your iPhone’s overall performance.

For more on the latest version of iOS 17, take a look at our guide.

Update Your Apps

If you haven’t done so already, make sure you update your applications to the latest version.

App developers are rolling out support updates and they could help stabilize iOS 17’s performance on your iPhone.

Before you install the latest version of an app you’ll want to go into the App Store and read reviews from other iOS 17 users. If the reviews are mostly good, download the latest version.

Cleanup Your iPhone’s Storage

If you’ve had your iPhone for awhile you might have a ton of clutter taking up space on its internal storage.

Deleting unnecessary files could help speed up your iPhone. This is especially true if you’re almost out of storage.

To start, you’ll want to check and see how much space is free on your iPhone. Here’s how to do that:

• Head into Settings
• Tap General
• Tap iPhone Storage

Apple makes some recommendations based on your utilization of your iPhone’s storage, but you can also just go through each section manually delete files you no longer need.

Stop Using Background App Refresh

Background App Refresh refreshes apps in the background to show you the latest data when you open them up. It also makes your phone work in the background.

If you don’t need your iPhone to do this, you might want to shut the feature off. Here’s how to do that:

• Go into the Settings app
• Tap General
• Tap Background App Refresh
• At the top of this screen tap Background App Refresh and toggle it off

If you want to keep it on for some apps, leave it on and then go down your list of apps and manually turn it off for apps you don’t use.

Reset All Settings

If you’re still not getting the kind of performance you’d like out of your iPhone, try resetting your device’s settings. Here’s how to do that:

• Go to Settings
• Tap General
• Tap Reset Transfer or Reset iPhone
• Tap Reset
• Tap Reset All Settings
• Enter your passcode if you have one enabled

This will restore your iPhone’s settings to their factory defaults.

Downgrade

If you can’t find a fix for your problem and/or don’t want to wait for the next version of iOS 17, you can try downgrading back to the previous version of iOS.

Your downgrade options will change over time and sometimes downgrading won’t be available.

For more on the iOS downgrade process, take a look at our walkthrough.

Restore

If you can’t find a fix for your issue, and you want to avoid taking your iPhone into a store, you might want to restore your device. This should only be used as a last resort.

You can do this via Finder, iTunes, or iCloud.

Install iOS 17.4.1 for Better Security

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If security is important to you, think about installing Apple's iOS 17.4.1 update right away. The iOS 17.4.1 update includes two security patches. These patches will help keep your device and its data protected from harm. And that makes iOS 17.4.1 an important upgrade. If you missed iOS 17.4 and older software, you'll get the security patches from updates you missed when you upgrade to iOS 17.4.1. iOS 17.4 had four security patches on board.  The update also delivered quantum security protection for iMessage. The company says the upgrade gives iMessage "the strongest security properties of any at-scale messaging protocol in the world."  The iOS 17.3 update brought 15 new security patches to iPhone. The software also added Stolen Device Protection to iPhone. It increases the security of your iPhone and Apple ID by requiring Face ID or Touch ID to gain access to passwords, make purchases in Safari, and more. This is useful if someone gets access to your iPhone and its passcode.  iOS 17.2 delivered 10 new security patches to iPhone. If you wish to find out more, you can head on over to Apple's security site for the details. iOS 17.2 also included iMessage Contact Key Verification which improves the security of iMessage. The company also fixed an exploit that let the Flipper Zero multi-tool lock up iPhones. iOS 17.1.2 had two security patches on board. Both were related to WebKit. If you want to learn more, you can do so right here. iOS 17.1 brought 18 security fixes to iPhone. It addressed issues within Weather, Status Bar, WebKit, and more.  iOS 17.0.3 brought two patches for two security issues Apple identified within the software. If you want to read about the patches, head here. iOS 17.0.1 delivered three important patches to iPhone. If you're interested in the exact nature of these improvements, you can read about them over on Apple's security website. As for iOS 17 itself, it brought 40+ new security patches with it. A staggering number to say the least. If you want to learn more about them, head over to Apple.  In addition to those patches, iOS 17 brings some additional enhancements to privacy and security including improvements to Communication Safety beyond Messages. It now includes content sent by AirDrop, Contact Posters in the Phone app, FaceTime, and the systemwide photo picker. You now have an option to blur out sensitive photos and videos before you choose to view them. There's also an expanded Lockdown Mode which will help protect you against cyber attacks. Apple's also improved sharing permissions and you now have more control over what you share with the apps on your device.  The company also notes that starting in iOS 17, Voice Memos encrypts the titles of recordings stored in iCloud, in addition to the recordings themselves. If you skipped older versions of iOS, you'll get the security patches from those updates with your iOS 17.4.1 update as well.

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