Apple

How to Fix iPhone Randomly Restarting

Published

1 month ago

02/23/2024

Some iPhone users are running into an issue where the device randomly restarts on its own. Random reboots can be tricky to fix, but we’ll outline a few steps users can take at home before contacting Apple Support for help.

Random restarts impact all iPhone models from the iPhone 8 all the way up to the iPhone 15. In many cases, the issue is software-related though the problem can also be a sign of a larger hardware issue.

If none of these fixes work, you’ll want to get in touch with Apple as it may want to run a diagnostic check to see if a part needs to be replaced.

Table of Contents

If your iPhone is randomly restarting on iOS 17 or iOS 16, here are some potential fixes that have worked for others in the past.

Reset Your iPhone

Before you do anything else, users should try shutting the iPhone down and leaving it off for a minute or two.

If the random reboots come back, try performing a hard reset. Hard resetting the device won’t wipe any data, it simply forces the phone to reboot.

Update Your iPhone

Next, check and make sure the device is running the latest version of iOS.

Checking for a software update is easy. Head into the Settings app, tap on General, tap on Software update. If an update is available, a prompt will appear.

Update Your Apps

We also recommend checking to make sure every application stored on the iPhone is up-to-date.

Head into the App Store app and check for new versions of apps stored on the device. If an update is available, download it and see if the reboots return.

Check Battery Health

If none of those steps help, it’s time to check the health of the iPhone’s battery. If the battery’s weak or is in need of service, it could be causing the problem.

In order to check the battery’s health, go into the Settings app, tap Battery, and then tap Battery Health & Charging.

Here, if it’s able, the iPhone’s software will provide vital information about the battery’s health.

In cases where performance management features are active, users may see a message that says: “This iPhone has experienced an unexpected shutdown because the battery was unable to deliver the necessary peak power. Performance management has been applied to help prevent this from happening again.”

If performance management features aren’t applied, users will see the following: “This iPhone has experienced an unexpected shutdown because the battery was unable to deliver the necessary peak power. You have manually disabled performance management protections.”

Users who see these either one of these messages are encouraged to get in touch with Apple Support in order to determine the next steps.

iPhone users with a healthy battery that continue to run into random reboots should also contact Apple.

4 Reasons Not to Install iOS 17.4.1 & 11 Reasons You Should

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 security patches, but Apple hasn't revealed them yet. It's probably waiting until it releases additional software for Mac and other devices.

The update's patches will help keep your device and its data protected from harm. And that makes it 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.