Getting help when your iPhone acts up

Most of the time, your iPhone behaves itself. But every so often it causes you problems. Here’s a quick review of things you can try if your iPhone misbehaves.

Start with the first step — suggestions in later steps are more drastic.

Restart your iPhone

Press and hold down the side button, and then slide the red slider to turn it off. Wait a few seconds. Press the side button to turn the iPhone back on.

Force any frozen applications to quit

Swipe the app upward from the app switcher.

If your phone is frozen, do a force quit and restart your iPhone

For iPhone 8 and earlier, press and hold down the top (or side) button and the Home button. When you see the Apple logo, release both buttons.

For iPhone X and later models, press and hold down the side button and either volume button until the Apple logo appears. When you see the Apple logo, release both buttons.

Reset the iPhone settings

Tap the Settings icon on your Home screen, and then tap General, Reset, and Reset All Settings. Resetting iPhone settings won’t erase your data, but you’ll probably have to change some settings afterwards.

Restore your iPhone

Connect your iPhone to your computer as though you were about to sync. Then select the iPhone in the iTunes source list (Finder sidebar for macOS Catalina users), and click the Restore button on the Summary tab.

This last suggestion erases all your data and media, and resets all your settings.

Because your data and media (except photos you’ve taken as well as contacts, calendar events, and playlists you’ve created or modified since your last sync) still exist on your computer, you shouldn’t lose anything. Your next sync will take longer, and you’ll have to reset any settings you’ve changed since you purchased your iPhone. But your media and data files shouldn’t be affected.

One last thing...

If you’re using iCloud, photos you’ve taken as well as calendar events and new contacts you’ve added since your last sync should be in the cloud and should reappear after you restore. The only items in danger, at least in theory, are playlists you’ve created on your iPhone since your last sync. That said, it wouldn’t hurt to let iTunes back up the contents of your iPhone before you click the Restore button.