Do you find that your iPhone isn’t functioning as smoothly after iOS 18 update? Does it freeze when you try to answer a call, play a game, watch something or open an app? When your device is frozen, the display either gets completely stuck or works sporadically. Touch inputs might not work or may register in incorrect locations, and the physical buttons may be nonfunctional as well.
iOS 18 is the latest software. Most people seem to be happy with the new operating system, however, it seems that there are also users having various issues. We have previously reported on iPhone’s not charging problems.
Major software releases are often met with bugs and iOS 18 appears to be no exception. When I upgraded to iOS 18, i noticed inconsistent touch responses, freezing screens, and difficulty swiping or tapping on my iPhone 15 Pro Max.
Other iOS 18 users seem to be facing this problem as well. According to 9to5Mac, the problem is also affecting the iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max. On Reddit, a 16 Pro Max owner reported that the phone is "not registering taps and swipes near the camera control button. But it is also occasionally throughout the whole screen."
Other Redditors are complaining about the same problems on older iPhone models.
"Since updating my 12 mini I’ve had moments of a frozen screen, no responsive to any taps or side swipes, but swiping to home still functional," one person wrote.
"iOS 18 issue. I started seeing this on my 15 pro since I was on dev 18.1 beta 3 and still see it on 16 pro. mostly happens with apps that have lists of items like Reddit or twitter but closing reopening fixes it," added another.
If your iPhone screen locks up and ignores your touch commands, it can become quite a challenge, especially if you’re unsure how to fix the problem. Fortunately, there are a number of ways to unfreeze your iPhone. This article explains how to fix iOS 18 freezing issues and make your iPhone responsive again.
This article has two main purposes. The first is to offer ways to unfreeze the iPhone so that it can be responsive. The second purpose is to offer tips to ensure that the freezing problem does not occur again.
Quit all apps
Force quitting the problematic app is the quickest fix when a particular application is causing your iPhone to freeze. Of course, there’s a chance that you may not be able to do this if your screen does not respond to touch gestures (see the next section). Here is how to quit the app:
- Swipe up from the very bottom of your screen and pause in the middle. This will launch the app switcher.
- Close all apps until nothing remains in the app switcher by swiping up on all of them.
If closing the apps solves the problem, then one of your app was causing the issue. As you start using your iPhone again, if your iPhone freezes again, try to identify the problematic app. You can do so by paying attention to when your iPhone freezes. Make a note of whether it happens consistently while using a specific app or if it’s more random. An app can cause your iPhone to freeze if it is not ready for iOS 18. If you can pinpoint the app that causing the issue, then you can do the following to remedy the issue:
- Update the app, if there is an update. An update may fix the issue if the developers have released an update to address the problem. Open the App Store app, then tap your profile at the top right of the screen and tap Update All.
- Delete the app from your iPhone. On your Home Screen, tap and hold the problematic app icon. And then tap Remove App. Tap Delete App and then tap Delete to confirm.
- Contact the developer of the app and let them know about the issue.
Force restart your iPhone
If you are unable to quit apps, try to force restart your iPhone to unfreeze it. To do this, you will need to do the following in quick successive steps:
- Press and release the Volume Up key.
- Press and release the Volume Down key.
- Press and hold the Side button until the Apple logo appears, then release the Side button. If you see the power-off slider, ignore it.
Force restarting will likely unfreeze your iPhone. After the phone is working again, to ensure this does not happen again, I recommend you do the following:
- Please go over the Quit all apps section above again to see if an app is causing this problem.
- Update your iPhone to ensure it has the latest version of iOS 18. Go to Settings > General > Software Update. Install any available updates.
Reset all settings
If you are still facing this problem, try resetting all settings on your iPhone. A corrupt setting on iOS 18 could cause your iPhone to freeze. “Reset All Settings” allows you to revert all system settings to their default factory configurations. Please note this step won’t delete your personal data, such as photos, files, messages, apps, or other content. However, it will reset settings like Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Wallpaper, Notifications, Apple Pay Card, Privacy, etc. To reset settings:
- Head to Settings > General > Transfer or Reset iPhone > Reset.
- Tap Reset All Settings and follow the onscreen instructions.
Contact Apple
If the problem persists even after trying the troubleshooting steps above, you should contact Apple. Let Apple fix your issue. Apple makes it very easy to reach its support channels. You can try:
- Phone support: You can find all of Apple’s phone numbers for all countries here: https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201232. You can also get Apple to call you.
- You can live chat with an Apple Support technician.
- You can make a Genius Bar reservation at an Apple Store.