Is Your iPhone slow After iOS 14 Update? Here’s How to Fix It.
After the recent iOS 14 update, a lot of Apple users have felt an immediate lag in their iPhones with things like lag in typing text messages, apps not loading quickly enough or freezing, battery drainage, overheating issues and more. Although iOS 14 comes with some fantastic features such as customizing your home screen, if you noticed your iPhone immediately start going sluggish, you’re not alone. Although updates like these are supposed to make Apple devices work more efficiently, that isn’t always the case at first. Read on to know why your iPhone is suddenly slow and how you can fix it.
Why is my iPhone so slow after the iOS 14 update?
After installing a new update, your iPhone or iPad will continue to perform background tasks even when it seems like the update has been completely installed. This background activity may make your iPhone slower as all the needed changes take effect. If you have a huge amount of photos, videos, and other media, your iPhone will continue to feel slow for longer, and your battery may also drain faster.
However, the slowness of your iPhone might not be as easy a fix as just waiting. For the iPhone 7 and older, ARS Technica found that the update triggers major battery drainage, and many users have reported major lagging.
Keep in mind, Apple usually resolves update bugs swiftly, so if you’re experiencing any issues, it’s a good idea to keep an eye out for new available hotfix updates that will address common problems. You can check for new updates under Settings -> General -> Software Update and tap on “Download and Install” if any update is available.
How can I fix the iPhone lagging issue in iOS 14?
If your iPhone is slow after updating to iOS 14, here are the troubleshooting steps that can help you fix the issue:
- Give it a break for a night: If your iPhone is being slow due to background activity related to the update, consider leaving it connected to power source and connected to the internet overnight, giving your iPhone sufficient time and space to complete all housekeeping activities . If you have lots of files stored on your device, you might need to do this a couple of nights.
- Update your apps: If your apps aren’t working properly after the iOS 14 update, it’s time to ensure all of your apps are updated to the latest version. Developers may have released updates with iOS 14 optimization, so it’s a good idea to confirm they are all up to date. To do this, Open App Store > tap your Apple ID profile icon in the top right corner > scroll down and tap Update All.
- Clean up your storage: Cleaning out the clutter on your iPhone is a good way to make it run faster. To manage your storage, go to Settings > General > Storage & iCloud Usage > Manage Storage. Delete anything you don’t need.
- Disable Background App activity: To stop battery drainage and make your iPhone run faster, It’s a good idea to disable background app activity. To do this, head over to Settings > General > Background App Refresh and set it to OFF.
- Clear your iPhone’s RAM: Clearing your iPhone’s RAM will immediately make it go a bit faster. To do this, simply head over to Settings > Accessibility > Touch > AssistiveTouch > Toggle ON (a hovering button will appear on your screen) -> Home -> Power OFF. At the power OFF menu, press and hold the hovering AssistiveTouch Home button until you’re taken back to the home screen. Your iPhone’s RAM is cleared.
- Turn on Reduce Motion: Reducing motion will stop unnecessary animations on your iPhone, making it feel snappier. To do this, head over to Settings > Accessibility > Motion > Reduce Motion and set it to ON.
- Clear your browser’s cookies and data: Another solution I would suggest you try out is Clearing your browser. Perhaps you haven’t cleared out the cached files for a long time, and the junkies have piled up causing your iPhone to run slow. A complete cleanup will free up memory, making your iPhone go faster. If you use Safari, launch the Settings app > tap Safari > scroll down and tap where it says Clear History and Website Data. If you use Google Chrome, Launch the app and tap the three circles in the bottom right corner (or top right if you haven’t updated the app) -> tap Settings > Privacy > Clear Browsing Data.
- Force reboot: If all else fails, you could always try a Force reboot to try to resolve update glitches. If you have an iPhone with a home button, hold down the power button and home button at the same time until the Apple logo appears on the screen. For iPhones without a home button, press the volume up button, followed by the volume down button, and then hold the side button until the Apple logo appears on the screen.
- Charge faster: If your iPhone is charging slow, turn Wi-Fi off and turn on Airplane mode while charging – it’ll make it go much faster.
- Reset Your iPhone or iPad to Factory Settings: If you are still struggling to fix iPhone lagging problem in iOS 14, try resetting your device to factory settings. Please note, it will remove all the existing settings and website login details but non of your media or data will be lost. To do this, head over to Settings > General > Reset > tap on Reset All Settings and confirm. After resetting your iPhone or iPad to default settings, the problem should be fixed. If it’s the case, wonderful! However, if the issue is still there, wait for apple to release the update.
Although Apple will eventually release a new update to resolve any bugs users are experiencing with iOS 14, these tips will make your iPhone or iPad run faster in the meantime, saving you time, stress, and a possible call to Apple.