iPhone Slow After iOS 16 Update? 10 Tips to Speed Up iOS 16!

Have you ever tapped on your iPhone screen, and… nothing happens? Or maybe everything’s moving slower than a snail on your iPhone after you’ve updated to iOS 17? Yep, it’s super annoying, and it can happen to anyone – whether you’re rocking the brand-new iPhone 15, the cool iPhone 14 series, the fancy iPhone 13 (Pro Max) Mini, the sleek iPhone 12 Pro Max, the trustworthy iPhone 11 (Pro Max), the awesome iPhone XS Max, XS, XR, X, or even the classic iPhone 7 and 6S – nobody’s safe from the dreaded slow-down after the update.

It’s like you’re all set for a fun time with your iPhone, and then… it just starts crawling or freezing. Not fun, right? It kind of ruins the whole iPhone magic. But hey, if you’re part of the “My iPhone is so slow!” club, no worries. I’m here to be your tech-friend and guide you through fixing that sluggish iPhone after the iOS update.

iPhone slower after update iOS 17: Get Fix to Reduce Lag

1: That’s Normal! 🛀

So your iPhone’s suddenly acting like it needs a time-out after you hit it up with that new iOS 17 update. But guess what? This is pretty normal, just like needing a break after running a marathon. Your iPhone’s got a whole lot of new tricks to learn with all these hidden features for photos, media files, apps, and all that jazz. So it’s busy getting all your stuff ready to work with the new system. It’s like when you get a bunch of new games and have to wait forever for them to install. Yup, that kind of waiting game.

Here’s the deal: give your iPhone a 30-minute chill session. Just leave it alone for a bit. No poking around with the camera or trying to beat your high score on your favorite game. Why? Cause all that stuff gobbles up more power and makes your iPhone work too hard when it’s already got a lot to do.

And yeah, you might see your battery draining faster than a leaky faucet. That’s because your iPhone’s doing a background workout, hustling to get everything in shape with the new iOS 17. It’s like it’s at the gym, but for your phone’s insides. So, keep calm and let it finish its fitness routine!

2: Way to Free up iPhone Storage

If you’re getting that “Storage Almost Full” message, it’s like your iPhone’s telling you it’s time to clean up your room. All those apps, gazillion photos, and videos you’ve been shooting can take up a ton of space. But you need some space to breathe, right? So, let’s tidy up your iPhone’s storage with some neat tricks.

Quick Steps to Clean House on Your iPhone

Follow these steps and you’ll be the storage wizard in no time:

Step 1: Get to the Heart of Your iPhone

Grab your iPhone and tap on the Settings app. Then, head over to the General section. It’s like going into the control center of your iPhone.

Step 2: Check Out the Storage Situation

Scroll down until you find iPhone Storage. Tap it and prepare to be the boss of your bytes.

What to Do Next? Let iCloud Help or Take a Break from Unused Apps

Now, you’ve got a couple of slick options. You can:

1. Turn on iCloud so your stuff gets stored in the cloud (think of it like a magic box in the sky that keeps all your things safe).
2. Use the Offload Unused Apps feature. This means apps you don’t use much get put on pause, but all your documents and data stay put. It’s like storing your winter clothes during summer — they’re out of the way but not gone for good.

Another cool move? Go through your apps, especially photos, and look for the “Review Personal Videos” option. Got some videos that are just taking up space? Swipe left and delete them to clear up room. Think of it as letting go of old toys you don’t play with anymore.

3: Your iPhone is heated and Doing a Slow Process

You just updated to iOS 17 and your iPhone starts getting as hot as a summer day in the desert. You’re not alone! This can happen because your iPhone is working super hard to get that new update going. Some folks even noticed their iPhone starts to lag or move like a turtle after the update.

Here’s a quick fix: First, take off your iPhone’s case to let it cool down. Think of it like taking off a heavy backpack after a long hike. Then, give your phone some “me” time by putting it to sleep with the sleep button. Let it rest, screen down, doing nothing for 10 to 15 minutes. It’s like a power nap for your iPhone.

Now, if your iPhone keeps freezing or crashing even when it’s just a regular day, that’s a sign it might need more help.

4: Update your Apps on Device

If your apps are going all wonky and not working right, it could be because they’re old school and not ready for your new iOS 17.

Bring Your Apps into 2023

Imagine if you tried to play a brand-new Xbox game on an old Xbox—it just wouldn’t work, right? Same with your apps. They need to be updated to match your shiny new iOS.

Here’s How to Get Those Apps in Line:

Step 1: Visit the App Store’s Control Center

Pop open the App Store on your iPhone and tap your Profile in the top corner. It’s like walking into a store ready to update your entire wardrobe.

Step 2: Let the Updating Begin!

See that list of updates waiting for you? Hit Update All to get all your apps into tip-top shape. If you want to be picky, you can also choose to update them one by one. Just make sure you’re hooked up to a good Wi-Fi connection, because nobody likes a dropped call during a conversation, right? Updating apps is sort of like that, but for your iPhone.

5: Turn off Background App Refresh

Did you know your iPhone tries to be super helpful by keeping your apps updated in the background? It’s like having a little helper that’s always tidying up your room so it’s nice and neat when you get home. But sometimes, this helper can get a bit too eager, using up all your iPhone’s energy and memory.

Turning Off the Over-Eager Helper

If your iPhone is dragging like it’s walking through mud, you might want to tell this little helper to take a break. Here’s how you can do it:

1. Head to the Settings Department: Grab your iPhone and dive into the Settings app. It’s the one with the gears on it.
2. Find “General”: Once you’re in Settings, tap on General to get to the control panel.
3. Turn Off the Power: Look for Background App Refresh and give that toggle a tap so it turns white. White means “rest time,” and green means “go time.” We want rest time for now.

By turning this off, you’re telling your iPhone to take a breather and not worry about keeping all your apps updated when you’re not using them. It’s like telling your helper to relax—you’ll tidy up later.

6: Enable Reduce Motion

Your iPhone has a lot of neat tricks, like animations and effects that make everything look dynamic. Imagine the icons on your screen doing little dances every time you touch them—it looks fun, but it can actually slow things down if your iPhone’s feeling sluggish.

Let’s Get Straight to the Point: Reduce Motion

You can tell your iPhone to cut out all the extra fluff and just stick to the basics. This can make things feel a lot zippier!

Here’s the Game Plan to Simplify Your Screen:

For the Latest iOS:

1. Settings App is Your Starting Point: Tap on that Settings app.
2. Head to ‘Accessibility’: This is like finding the remote to control the speed of your iPhone’s screen moves.
3. Look for ‘Motion’: Tap on it, and you’ll see something that says Reduce Motion.
4. Flip the Switch: Turn on Reduce Motion and watch your iPhone skip the extra moves and get right to the point.

If You’re Rocking iOS 12 or Earlier:

1. Settings First: Jump into the Settings app.
2. Go to ‘General’: It’s like the main toolbox of your iPhone.
3. Tap on ‘Accessibility’: This is where you tweak how your iPhone interacts with you.
4. Hit ‘Reduce Motion’: Turn this on to put your iPhone in the fast lane.

Sometimes, if you notice your screen is still lagging, it could be because those animations are turned off. So, if you’ve tried everything else and your iPhone is still as slow as a lazy river, try flipping on Reduce Motion. It might just do the trick and get things running smoothly again!

7: Enable Reduce Transparency

Your iPhone has this cool feature where some backgrounds have a see-through, glass-like look. While it’s pretty stylish, it can make your iPhone work extra hard, which might slow it down a bit.

Turning Down the Fancy Glass Look

We’re going to switch off those transparent effects to help speed things up.

If You’ve Got iOS 15 or Newer:

1. Open Settings: Just tap on the Settings icon.
2. Accessibility Awaits: Next, find and tap on Accessibility.
3. Display & Text Size: This is where you can control how things look on your screen.
4. Increase Contrast & Reduce Transparency: Here, you’ll find the Reduce Transparency option. But here’s the twist—you want to turn this feature OFF, not on, to speed things up.

For the iOS 14 Veterans and Before:

1. Settings is Your Go-To: Start by opening the Settings app.
2. General, Then Accessibility: Tap on General, then find Accessibility.
3. Increase Contrast Is Your Friend: Once you’re there, tap on Increase Contrast.
4. Reduce Transparency Time: You’ll see Reduce Transparency—this time you want to ENABLE it to make things less see-through and more speedy.

8: Hard Reboot Your iOS Device [Important]

Ever feel like your iPhone’s screen is just not listening to you? It’s like it’s daydreaming and you’re trying to get its attention. This can happen especially after an update, like with iOS 15 or 14. But don’t worry, sometimes all your iPhone needs is a good old restart. Think of it as a mini-vacation for your phone—it gets to shut down and wake up feeling refreshed.

Let’s Get to Restarting:

For the iPhone 8 and Newer Models:

1. Quick Volume Up: Press and release the Volume Up button fast—it’s like saying “hey” to your iPhone.
2. Quick Volume Down: Do the same with the Volume Down button, another quick “hey”!
3. Hold the Side Button: Now, press and hold the Side Button—imagine you’re holding onto a magic wand and wait for the Apple logo to pop up after the screen goes black.

Got an iPad or an iPhone 6S (or Older)?

1. Home + Power: Press and hold both the Home button and the Power button at the same time. It’s like giving your iPhone a big, tight hug until the Apple logo appears.

For iPhone 7 or iPhone 7 Plus Pals:

1. Volume Down + Power: Press and hold both the Volume Down button and the Power button together. Count to at least 10 seconds or just until the Apple logo says “Hello!”

By doing a hard reboot, you’re not just turning your iPhone off and on. It’s more like a reset that can fix those little glitches that make your screen laggy. It’s an important trick to remember, kind of like knowing the secret handshake to get into a cool club—except this club is all about getting your iPhone back to being its awesome self!

9: Delete Unused Apps [You can Enable the offload feature]

Your iPhone is like a backpack, and every app is a book. If your backpack is too full, it’s going to be heavy and slow you down, right? So, let’s take out the books (I mean apps) that you haven’t read in forever to make things lighter and faster!

Here’s How to Kick Out the Unused Apps:

1. Start at ‘Settings’: Tap that gear icon called Settings.
2. Go to ‘General’: This is sort of the command center of your iPhone.
3. Tap ‘iPhone Storage’: Now you’re looking at everything taking up room in your backpack.
4. Find the Old Apps: Look for “Last Used Date” to spot the apps that are just sitting there gathering digital dust.
5. Say Goodbye: Hit Delete App to clear up some much-needed space.

10. Turn off Low Power Mode

Low Power Mode is like trying to run with ankle weights on. Sure, it saves energy, but you’re not going to be winning any races.

Turn Off Low Power Mode Like This:

1. Settings First: Jump into the Settings app.
2. Scroll to ‘Battery’: It’s usually got a little battery icon next to it.
3. Flip the Low Power Mode Switch: You’ll see Low Power Mode. Turn it off and feel the difference!

11. Reset All Settings

Imagine your iPhone as a puzzle that’s a bit mixed up. Resetting your settings is like putting all the puzzle pieces back in their original places, without throwing away any of the pieces, like your contacts, messages, and photos.

Reset and Refresh: Here’s How

1. Head to Settings: Tap that gear icon we all know and love.
2. Tap ‘General’: This is where the heart of your iPhone’s settings lives.
3. Time to Reset:
   • On iOS 15: Scroll down until you see “Transfer or Reset iPhone.” Then choose Reset and decide if you want to just reset network settings or go for the full reset with Reset All Settings.
   • On iOS 14 & Earlier: Choose Reset, enter your passcode if asked, and then select Reset All Settings to give your iPhone a fresh start.

Your iPhone will forget the Wi-Fi networks it knew, the Bluetooth friends it made, and the home screen order you had set up. It’s like your iPhone’s first day of school again—everything’s fresh, and it has to make new friends (reconnect to Wi-Fi and Bluetooth devices) and learn where everything goes (you’ll have to reorganize your home screen and Control Center).

But don’t worry, it won’t forget the important stuff like who your friends and family are (contacts), the good times you’ve had (photos), or the places you’ve been (no data or media will be deleted). It’s just a way to help your iPhone get its act together if it’s been acting a little sluggish.

12. Keep Practicing of Close Open Apps

Think of your iPhone like a juggler with too many balls in the air. Each open app is another ball to keep track of, and eventually, even the best juggler gets tired. Closing apps you’re not using can give your iPhone a break and keep things running smoothly.

Here’s the Scoop on Shutting Apps Down:

1. For iPhones That Like to Swipe (No Home Button):
   • Unlock your iPhone and swipe up from the bottom of the screen.
   • You’ll see all your open apps as little cards floating on a carousel.
   • To force close an app, flick the app’s preview up, and off the screen. Imagine it’s a mini basketball—you’re aiming for the hoop that’s off-screen!
2. For iPhones with a Home Button:
   • Double-click that round Home button.
   • Your open apps will line up, ready for inspection.
   • Swipe up on each app preview to send them off the screen and close them. It’s like closing doors after a long day—you’re securing your space!

13. Is your Charging Slow?

If your iPhone is taking forever to charge, think of it as trying to fill up a bathtub with a clogged drain. Here’s what you can do:

1. Check Your Charger: Use the charger that came with your iPhone or an Apple-certified one. It’s like using the right key for the lock!
2. Find a Wall Plug: Connect directly to the wall instead of using extensions. It’s the fast lane for charging!
3. Clean the Charging Port: Grab a soft brush and gently sweep out the port, or try a puff of air from your mouth. But be gentle—it’s delicate in there!

14. is your Safari Slow?

Running into a slow Safari after updating iOS? Let’s fix that web surfing speed with some quick steps:

1. Wipe Safari’s Memory: Go to your Settings app, scroll down to Safari, and tap it.
2. Clear History and Data: Choose Clear History and Website Data to get rid of all the stuff that’s bogging it down.
3. Turn On JavaScript: Some websites need JavaScript to run smoothly. In Safari settings, scroll to the Advanced section and flip the JavaScript toggle to green.

15. Enable Dark Mode

Ever felt like your iPhone’s screen is just too bright, especially at night? That’s where Dark Mode steps in to save the day—or night! It’s like putting on sunglasses for your phone. It turns your screen to darker colors which are way easier on your eyes when you’re checking your messages before bed.

Here’s How to Go Dark:

• Dive into your Settings app and find “Display & Brightness.”
• You’ll spot “Dark Mode” there. Tap it and watch everything go easy-on-the-eyes mode.
• Or, swipe into your Control Center and press down on the brightness slider. You’ll see a little “Dark Mode” icon. Tap it and voila, instant nighttime comfort for your eyes!

16. Turn off Unwanted Notification

And another thing! Are those pings and buzzes from your phone driving you bonkers? It’s time to show those apps who’s boss by tweaking your notifications.

Take Control of the Notification Madness:

1. Open the Settings app and tap on “Notifications.”
2. Scroll through your apps and pick the ones that you wish would just zip it.
3. Tap on the app’s name, and you’ll see a magical switch called “Allow Notifications.” Flip that off, and boom, peace and quiet from that app.

Just think of it as setting up a “no noise” zone on your iPhone. You can silence just the noisy ones, like that email app that buzzes you all day long, or that group chat that never seems to sleep. Your iPhone will only speak when you want it to. Now, that’s what I call a smart(er) phone!

17. Stop Auto-Update Apps

Did you know that your iPhone can update apps by itself? Handy, right? But here’s the twist: this can make your phone act like it’s running a marathon it never trained for, and things can get sluggish.

How to Tell Your iPhone to Take a Break from Auto-Updates:

1. Find the Settings app and give it a tap.
2. Look for “App Store” as you scroll down.
3. Inside, there’s a switch for “App Updates.” Turn it off, and just like that, your iPhone won’t update apps automatically anymore.

You can update your apps manually when you feel your phone is ready for it—like after a good charge or when you’re not busy texting your friends.

18. Wipe Your iPhone (Backup > Erase > Restore)

Ever felt like you just want to start over? Your iPhone can do that too! But beware, it’s like pushing the reset button on a video game—you’ll lose all the progress if you don’t save it first.

Here’s the Game Plan for a Full iPhone Reset:

• Backup Your Stuff: Plug your iPhone into your computer and use Finder/iTunes to save all your photos, messages, and everything else you don’t want to lose.
• Erase Your iPhone: Go to Settings, tap on “General,” then “Reset,” and choose “Erase All Content and Settings.” This will make your iPhone forget everything.
• Restore the Goodies: Once your iPhone wakes up feeling brand new, use that backup to put all your stuff back where it was.

19. Contact Apple Support – Hardware issue

Sometimes, no matter how many settings you tweak or buttons you press, your iPhone just won’t play nice. It’s like trying to convince a stubborn cat to take a bath—it’s not happening without some expert intervention.

Here’s how to reach out to the Apple gurus:

1. Get in Touch with Apple Support: Apple’s got a team of people just waiting to help you out. You can chat with them, give them a call, or even send an email.
2. Book a Genius Bar Appointment: Want to meet an Apple expert face-to-face? Head over to Apple’s website, find your nearest Apple Store, and schedule a meeting with someone who can look at your device and work some magic.

Remember, sometimes problems are deep-rooted, like a mystery pain that needs a doctor’s diagnosis. If your iPhone’s acting up because of something inside, like a hardware hiccup, it’s time to let the professionals take a look. They’ve got the tools and the know-how to figure out what’s wrong and how to fix it.

Wrapping It Up: A Quick Guide to a Snappier iPhone

Alright, let’s land this plane. We’ve chatted about a bunch of ways to get your iPhone zipping along after an iOS update that might’ve left it feeling sluggish. From giving it a fresh start with a hard reboot to streamlining its tasks by turning off unnecessary features, there’s plenty you can try to get things back to speed.

Remember, technology, much like people, can have its off days. But with a little patience and some savvy troubleshooting, you can often turn things around. And if all else fails, Apple Support is like your tech-savvy friend who’s ready to help you out of a bind.

Keep your iPhone’s storage tidy, manage those settings, and keep an eye on what’s running in the background. But if you’ve tried everything and your iPhone still feels like it’s walking through molasses, it might be time to chat with the experts at Apple.

In the end, whether it’s a quick settings change or a trip to the Genius Bar, you’ve got this. Here’s to many more smooth-swiping days with your trusty iPhone! 📱✨

Frequently Asked Questions