Most common iOS 14 problems and how to fix them

While iOS 14 proved a relatively smooth transition for most iPhone users — which incorporated a ton of new features with minimal complaints — iOS 15 solves most of the minor issues encountered in iOS 14. It incorporates all of the great features introduced in the previous generation, including the App Library, videos and FaceTime calls while using other apps, new default apps, unlocking your iPhone via your Apple Watch, enabling smart Siri support for music apps, PlayStation 5 and Xbox controller support, Waze-inspired crowdsourcing in Apple Maps, and much more.

If you don’t receive an automatic iOS update notification, go to Settings > General > Software update to download and install it.

If you are still having issues with the following iOS 14 features, do not hesitate to upgrade to iOS 15 now.

Problem: Touch ID and Face ID issues

The fingerprint sensor is reported not to be working properly on the iPhone 8. There are also reports from previous releases about the fingerprint sensor as nonfunctional or not responding.

Solutions

Problem: Can’t modify widgets

With iOS 14, one of the biggest draws was a new interface for the home screen that features resizable and stackable widgets. Some users were disappointed when they couldn’t modify some widgets at will, and recently downloaded apps may not have widgets available at all.

Solution

• Launch the app in question and use it a bit. After the app is established on your phone, a widget may show up on the list when you tap the Plus icon.

Problem: Text delays

When typing a message or email, the text is delayed and slow to register on the screen, which is distracting. This has been a longstanding issue.

Solution

Problem: Google Authenticator not working

The Google Authenticator app stopped loading up. You’d tap its icon, the app would begin to load for a split second, and then it would quickly revert to the home screen.

Solution

• Go to Settings > General > iPhone storage > Authenticator. Tap Offload appwhich removes the app from your iPhone while keeping all of its data — don’t worry, your 2FA codes won’t be lost. Next, tap Reinstall.

Problem: Not receiving text message notifications

No sound notifications for text messages and the notification banner doesn’t appear at all when the iPhone is locked.

Solutions

• Upgrade to iOS 15.
• Always force-quit the Messages app after using it. Swipe up from the bottom of the touchscreen (or double-tap the Home button) and then swipe up on the Messages app to force-close it.

Problem: Installing the latest iOS update

Many iPhone users had been champing at the bit to download the new operating system as soon as it was available but found they had to wait from hours to even a day or two for the initial release to download and install to their phone.

Solutions

• Apple iOS updates eventually reach every phone that’s compatible — it may take some time.
• In the meantime, clear out some space from your phone, and offload apps, photos, and videos you no longer need to store on your handset.
• Make sure your phone is fully charged, or be prepared to plug it into a power source for the download.
• If you’re still having issues, try rebooting your phone just to clear out the cobwebs.

Problem: Battery drain

Battery drain is a perpetual issue after the installation of a new mobile OS. That’s because the new system has a lot to integrate and catch up on before the battery will start functioning normally again.

Solutions

• Chill out for at least 48 hours after installing a brand new update, and keep the battery charged so that your phone adapts properly to the new OS. Not only is your phone integrating the new system and re-indexing your data, but your installed apps are also adapting to a new environment and even updating their own systems to better operate with the new iOS.
• Before you update, check to see whether your critical apps are compatible with iOS 14 by checking their download page on the App Store or the latest version date. Non-optimized apps could cause a variety of problems. Check app battery usage via Settings > Battery and scroll down to check Battery usage by app to see if any apps are particularly hard on your battery.
• Double-check your battery health via Settings > Battery > Battery healthwhich will tell you the level of charge your phone can hold. If you don’t like what you see, you can take steps to improve your battery life, including adjusting screen brightness or app background use. If a certain app consistently chews through your battery life, you may want to make further adjustments or remove it.
• Restart your phone by turning it completely off. Wait a few minutes and then power it back up again.
• Halt background refresh, the feature that shows you the latest activity in all your apps, as it may use too much power. Go to Settings > General > Background app refresh and switch it off for apps that don’t need it.
• If you’ve tried everything and your battery is still draining unacceptably fast, try a total phone reset via Settings > General > Reset > Reset all settings.

Problem: Default app reset

iOS 14 resets the default browser and email client back to Safari and Mail after you power down and then restart. That means you have to reset the defaults to your preferred apps all over again.

Solution

Problem: Bluetooth performance

Bluetooth connections can often be problematic, so if you can’t connect to your Bluetooth devices after updating, try some of these moves.

Solutions

• Forget the Bluetooth connection on your device by going to Settings > Bluetooth, selecting the connection using the Info circleand tapping Forget this device. Then try to reconnect.
• Reset your iPhone’s network settings via Settings > General > Reset > Reset network settings. This will cause your device to forget current Wi-Fi networks, so be ready with your passwords to log back in.
• Reset your device’s settings back to their factory defaults via Settings > General > Reset > Reset all settings.

Problem: Wi-Fi issues

Wi-Fi connection problems can be frustrating, and if you’re operating a home Wi-Fi network, here are a few things to try.

Solutions

• Unplug the router for a few minutes and then plug it back in.
• If you’re sure your router is not the problem, then forget the troublesome Wi-Fi network via Settings > Wi-Fi and tap the connection Info circle. Then, tap Forget this network.

This echoes the steps cited for Bluetooth in terms of having your Wi-Fi passwords ready to enter or, if that is unsuccessful, resetting your phone’s network settings.

Problem: Cellular connection issues

If you are not getting service on your cellular plan, here are a few things to try even before you pick up your phone. First, check to see if there have been service interruptions in your region. Check local notices, email, TV, radio, or social media, or contact your service provider on social media. Down Detector is a good way to gauge whether others in your area are having the same issues. If not, here’s what to do.

Solutions

• Restart your iPhone to restart the connection.
• Turn Airplane Mode on for 30 seconds, then turn it off. Airplane Mode provides complete radio silence.
• Toggle cellular data off and on via Settings > Cellular.  Leave it off for a short time and toggle it back on.

Problem: GPS Issues

There have been scattered reports that iOS 14 may cause GPS issues, and if that’s the case for you, the first thing to try is to completely shut down your phone and after a few minutes, power it back up again. Or try the following actions.

Solutions

• Toggle Airplane Mode on and off.
• Check your location permissions to make sure your app is set up to use GPS by going to Settings > Privacy > Location services.
• Tap on the affected app and make sure you’re using something other than Never.
• Toggle Location Services off and on via Settings > Privacy > Location serviceswait a few seconds, and toggle it back on.
• Reset your device’s network settings via Settings > General > Reset > Reset network settings.