While iPhones are some of the best smartphones available on the market—and certainly the most popular in the US—they aren’t without certain bugs or glitches, just like any technology. One problem users report is that sometimes their iPhones will randomly turn off when they’re in the middle of using it or it’s sitting idle.
An iPhone may be turning off unexpectedly because the battery is low or because it’s overheated or, more rarely, because of software or hardware problems. Plug the phone in and get it on long enough to charge the battery and update the software. Contact Apple Support if the problem continues.
Nobody wants their iPhone to turn off unexpectedly, especially if you’re using it for an important task. So now let’s take a closer look at iPhones that keep randomly shutting off, as well as some quick fixes that may help.
Why Does Your iPhone Keep Randomly Shutting Off?
There are a few reasons your iPhone might be shutting off, and you’ll have to examine them to decide what the matter is.
An App Glitch
Sometimes, there can be an app glitch that causes the iPhone to switch off. You may notice this happens when you open a specific app or when it’s running in the background, so it can take some trial and error to figure out which app is causing the issue.
A Software Glitch
It could also be an overall software glitch on the iPhone. Sometimes, iOS has bugs in it that Apple needs to resolve.
Hardware Damage
If you remember dropping your phone recently or accidentally submerging it in water, then it could be hardware damage that’s the issue. If this is the case, it will likely need a professional repair.
Overheating
One thing to consider is if your phone is just literally too hot. If you’re outside by the pool, or driving around with your phone mounted in sunlight on the dash, it could simply be that your iPhone is overheating and turning off from too much heat. The iPhone does this automatically to prevent worse damage, and the phone should act normally once its had a chance to cool off.
Battery Issues
The most common cause of an iPhone randomly shutting off is battery issues. Usually, the battery is old or in poor health (or has taken some hardware damage, as mentioned above) and keeps randomly dying.
How Do You Fix an iPhone That Keeps Shutting Down?
Fortunately, for some iPhone issues that might cause the device to shut off randomly, there are some quick fixes you can use.
Update the Phone
Updating the phone is sometimes the quickest way to fix issues. Unfortunately, many people turn automatic updates off and forget that Apple doesn’t just bring new features by offering updates, but it fixes the bugs of previous iOS versions.
You can check if your iPhone needs to be updated by:
- Heading into General, then About.
- Then Check for Software Update (all of this under Settings).
- If a new iOS version is available, go ahead and install it and see if it fixes your issue.
Update Your Apps
Just as the iOS software needs to update, so do apps.
Head into your App Store and look at Updates on the bottom bar to see which apps are ready for an update to be downloaded. You can choose to do one at a time or hit Update All and have them added to a queue.
Depending on how many apps need to be updated, this could use up quite a bit of data, so it’s a good idea to ensure you’re connected to WiFi before you go ahead.
Perform a Hard Reset of Your Phone
A hard reset can often fix many issues with an iPhone. Hold down the Power and Volume Up buttons until an apple pops up on the screen. Release both and wait for the phone to come back on, and it’s as easy as that.
Restore Phone from a Backup
If you’re still having issues with your phone, you can see if it’s a software issue by restoring your phone from a backup. Make sure you choose a version from before this glitch was happening.
- Connect your phone to your computer via your cable and open iTunes.
- There, you can select your device and choose Restore.
- Follow the instructions to bring your phone back to a previous version, but don’t forget to save any content you’ve gained in the meantime first. You can do this by saving it on your computer or backing it up to iCloud.
Reset to Factory Settings
If you don’t have a backup to restore your phone to or it hasn’t worked, you can reset your phone to factory settings using the following steps:
- Access Settings.
- Then choose General.
- Then select Transfer or Reset iPhone.
- From there, you can reset to factory settings.
If you do this, you will not only lose all settings on your phone but all content. So, just like with restoring to a backup, make sure you save all content you might lose, either on your computer or in iCloud.
Check Your Battery Health
You may be able to see if there’s an issue with your phone battery by checking its health. You can:
- Go to Settings.
- Then Battery.
- Then Battery Health to get a sense of where your battery is and if it needs to be replaced.
When you first buy a phone, your maximum capacity will start at 100%. From there, it will decrease with age.
Suppose your capacity is still showing a high number. In that case, chances are, you may not have an issue with it—though it’s still possible there’s some hardware damage to the battery itself, and it’s not age or decline in peak performance.
What if the Quick Fixes Don’t Work?
When it comes to a problem with your phone shutting off, there are some times that the quick fixes don’t work. This is usually because there’s a problem with the hardware and/or the battery needs to be replaced.
While it is possible to buy an iPhone battery and do the replacement yourself, it’s always best to contact Apple or a certified technician and have them do the replacement. They can check that the battery is actually the problem and then go ahead with the fix.
Although you can use a third-party repair shop, it may void any warranty or insurance you have with Apple. Going through Apple is usually best, as you can contact them and mail the phone away or drop it off at a store. Some stores can even do the battery replacement on the same day.
How Much Does a New Battery Cost?
The battery replacement will depend on the phone you have and where you get it done. Getting an official Apple repair on a newer model can be between $69-$99. The good news is that your battery capacity should be back to 100%, giving you a brand new lifespan and no more issues.