First: Wait 24-48 Hours
Wait 24-48 hours and let your iPhone charge overnight before trying other fixes. After a major iOS update, your iPhone performs background work like re-indexing photos, updating Siri's data, adjusting battery optimization, and rebuilding app caches, which makes everything feel sluggish for the first day or two.
Why This Works:
iOS updates trigger background processes that optimize your phone for the new system. These processes run when your iPhone is plugged in and idle. If you keep using it constantly, they can't finish, which keeps things slow. Let your iPhone charge overnight, and you'll often wake up to normal performance.
Fix #1: Force Restart Your iPhone
Perform a force restart to clear out temporary glitches causing slowness. This is different from a regular restart and forces your iPhone to fully reboot.
For iPhone 8 or Newer:
- 1. Press and quickly release the Volume Up button
- 2. Press and quickly release the Volume Down button
- 3. Press and hold the Side button until the Apple logo appears (about 10 seconds)
- 4. Let go and wait for your iPhone to restart
For iPhone 7:
- 1. Press and hold both the Volume Down button and the Sleep/Wake button
- 2. Keep holding until the Apple logo appears
For iPhone 6s or Older:
- 1. Press and hold both the Home button and the Sleep/Wake button
- 2. Keep holding until the Apple logo appears
Fix #2: Check Battery Usage to Find Problem Apps
Check your battery usage to find apps that don't work well with the new iOS version. Sometimes one app drains your battery and makes your iPhone slow.
Steps:
- 1. Open Settings
- 2. Tap Battery
- 3. Look at the list of apps and their battery usage percentage
- 4. If one app is using way more battery than you'd expect (like 40%+ when you barely used it), that's your problem
- 5. Try closing the app completely: Swipe up from the bottom (or double-click Home button), then swipe the app up to close it
- 6. If the problem continues, delete the app and reinstall it
Why This Works:
Apps that drain battery are usually running constantly in the background, which uses up your iPhone's processing power. By identifying and fixing the problem app, you free up resources for everything else to run smoothly.
Fix #3: Turn Off Background App Refresh
Turn off Background App Refresh to significantly improve performance, especially on older iPhones. This feature lets apps update their content even when you're not using them.
Steps:
- 1. Open Settings
- 2. Tap General
- 3. Tap Background App Refresh
- 4. Either turn it off completely, or go through the list and turn it off for apps you don't need instant updates from
You can always turn it back on later. Apps will still work fine — they'll just update when you actually open them instead of constantly in the background.
Fix #4: Reduce Motion and Transparency Effects
Turn off motion and transparency effects to make your iPhone feel faster. iOS has many visual effects that look nice but require processing power.
Steps:
- 1. Open Settings
- 2. Tap Accessibility
- 3. Tap Motion
- 4. Turn on Reduce Motion
- 5. Go back, then tap Display & Text Size
- 6. Turn on Reduce Transparency
This changes some of the animations and blurred effects in iOS, but your iPhone will feel noticeably snappier.
Fix #5: Clear Safari Cache and Data
Clear Safari's stored data if Safari is slow or your iPhone seems sluggish when browsing.
Steps:
- 1. Open Settings
- 2. Scroll down and tap Safari
- 3. Scroll down and tap Clear History and Website Data
- 4. Confirm by tapping Clear History and Data
Note: This will log you out of websites, but it often speeds things up significantly.
Is Your iPhone Too Old for This iOS Version?
Check if your iPhone model is too old for the new iOS version. Apple supports older iPhones longer than most people expect, but the newest iOS versions can sometimes be too demanding for very old hardware.
General Guidelines:
- • iPhone 12 or newer: Should run all current iOS versions smoothly
- • iPhone 8 to iPhone 11: Newer iOS versions work, but you may need to turn off some features (like the ones above)
- • iPhone 7 or older: May struggle with the latest iOS. Consider staying on an older iOS version next time.
Unfortunately, you cannot downgrade iOS back to the previous version. Once you update, you're staying on that version.
Should You Do a Factory Reset?
Consider a factory reset only as a last resort if the update installed incorrectly. A factory reset wipes your iPhone clean and starts fresh, but it's a big step that requires backing up your data first.
Before You Reset:
- 1. Try all the fixes above first — reset is a last resort
- 2. Back up your iPhone to iCloud or your computer first
- 3. Make sure you know your Apple ID and password (you'll need them to restore)
To reset: Go to Settings → General → Transfer or Reset iPhone → Erase All Content and Settings. Then restore from your backup.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- ✗Don't immediately reset: Most slowdowns resolve on their own within 48 hours as background processes finish.
- ✗Don't skip the force restart: It's the quickest fix and solves many post-update glitches.
- ✗Don't keep tons of apps open: Despite popular belief, closing apps doesn't usually help — iOS manages them automatically.
Prevention Tips
- ✓Wait a few weeks before updating: Let Apple work out bugs in early releases of new iOS versions.
- ✓Check compatibility first: Research whether your iPhone model runs the new iOS well before updating.
- ✓Keep storage above 10% free: Low storage slows down any iPhone, especially after updates.
- ✓Update apps after iOS updates: App developers release updates that work better with new iOS versions.