I've had instability with iOS 11 on my iPhone 7+ every day, often multiple times a day, since I installed iOS 11 on the launch day, which I end up having to restart my phone to resolve. This has been the case with 11.0, 11.0.1 and 11.0.2.
When my phone becomes unstable:
I've tried a number of troubleshooting steps. I thought it might be a problem related to my over the air installation of the OS, or some system file corruption. For 11.0.2. I cleared the phone entirely using "Restore iPhone..." from iTunes and restored from an iTunes backup. This did not resolve the issues.
I thought it might be related to bluetooth problems, so I shut off bluetooth entirely for the past few days. This did not resolve the problem.
What I have noticed the last two times I had this instability is that there is always at least one app that shows that it is updating, but looks like the download is complete and it is trying to complete installation. In other words, there is a dark circle mask around the icon and the middle of the loading part is not dark. Those apps are not launchable and I cannot delete them from the springboard. After I restart the phone, the mask is gone and those apps are fully installed and usable.
I believe the instability might be caused by a problem at the end of an app installation/update process. In order to test this theory, I have gone now gone into my iTunes and App Stores settings and turned off all Automatic Downloads. If my theory is correct, then the instability should no longer occur.
If anybody else is having the same symptoms above, can you try turning off Automatic Downloads and report back here if this does or does not eliminate the instability for you.
Also, if anybody else is having this instability and has not turned off Automatic Downloads yet, please check to see if you have any apps in an updating state while your phone is still responsive and post your observations here.
I will report back daily how things have been going for me. Thanks!
When my phone becomes unstable:
- The network activity spinner in the top left spins continuously.
- The Settings app can't be opened. If I tap on Settings, it opens a blank app template with a white empty screen and it never renders any UI.
- Some other apps, somewhat randomly can't be opened. They might open the launch screen or be blank like settings. If I hit the home button after opening one of these stuck apps, the springboard comes up for a fraction of a second, then the app screen reanimates back open for a fraction of a second, then the springboard comes back up.
- Some apps will open but have a long lag of 5-15 seconds before the interface is usable and interactive.
- Some apps will open and work normally.
- Eventually, the entire phone will become unresponsive.
- Finally, after being unresponsive for some time, the phone will have a blank black screen with a spinner in the middle which will spin continually.
- The only way to get the phone to work after this is a hard reboot by holding down sleep/wake and volume down for a few seconds.
I've tried a number of troubleshooting steps. I thought it might be a problem related to my over the air installation of the OS, or some system file corruption. For 11.0.2. I cleared the phone entirely using "Restore iPhone..." from iTunes and restored from an iTunes backup. This did not resolve the issues.
I thought it might be related to bluetooth problems, so I shut off bluetooth entirely for the past few days. This did not resolve the problem.
What I have noticed the last two times I had this instability is that there is always at least one app that shows that it is updating, but looks like the download is complete and it is trying to complete installation. In other words, there is a dark circle mask around the icon and the middle of the loading part is not dark. Those apps are not launchable and I cannot delete them from the springboard. After I restart the phone, the mask is gone and those apps are fully installed and usable.
I believe the instability might be caused by a problem at the end of an app installation/update process. In order to test this theory, I have gone now gone into my iTunes and App Stores settings and turned off all Automatic Downloads. If my theory is correct, then the instability should no longer occur.
If anybody else is having the same symptoms above, can you try turning off Automatic Downloads and report back here if this does or does not eliminate the instability for you.
Also, if anybody else is having this instability and has not turned off Automatic Downloads yet, please check to see if you have any apps in an updating state while your phone is still responsive and post your observations here.
I will report back daily how things have been going for me. Thanks!
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