iPhone 11 Pro getting a little sluggish... should I do a backup and restore?

[davidg4781]

About a week or two ago, I noticed my 11 Pro was starting to get a little sluggish. This happens mostly when activating Siri via the side button and taking pictures with the Camera app.

I have a new Apple battery that's at about 98% capacity. This was replaced by Apple a couple of months ago. I also have about 6 GB out of 64 GB free.

I don't mind doing a backup and restore but would this help or has iOS 18.2.1/18.3 pushed it to its limits?

 

[davidg4781]

Ok. I did this. And I lost the ability to add cards to Apple Wallet.

 

[goldmac2006]

Ok. I did this. And I lost the ability to add cards to Apple Wallet.

Did you back up your iPhone to iTunes before the update? From my perspective, I’ve heard that the next iOS update might discontinue the iPhone XR/XS pre-Pro iPhone 2018 series and all the iPhone 11 series. Have you considered upgrading? I had an XR, and after my iPhone 7 lasted 4-5 years, I received it lightly used from a family member who had it since launch day. However, after installing the later versions of iOS 17, all betas, and regular versions of iOS 18, the XR started experiencing the same issues as your 11 Pro, such as overheating, slow launches, and resprings. If you’re interested in Apple Intelligence, I recommend upgrading to a 15 Pro or later.

 

[acorntoy]

About a week or two ago, I noticed my 11 Pro was starting to get a little sluggish. This happens mostly when activating Siri via the side button and taking pictures with the Camera app.

I have a new Apple battery that's at about 98% capacity. This was replaced by Apple a couple of months ago. I also have about 6 GB out of 64 GB free.

I don't mind doing a backup and restore but would this help or has iOS 18.2.1/18.3 pushed it to its limits?

Having less than 10% of storage available can slow down the device. The processor is still relatively fast enough but the lack of ram in the 11 pro is also probably causing it to struggle with the recent updates.

I've seen issues with A12X iPad Pro (4GB Ram) while the A12Z still chugs along nicely (6GB Ram) in the recent updates. Same processor basically but the extra ram makes a world of difference.

 

[goldmac2006]

Having less than 10% of storage available can slow down the device. The processor is still relatively fast enough but the lack of ram in the 11 pro is also probably causing it to struggle with the recent updates.

My iPhone XR started acting up when it reached about a bit more than half its storage capacity. It was only 128GB, but now with Apple Intelligence, it recommends a minimum of 10GB for the generative models to install. Considering that most people are getting the 15 Pro or the 16 series iPhones, it’s a good idea to get 256GB at the very least to make sure you have enough space for all the cool features. This is the reason why I had to let my iPhone XR go and upgrade to a 15 Pro a year later because I could not stand these bugs

 

[davidg4781]

Did you back up your iPhone to iTunes before the update? From my perspective, I’ve heard that the next iOS update might discontinue the iPhone XR/XS pre-Pro iPhone 2018 series and all the iPhone 11 series. Have you considered upgrading? I had an XR, and after my iPhone 7 lasted 4-5 years, I received it lightly used from a family member who had it since launch day. However, after installing the later versions of iOS 17, all betas, and regular versions of iOS 18, the XR started experiencing the same issues as your 11 Pro, such as overheating, slow launches, and resprings. If you’re interested in Apple Intelligence, I recommend upgrading to a 15 Pro or later.

I’ve considered upgrading for the last couple of years but this is just a really awesome phone. After the backup and restore, the only sluggishness is when launching Siri via the side button.

I’ll probably upgrade to the 17. It’s on USB-C which was one of my biggest wants, even with other electronics.

My iPhone XR started acting up when it reached about a bit more than half its storage capacity. It was only 128GB, but now with Apple Intelligence, it recommends a minimum of 10GB for the generative models to install. Considering that most people are getting the 15 Pro or the 16 series iPhones, it’s a good idea to get 256GB at the very least to make sure you have enough space for all the cool features. This is the reason why I had to let my iPhone XR go and upgrade to a 15 Pro a year later because I could not stand these bugs

Mine’s 64 GB. If I had more internal storage, I don’t think I’d even consider giving it up at this point. This has been my favorite iPhone ever.

 

[goldmac2006]

I’ve considered upgrading for the last couple of years but this is just a really awesome phone. After the backup and restore, the only sluggishness is when launching Siri via the side button.

I’ll probably upgrade to the 17. It’s on USB-C which was one of my biggest wants, even with other electronics.

Mine’s 64 GB. If I had more internal storage, I don’t think I’d even consider giving it up at this point. This has been my favorite iPhone ever.

How much space have you used on your iPhone so far? Is there any visible damage or signs of obvious wear on the iPhone 11 Pro?

 

[davidg4781]

How much space have you used on your iPhone so far? Is there any visible damage or signs of obvious wear on the iPhone 11 Pro?

I was at about 58 GB out of 64. No physical damage. Battery was replaced by Apple about a month ago. Screen was replaced (due to speaker degradation) about 9 months ago.

The main sluggishness is when hailing Siri using the power button. And sometimes taking pictures.

 

[goldmac2006]

I was at about 58 GB out of 64. No physical damage. Battery was replaced by Apple about a month ago. Screen was replaced (due to speaker degradation) about 9 months ago.

The main sluggishness is when hailing Siri using the power button. And sometimes taking pictures.

The initial hardware-related throttling issues have been thoroughly investigated and dismissed due to your service history. Furthermore, since you recently had a routine battery replacement at an Apple Store, it’s highly unlikely that there are any health issues with your battery. However, I’d like to ask if you’re currently participating in beta testing on your iPhone. This could potentially be contributing to the performance issues you’re experiencing. Do you also notice any hot spots, like overheating, on your iPhone? 📱

 

[davidg4781]

The initial hardware-related throttling issues have been thoroughly investigated and dismissed due to your service history. Furthermore, since you recently had a routine battery replacement at an Apple Store, it’s highly unlikely that there are any health issues with your battery. However, I’d like to ask if you’re currently participating in beta testing on your iPhone. This could potentially be contributing to the performance issues you’re experiencing. Do you also notice any hot spots, like overheating, on your iPhone? 📱

I'm not beta testing anymore. I did when 18 pb came out. It'll get hot when doing something intensive but normally it's cool to the touch.

 

[Ifti]

I think you're doing the right thing. Run it for as long as you can.

 

[goldmac2006]

I'm not beta testing anymore. I did when 18 pb came out. It'll get hot when doing something intensive but normally it's cool to the touch.

I had a similar issue with my iPhone XR when it was running iOS 18 beta. It would get super hot really quickly, even when I was just watching YouTube or browsing Safari, which aren’t really resource-intensive activities. Does your iPhone 11 Pro experience the same thing?

I think you're doing the right thing. Run it for as long as you can.

Did you meant that the OP should keep using his iPhone 11 Pro until it’s really time to upgrade and let it go? Upon questioning about the issue I think it is a software issue.

 

[Momof2.1107]

So you have a 64GB 11 Pro and are you still using 58GB of your storage? If so you’re running out of storage and that could cause the sluggishness.

 

[goldmac2006]

So you have a 64GB 11 Pro and are you still using 58GB of your storage? If so you’re running out of storage and that could cause the sluggishness.

Most likely the cause; can the OP uninstall unnecessary apps, delete excessive screenshots, or offload apps?

 

[Momof2.1107]

Most likely the cause; can the OP uninstall unnecessary apps, delete excessive screenshots, or offload apps?

That can definitely can help. Not having enough space can slow a device down. Freeing up space is worth a shot.

 

[winxmac]

The battery was already replaced and is still close to 100% battery health. The only thing that is affecting the performance is having less than 10% free storage space.

There's not much you can do with the iOS version since you can only go back to iOS 18.2.1 or update/upgrade to iOS 18.3

I have an iPhone 11 Pro Max 512GB still running iOS 17.7 and no sluggishness/slowdown at all. It still has 430GB free storage space for I have already transferred photos and videos to my external storage.

 

[goldmac2006]

That can definitely can help. Not having enough space can slow a device down. Freeing up space is worth a shot.

The battery was already replaced and is still close to 100% battery health. The only thing that is affecting the performance is having less than 10% free storage space.

There's not much you can do with the iOS version since you can only go back to iOS 18.2.1 or update/upgrade to iOS 18.3

I have an iPhone 11 Pro Max 512GB still running iOS 17.7 and no sluggishness/slowdown at all. It still has 430GB free storage space for I have already transferred photos and videos to my external storage.

If you’re thinking about not upgrading to a new iPhone with more storage, here are some things to keep in mind. You can only downgrade to a lower version, up to iOS 18.3 beta. Check out this link below to see for yourself: https://ipsw.dev/

Make sure your iOS version is still signed by Apple to be installed on your device. On a Mac, press option click in the Finder, and on a PC, shift click.

To transfer photos and videos to your computer or external storage, use a Lightning cable and connect it to your computer. Use Finder or Apple Devices to back it up. You can also use a MFi-certified Lightning USB drive from a third-party company. Here’s one you can still buy: https://www.amazon.com/SanDisk-256GB-iXpand-Flash-iPhone/dp/B07VQPDM56/ref=mp_s_a_1_4?crid=CIQY0RCE2QA0&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.zYVOPaEogWYKkJfEWeRT1c38HK6TUDlzpSLu4Id5iAzcC6omVyRgxh2TNWa3s-Nq6OJlo8Cy0Lo2TJ_lR1oNbBKjZ_9Kw7m2D2eu7z78dZsAk1-jccauikOZzp0x-GO6SMvKOrqceSseyjVBieTOGPM19wBj15f1wMZK53YYx8fV8j99Rwa0F_40qZJXAQwQ9Mb2RKZ3Fo-koEYuJ4uZtA.htnOAsB55c6-j3WcEGOdcxFYDrdVM2eeRewkjoNU1Ts&dib_tag=se&keywords=lightning+usb+drive&qid=1738511772&sprefix=lightning+usb+,aps,181&sr=8-4#aw-udpv3-customer-reviews_feature_div

 

[davidg4781]

To transfer photos and videos to your computer or external storage, use a Lightning cable and connect it to your computer. Use Finder or Apple Devices to back it up. You can also use a MFi-certified Lightning USB drive from a third-party company. Here’s one you can still buy: https://www.amazon.com/SanDisk-256GB-iXpand-Flash-iPhone/dp/B07VQPDM56/ref=mp_s_a_1_4?crid=CIQY0RCE2QA0&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.zYVOPaEogWYKkJfEWeRT1c38HK6TUDlzpSLu4Id5iAzcC6omVyRgxh2TNWa3s-Nq6OJlo8Cy0Lo2TJ_lR1oNbBKjZ_9Kw7m2D2eu7z78dZsAk1-jccauikOZzp0x-GO6SMvKOrqceSseyjVBieTOGPM19wBj15f1wMZK53YYx8fV8j99Rwa0F_40qZJXAQwQ9Mb2RKZ3Fo-koEYuJ4uZtA.htnOAsB55c6-j3WcEGOdcxFYDrdVM2eeRewkjoNU1Ts&dib_tag=se&keywords=lightning+usb+drive&qid=1738511772&sprefix=lightning+usb+,aps,181&sr=8-4#aw-udpv3-customer-reviews_feature_div

I might move some pictures/videos to my Mac. I just have everything stores in Photos (on my Mac) which keeps everything in the Cloud and also on iPhone. There's a lot of them that I really don't "need" especially over the next few months until iPhone 17. Right now, Photos is taking up 3.3 GB.

Intersting enough, though... I'm at 42 GB out of 64 GB used and Siri is still sluggish to start. This goes for saying "Siri" or holding down the power button. On my Apple Watch, she's pretty much instant.

Most likely the cause; can the OP uninstall unnecessary apps, delete excessive screenshots, or offload apps?

Apps are set to offload but who has excessive screenshots? 988 isn't excessive, is it?

 

[goldmac2006]

I might move some pictures/videos to my Mac. I just have everything stores in Photos (on my Mac) which keeps everything in the Cloud and also on iPhone. There's a lot of them that I really don't "need" especially over the next few months until iPhone 17. Right now, Photos is taking up 3.3 GB.

Intersting enough, though... I'm at 42 GB out of 64 GB used and Siri is still sluggish to start. This goes for saying "Siri" or holding down the power button. On my Apple Watch, she's pretty much instant.

Apps are set to offload but who has excessive screenshots? 988 isn't excessive, is it?

Hey, do you have an Apple Watch? If so, which series is it?

By the way, I think you’re taking the right approach to transferring your photos and videos to your Mac. Take your time cleaning out your pictures, and if you have the space, back them up to iCloud. Also, try to remove any duplicate photos and screenshots.

 

[davidg4781]

Hey, do you have an Apple Watch? If so, which series is it?

By the way, I think you’re taking the right approach to transferring your photos and videos to your Mac. Take your time cleaning out your pictures, and if you have the space, back them up to iCloud. Also, try to remove any duplicate photos and screenshots.

Yes, Apple Watch SE2.

 

[macnavarra]

Remove device from Apple account, turn off, turn on etc...

 

[goldmac2006]

Yes, Apple Watch SE2.

That explains why it is faster than your iPhone… it is an AW Series 4 with Series 8 chipsets and Crash Detection.

Do you game a lot on your iPhone?

 

[davidg4781]

That explains why it is faster than your iPhone… it is an AW Series 4 with Series 8 chipsets and Crash Detection.

Do you game a lot on your iPhone?

Well Siri was faster before. Everything else is smooth on iPhone except Siri.

I used to play casual games but stopped to save on storage.

 

[goldmac2006]

Well Siri was faster before. Everything else is smooth on iPhone except Siri.

I used to play casual games but stopped to save on storage.

When did the issues start on your iPhone? Were you playing games like Candy Crush or Angry Birds 2 before? Those games aren’t too heavy and battery sipping on the system. I used to play slot games on my old iPhone 7 for a few months, but then it overheated, throttled, and even reduced the battery health to 53% of its original capacity. That took a toll and even games like Roblox, PUBG, call of duty and other titles like some anime games harm older iPhone batteries and speed, too.

Since you moved your photos to the Mac, how’s the storage on your iPhone 11 Pro now?

 

[davidg4781]

When did the issues start on your iPhone? Were you playing games like Candy Crush or Angry Birds 2 before? Those games aren’t too heavy and battery sipping on the system. I used to play slot games on my old iPhone 7 for a few months, but then it overheated, throttled, and even reduced the battery health to 53% of its original capacity. That took a toll and even games like Roblox, PUBG, call of duty and other titles like some anime games harm older iPhone batteries and speed, too.

Since you moved your photos to the Mac, how’s the storage on your iPhone 11 Pro now?

I played games like AdVenture Capitalist, Osmos, Pocket Planes. Nothing too exciting. I can't say for sure when the issue with Siri started happening. I rarely use her now except for when I'm getting dressed in the morning. I'll ask what the weather's supposed to be like for the day.

I didn't move my photos. Not yet. After the backup and restore, I have about 20 GB free. I couldn't redownload TikTok (rarely used it) and my Music app isn't bloated.