10 Most Annoying iPhone Problems (And How To Solve Them!)

10 Most Annoying iPhone Problems (And How To Solve Them!)

By David Harfield -
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10 Most Annoying iPhone Problems

We all know that the iPhone is a fantastic invention, but that doesn’t mean that it is not without it’s problems. From low battery life to ridiculous predictive text alterations, there are times when we just want to smash it against the wall, but we can’t because its screen is just so breakable! So, here are our 10 most annoying iPhone problems and tips on how to solve them!

1. Low Battery Life

iphone-battery

Problem: One of the most common bugbears of the iPhone is that it’s battery runs out so quickly; browse Facebook, listen to a few tunes and send an email or two and suddenly you are in the red!

Solution: The best way to preserve your battery life is to switch off all of the apps and notifications that you don’t need, such as GPS, Wi-Fi and push notifications on useless apps until you need them. For more tips on how to improve your iPhone’s battery life, check out 5 Top Tips On How To Increase Your iPhone’s Battery Life.

2. Screen Is Easily Broken

Problem: I have lost count of the amount of times that I have dropped my iPhone and watched the flimsy screen splinter into a thousand pieces, knowing that I’m going to have yet another premium tacked on to my insurance bill. The price of having a wonderfully responsive touch screen is that it is very easily broken.

Solution: Get yourself a case. You need to protect your iPhone from the world’s elements, so invest in a tough one with a screen protector. Check out 5 Incredibly Stylish iPhone 4 Cases for inspiration!

3. Music Sounds Tinny On Loudspeaker

Problem: I really value the quality of sound production, so when my favourite tracks come blaring out of my iPhone with a tinny whine, it makes me want to scream! The inbuilt speakers are OK for playing basic app game sound effects but for pumping out the tunes, they’re just not good enough.

Solution: Invest in a decent set of iPhone speakers that will allow you to play your music as loud as you like with decent quality sound production. Try our 5 Great iPhone Accessories for Music if you are a music lover!

4. The Dictionary Won’t Learn New Words

Problem: Autocorrect is a fantastic setting if you are a sloppy texter like me, however if you want to use slang or ‘naughty’ words, the iPhone can often correct them to the wrong word!

Solution: There are many ways to try and trick your iPhone into learning new words, but if you want these words to stick, you’ve got to Google it. If you search for new words with Google in Safari it forces your iPhone’s dictionary to remember your ‘new’ words and will retain them forever. For more iPhone tips, go to iPhone Tips!

5. The Stock Ringtones Are Terrible

iphone ringtone

Problem: I have had the same ringtone for as long as I have had my iPhone and when it goes off in a shop, at least three other people go to answer their phones. This is quite funny, however the stock iPhone ringtones are so boring!

Solution: Check out TonePad, which allows you to create unique music ringtones for your iPhone in seconds.

6. Mail Archives Emails Instead Of Deleting Them When You Go To Edit

iphone email

Problem: Ever since the 4.0 update to Mail where they got rid of the ‘Trash’ button, when I go to ‘Edit’, I archive emails instead of deleting them. Frustrating!

Solution: You can change the function of the ‘Edit’ button by going to Settings > Mail, Contacts, Calendars > “preferred mail account”. There you can toggle the Archive Messages to ‘On’ or ‘Off’. For more tips on your iPhone, go to iPhone Tips.

7. Google Maps Is Not Accurate Close To Your Destination

iphone-your-location

Problem: Google Maps is superb and it has helped me find my way home so many times that I literally don’t know how I coped without it. However, when I near my destination, the accuracy seems to fall to zero!

Solution: Use the Compass feature on Maps for a more accurate guide. Launch Google Maps and tap on the crosshair icon at the bottom left of the screen. This will make the blue dot display your current location on the map; then click the icon again and a triangle will appear next to the dot: this shows the direction on the map that the iPhone is facing, making it easier to navigate around!

8. Some Paid Apps Are Terrible

iphone paid apps

Problem: As part of my job, I have to test a lot of apps and what really irritates me is when I pay for an app that is complete crap and can’t get a refund.

Solution: Many apps have a ‘lite’ version that allows you to test them for free before you buy the ‘Pro’ version; this is a great way of ensuring that you don’t waste your money! To receive the latest updates, tips and recommendations for iPhone apps and accessories, simply join our Facebook page.

9. iPhone Operates Very Slowly

slow-iphone

Problem: The first time that I used my iPhone I was amazed at how quickly it worked, sliding from screen to screen at my lightest touch. However, as I loaded more apps and music on to it, the response time for loading and calling became much slower, which is really annoying!

Solution: If you free up space on your iPhone, you will find that it operates much quicker. Upload all of your photos, music and rarely used apps on to your computer and allow your iPhone some room to breathe. Check out 5 Top Tips on How to Free Space on your iPhone.

10. The Next Generation iPhone Always Seems To Be A Lot Better

Problem: Whenever a new iPhone comes out, there’s always something in the back of my mind that makes me think that I should wait for the next one.

Solution: Write to Steve Jobs and complain about his (genius) business model.

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82 COMMENTS

  5. Great review! I can really relate to number 3 (music sounds too low). For anyone who hasn’t got any speakers, a great trick is to put your iPhone in an empty coffee mug because the sound projects out louder! Try it out and see!

  7. Thanks Ashkan. Try it out, it really works! Just make sure the iPhone is the correct way up and the mug has no coffee in…. Lol

  10. Hi Folks,

    My problem is when I try to send mail, the phone tries to connect to a wifii site, I hit cancell expecting the mail to go via 3G but it goes to my outbox to be sent later. Once I enter a friendly wifii site, the mail goes immediately but won’t send by the phone network. If I wasn’t in the wifii umbrella, the mail goes normally. I already tries shutting off wifii detector….. same problem?????

  11. Hi Doug,

    These little glitches are so annoying, I agree! I don’t have this problem, however my mail sending can be a bit of a palaver when it switches between WiFi and 3G. If you’ve already tried turning off WiFi before sending mail, then I suggest a hard reset, which normally irons out the creases. Just make sure that all of your data is backed up! Let me know how this goes!

    David Harfield

    Editor

    iPhoneAppCafe

  12. what about the screen going completely white and I can’t access anything??? how can you know if you have a virus, can you download anti virus software?

  13. Hi Lisa,

    Yes, my iPhone has had this problem before – usually a hard reset fixes it, or sometimes even just holding down the home and sleep button for ten seconds to reset it. Your iPhone won’t have a virus unless you have jailbroken it, however it may be faulty; if so, take it to the Apple shop and get those geniuses hard at work!

  14. You forgot to add poor connection to you cell phone providers network. I have AT&T and the ability to connect to the AT&T cellular network is less than poor. No, it is not the network, it is the IPhone 3GS. I have many other phones and this is by far the worse. Actually the only worse, the others (e.g. Nokia, Motorola) were excellent.

  16. Hi Lucy,

    Have you tried holding your Home and Sleep button down for ten seconds? This will perform a soft reset and should fix it. Otherwise, try a Hard Reset by connecting to iTunes and restoring factory settings – just ensure that you have everything backed up!

    Dave

  17. Joe Smuckatelli :I thaught this is only my problem because I bought my 3GS from Iran:(
    My last one was nokia and it was great.
    Is here anyone who bought a 3GS from Iran and it works properly???

  18. My IPhone is ok in regards to txting and receiving calls and making calls, just one problem, no one can hear me!!! wud it be a problem with the speaker ??? Thanks

  19. Hey Marie,

    My girlfriend had the same problem with her iPhone; has it got wet recently? Try and hold it under a hair dryer, otherwise if a hard reset doesn’t fix it, take it to the Apple shop, theyare bound to know what to do!

    Let me know if this helps!

    Cheers,

    Dave

  21. hi ,
    I really like my Iphone and i dont want to shift to blackberry for the problem im having with my device. It was working properly until yesterday when i answered a call , i could hear clearly everything but the caller cannot hear anything , as if it is Void. I tried some calls and there is the same problem. The speaker is working very well . PLUS the ” call forwarding active – dismiss ” pops up everytime i start a call.
    Please help me solve this . My mobile is brand new .

  22. Hello, I need help. My I phone G3 is not working properly. The screen is dark. Please help, how can I fix that.
    Thanks, Alex

  23. Hi Alex,

    That seems to be a fault with the handset – if you have already tried a hard reset then you need to take it to an Apple shop, where they will fix or replace it.

    I hope this helps,

    Dave

  25. When I download an app, it will pop out a message saying that I have purchase the app, but yet to install. After a while, the download meter will be at it’s max with a word installing… How to solve this??

  26. Hi Sherman,

    Have you tried loading all of your apps on to your computer to back them up, then deleting them all off your phone, then adding them on one by one? This should work. Otherwise the handset is faulty and needs to be fixed/replaced at an Apple shop.

    Cheers,

    David

  27. My 3G I-phone while texting turned off and will not turn on, even when pluged into charging station….help!

    .

  28. Hi Denise,

    Sorry to hear this – is it water damaged? If so, put it on a radiator or in a bag of rice, which will suck the moisture out. If it is not water damaged, you need to take it straight to an Apple shop, who should either fix or replace it.

    Hope this helps!

    David Harfield

    Editor

    iPhoneAppCafe

  29. iphone is the worst phone ever! and really those who have designed it are either biggest idiots or cunning to make ppl fool!

  30. Bought 2, iPhone 3GS about 9 months ago. About 3 months ago, one started dropping calls. I spoke to ATT & Apple. ATT did some things to “reset the phone to the tower”, so they say. Apple did nothing. The problem began getting worse. If I’m talking on the phone and get a text, the call will drop. Always shows 3 to 4 bars in signal. Called ATT 9 times since the problem started, called Apple 3 times, and ATT also did a 3 way conference call with Apple & me, twice.

    Apple swears it is a software problem with ATT sim card, so ATT replaced the sim card. Did not help. ATT swears it is a hardware problem. Long story short, I have been paying over 100.00 for the past 3 months, but can’t make calls longer than 20 seconds. Home button also started acting up. Sometimes you have to push it very hard several times to get any reaction. And you have to push it on the right hand side of the button or it will not work.

    Apple finally gave in, because the hardware warranty is still good, and said to take it to the local Apple store for replacement, because of the home button, not because it was dropping calls. Well, Apple store in Lafayette Louisiana does not handle iPhones….hmmm there’s a kick in the teeth. Apple tells me to go to THAT store, but that store is useless when it comes to phones.

    So, I bring the phone back home, and called ATT again. This time to cancel the account. I have been a ping pong ball between Apple & ATT long enough.

    Again, they do conference call with Apple, but now Apple wants 35.00 from me to send them the phone… why?? The phone only weighs a few ounces, I can FedEx overnight for about 15.00. I refused to pay anything. It’s under warranty, and they have been shinning me on for 3 months. I told ATT that I wanted to end the conference call with Apple and proceed with canceling the contract. ATT said I had to pay a penalty for canceling early. I told them to take me to court, I refuse to pay that also, simply because I have paid over 300.00 in the last 3 months for service that I didn’t get. The phone is a great iPod, but a terrible phone during the last 3 months.

    So, then ATT steps up, and offers me a free phone upgrade, 3 months early. I was surprised, but interested. I refused their offer for another iPhone, simply because of Apple. I would never ever buy another iPhone. Not that they are all bad phones, but because support is non-exsistant, even with warrenty and Apple care. Apple has offered absolutely no support in the past 3 months. They have done nothing all the way through this nightmare, but blame ATT’s network, which is bull. I can use the other iPhone, make a call and talk for hours, hang up, call the same person with the bad phone, and the call drops within 20 seconds. I know it’s not the network. I did take ATT’s offer for the HTC 4 Inspire. My total out of pocket cost for this phone was 4.06.

    ATT waved all the fees and didn’t ask me for anything except 4.06 which was some kind of tax that they couldn’t get around.

    So, be carefull spending money on Apple care…. because Apple, really doesn’t care!

  31. my family has 4 I phones we like the phone but we all have problums! my wife is on her 3rd phone and still she has problums with it my sons on his 2nd phone and still his phone keeps searching for service! my phone constantly drops calls! I have a buisness and do 90% off my calls on my cell and it is affecting our buisness! we get bounced between AT&T and Apple and we are making our last effort tommarrow and if nothing works AT&T will loose 800-900$ per month from my buisness!

    OVER IT!

  32. The best way to solve all the above problems is to get rid of the crappy iphone and get a Nokia E71. U will be amazed by the music on its loudspeaker, no external speakers needed. Long battery life. So on and so forth. try and see.

  33. I have a 3GS &yesterday when I tied to access google the page came up that I have tried to load but the screen then froze with a sheer grey colour over the page which I could not remove.There is a box in the top right corner saying cancel but it wont allow me to click it& the page just remains frozen.
    I have no problem accessing my email or apps just google.
    Please help someone !!! Leanne

  35. Yesterday I bought the new iPhone on a two year plan and am bitterly disappointed already. Apart from ‘all the above’ the most frustrating thing is that I’ve lost nearly half my phone numbers over 200 of them! , when the rep kindly transferred them over it seem every landline and a number of ‘alternative’ mobile numbers as well were deleted.. it’s so frustrating .. I can’t believe they can create a ‘phone’ a phone mind you, that can literally whistle Dixie but won’t let you add a phone number – it’s a phone for gods sake!! .. even in the ‘add a field’ option you can write notes, birthdays, twitter and profile, nicknames, middle names, suffixes,etc etc etc etc .. but you can’t add a ‘phone number’ why? for gods sake? it’s PHONE!! this is the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever come across – is there a way around this at all? Can any one help me? I’m desperate, I could throw it through a wall I’m so frustrated 🙁

  36. 2 month old Iphone 4s won’t fire up…tried the hold down 10 second thing…nothing. My business depends on this. I tried the first iphone years ago, the pos lasted 2 weeks before touch screen failed. My family has 4 of the gd things and I’m about ready to throw all in shi++er.

  37. 2 month old Iphone 4s won’t fire up…tried the hold down 10 second thing…nothing. My business depends on this. I tried the first iphone years ago, the pos lasted 2 weeks before touch screen failed. My family has 4 of the gd things and I’m about ready to throw all in shi++er. Apple tech wants 38 bucks to help…F them.

  39. Smoky, Yeah you’re right. I drove the 45 minutes to the apple store Sunday and they replaced it at no charge. After spending $250+ a new 2 year contract, I just figured I wouldn’t have to take 3 hours out of a weekend, a new screen protector, and $20 on gas to service the damn thing. That puts me out another $50 on the damn thing.

  40. Hey Chuck, Goddamn that’s annoying! At least you have your new iPhone that works OK now! Yeah, sometimes Apple really screw up…sham they make such good iDevices otherwise I’d switch!

    Peace brother!

  41. I got an iPhone4 and let me tell you I am mad at the moment. It shut off for no reason I tried to turn it on again and nothing so thought maybe the battery went dead even though it had battery life and put it on the charger and still nothing! Wont even show its charging! Wont turn on! I too use it for work what happened? Is it fixable or do I need to take it back?

  42. Hey Teressa,

    I’d take that iPhone back to the store and they should repalce it free of charge – don’t take no for an answer!

    Dave

  43. My wife has an iphone4 with a text problem. She can text different people one day without any problems then the next time she goes to text them it freezes. The only workaround is to delete the person then enter them back in to send the a text. Any idea. I loaded the latest software update and it did not help. She has had the phone for about a year and it just started this a month ago.

  44. Hey Wayne, that sounds like a nightmare! Have you tried a hard reset? Hold the sleep and power buttons for 10 seconds or until the screen goes blank and resets. If this doesn’t work, the Apple Shop will have to replace it, unless your network provider covers it under its warranty. Hope this helps!

  45. I have a problem with my iphone 4 because when I make and receive calls no one hears me and I can not hear anything. My 1 year warranty just expired! any ideas?

  46. I have no sound when I call people, they can hear me but I can’t hear them. I have tried holding down the on/off and the home button together but it still doesn’t work, any ideas appreciated. Thanks

  49. Hi Karen,

    It doesn’t matter if your 1 year warranty has expired, if they have sold you a faulty device, Apple will have to replace it. Get back to that shop right now!!

    Good luck,

    The Steedmeister

  50. My 3G I-phone not working Vibrate switch & that’s I can’t found Ring tone while the Vibrate switch turned off outside of the set. How I can solve this problem, please help.

  51. Hey Mehedi, I’d try a hard reset then reload the iPhone’s software. If that doesn’t work, call Apple!

  52. I have had bad experiences with iPhones so far. I got my first one after my plan was ready to be renewed, and the very next day, the screens would shake atrociously to the point where I couldn’t click on anything. I exchanged it for a new one, and this one seems to have some problems with freezing up. Usually turning it off or resetting it works, but it makes me fearful that it might start to retrogress as time goes on.

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  54. Oh dear Tesla, sorry to hear that! Maybe you should exchange it again, most iPhones run very smoothly. Let us know if your new one works!

  56. the major problem i have with iphone is low battery.I charge the phone over the night and i can not use it up to 7hours.i feeling bad about this.i dont really know it the life span can be extended.

  57. Hi Valentine,

    Sorry about your problem; I’m afraid the iPhones do have a reputation for short battery life; I would advise against leaving it plugged in overnight though, as this will reduce its life. Charge it to full then only recharge when it’s on the red.

    Hope this helps,

    Dave

  58. I upgraded my 4g to 5.1 today and now my contacts have vanished. Anyone faced this before? Help, some very important contacts there

  59. Hey Mike – are they on your iTunes when you back up your phone? If not I would suggest going straight to the Apple shop. Are they saved in iCloud?

  60. Hi ya i have an iphone 3gs and the volume is very quiet, i,ve turned it up on the side of the phone to the max, and also gone into setting, (sounds) and turned up ringer tone too but is still quiet. hope u can help me with this problem. Thanx Dawn x

  61. Hi Dawn,

    Have you tried a hard reset (hold the power and home button for 20 seconds then reboot it)? If tat doesn’t work, it sounds like a faulty speaker – take it back to the Apple Store and they should replace the handset.

    Cheers,

    Dave

  63. My iphone 4 has switched off and won’t turn on it just randomly done it I didn’t do anything to it jst had it locked went to unlock it it turned off and the top by the speaker is really hot any suggestions on how to fix it??

  64. My iphone 4 16gb is the worst phone i have ever had, it has touch screen problems, it constantly needs restoring, my computer will not recognise it, nor will i tunes, i have to be on top of my router for it to pick up a signal, it says no service 80% of the time. It is some time possessed and will turn mute on in the middle of a call, sometimes it just phones random people from my phone book, the screen shakes and flicks around wildly, the loud speaker was tinny. And its out of warranty.

  65. Hi Lisa,

    Wow, sounds like you’ve been unlucky or your iPhone is possessed by a demon! Have you taken it to the Apple shop? Warranty or not, they should be able to fix at least some of it, even if you incur a small cost! Also, have you tried a hard reset?

    Cheers,

    Dave

  67. The silent switch isn’t on, is it?! If not, try adjusting the volume, checking the headphone socket for any blockages or doing a hard reset!

  68. whenever I take a video with my iPhone & email it to someone, it is upside down with no way of getting the video right side up! Does anyone out there happen to know why this is happening & what I can do to rectify it? Thanks in advance!

  69. Hi Bonnie,

    This sounds like a nightmare! Have you taken it to the Apple Store yet? It sounds like a hardware problem to me, you may need someone to open it up and tinker about – they should do this for free.

    Dave

  70. help!
    The devil has taken over my phone
    It opens apps, clicks on phone contacts, calls contacts and shakes.

  72. all i wanted for my 70 birthday was an iphone and my family got me a 3g and was overjoyed i just loved it cared for it like a baby and never ever let anyone near it used it very little to take care of it never dropped it and even said godnight to it but guess what after just one year it packed up took it back tostore it was bought in and it was sent to Apple in Cork i think and reply was it wasnt fixable was offered a pittance off a replacement for such an expensive phone God help anyone who uses it anyway roughly

  73. my wife have i phone 4 and she have incoming call this morning and after a while the phone got shut down and never open, i try to charge but it doesn’t working anymore , she said that it full charge before using it. anyone encounter this before? thanks

  74. I am on my third replacement iphone 4Gs. The speakers keep breaking – so the phone will not ring no sound unless headphones. About ten minutes ago my third phone just broke. It will be back to verizon for an hour and a half while they try to fix what they know is broken. Then they will call apple and then I will wait to have a replacement phone mailed to me. Not a new phone (probably the one I mailed back last month). The phone is less then a year old and I cannot get one to work more than three months. The worst phone I ever had SHAME on you apple. Can’t wait for contract to run out Samsung looking better every day.

  75. My iphone has somehow lost my contacts and phone numbers and instead, when I depress the phone icon, I get my facebook friends! Does anyone know how to fix this. I may have caused it but don’t know. Thanks for your help.

  76. Hi, guys,
    My iphone4 speaker will not talk for incoming and outgoing calls, after listening to music. When there is an incoming call, it rings. But when I pick up, cannot hear anything even though the playing mode has been stopped. I tried to make calls, every time the speaker turns on auto
    Mode itself, but no sounds at all. Then I have to try switch off & on few time to get it back to work. Please someone can advise a sample solution.

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  82. Help!
    my iphone 5 screen off most of the time and only after finish battery it switch on with the help of charger.neither receive me call nor can i call other at that time.However when other people try me call ring is going but i dont know because of screen off.please someone give me advise for its solution.

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