You love your Apple iPhone. It’s your constant companion. It wakes you up in the morning, keeps you in touch with your loved ones throughout the day and entertains you when you have downtime.
As much as you’re glued to it, there’s always something new to learn. Tap or click here for 10 smart iPhone tricks you’ll use all the time.
We get it, it’s a great gadget. But all that goodwill can fly out the window when you bump into one of the iPhone’s annoyances. Here are some top complaints and ways to fix them.
1. FaceID won’t work
FaceID is a cool feature that helps justify your phone’s hefty price tag, but it doesn’t always work on the first try. If yours isn’t cooperating, try these tips:
- When you set up FaceID for the first time, be sure to scan your face in a well-lit area for best results.
- If you keep getting the “Face Not Recognized” message, wipe off your camera lens and make sure nothing is covering the camera.
- Check that your iPhone is updated to the latest version of iOS.
- If all else fails, try rescanning your face. Go into Settings > FaceID & Passcode. Enter your passcode, then select Reset FaceID.
2. Your Bluetooth devices won’t connect
If you Bluetooth-enabled devices just won’t sync, first check the obvious: The Bluetooth device is on, has ample battery life and is in range of your iPhone. If everything seems fine, try “forgetting” the Bluetooth device and pairing it again. Here’s how:
- Open Settings > Bluetooth.
- Tap the blue “i” next to the Bluetooth device you want to forget.
- Tap Forget This Device.
- When prompted again, tap Forget Device.
Then search for the device again and repair. Still struggling? Tap or click to reveal 15 ways to fix Bluetooth pairing problems.
3. You can’t connect to Wi-Fi
If your Wi-Fi is working just fine with other devices, make your iPhone forget the network.
- Go to Settings > Wi-Fi.
- Tap (i) next to the Wi-Fi network you want your device to forget.
- Tap Forget This Network, then tap Forget to confirm.
You can then rejoin the network. If that doesn’t work, you can go a step further and reset your phone’s network settings. Before you proceed, keep in mind this will reset all your network settings, including deleting any Bluetooth-paired devices and wiping out your Wi-Fi settings.
Go into Settings > General > Reset and tap Reset Network Settings.
4. Battery is dying quickly
If your iPhone battery dies quickly, check if you’re overdue for an OS update. If you’re already using the most current version, check out our recent tip on how to save your Phone battery life before you go deleting all your apps.
5. You miss the headphone jack
Of course you miss the headphone jack. Who doesn’t? While Apple is pushing us toward an inevitably wireless world, many people still have wired headphones they would like to use with their newer iPhones. Good news, this issue is a quick fix.
Jack-less iPhones shop with a lightning-to-3.5 mm adapter. Apple offers a replacement for $9 if you lost yours, or you can pick one up from another manufacturer.
6. You miss the home button
Another iPhone feature gone too soon. If you miss the home button, complete a couple of steps and you can have a virtual replacement.
- Tap Settings > Accessibility > Touch > Assistive Touch > Single Tap > Home
The button will appear as a circle inside a rounded square. It will hover at the bottom of the screen (or wherever else you place it) and a single tap will get you back to the home screen. Handy!
RELATED: One trick that will make your iPhone run faster
7. Your phone is crashing
Sometimes, the ol’ “turn it off and back on” will do the trick. This shuts down all the apps running on your phone so you can start fresh. If you can’t shut down your phone normally, you can also do a hard reset or force restart.
- Press and quickly release the volume up button.
- Press and quickly release the volume down button.
- Press and hold the side button.
- When the Apple logo appears, release the button.
If you’re still having trouble, a rogue app could be to blame. Close all your apps. Open up the apps you use regularly one at a time, and keep an eye on any impacts to performance. If your phone starts crashing once you open up that new game you downloaded, delete it.
When all else fails, you may need to reset all your settings to the factory standards. Here’s how:
- Open Settings > tap General > Reset > Reset All Settings
- Once complete, you’ll need to re-enter your Wi-Fi password and reconnect any Bluetooth devices.
These are some common iPhone annoyances, but you may run into others. Your first step should always be to check if you have the latest iOS update installed. Staying on top of updates, both for the OS and the apps you use can be a big step to keeping the gremlins out of your iPhone experience.
