iPhone 5 users are experiencing issues with iOS 10, iOS 9, and older versions of Apple’s operating system. With that in mind, we want to show you how to fix the most common iPhone 5 problems.
In September, after a long stay in Apple’s beta program, Apple released iOS 10 for the iPhone 5 and others. The iOS 10 update brought tons of features and improvements to the iPhone 5, but it also brought some issues to the former flagship.
We’ve detailed many of these iOS 10 issues in the months since its release, and the list continues to grow as more iPhone 5 users install iOS 10.
iPhone 5 users need help and today we want to share some fixes for common iPhone 5 problems. These fixes will cover the most common issues found in iOS 7, iOS 8, iOS 9 and iOS 10.
There’s no guarantee they’ll fix your problem, but it’s worth a try if you don’t want to take your device to an Apple Store yet.
How To Fix iPhone 5 Battery Life Issues
Some iPhone 5 users are experiencing battery life problems after upgrading to Apple’s iOS 10 operating system.
There is also a good chance that the battery drain on the iPhone 5 is not caused by iOS 10 or the operating system you are currently running. Third-party apps have a way of wreaking havoc on an iPhone.
If you start noticing that the battery is dead, take a look at our list of fixes for bad iPhone 5 battery life. They’ll help you better manage your apps and services, and if you’re lucky, they’ll help you get rid of that annoying battery drain.
How to Fix iPhone 5 Wi-Fi Issues
iPhone 5 Wi-Fi issues go back a few years, and we expect these issues to continue as the months and years go by.
iPhone 5 users have complained of a wide range of issues, from grayed out Wi-Fi to unstable connections. These issues continue to occur after Apple’s iOS 10 release, and we’ve heard from several iPhone 5 users who are experiencing issues with the latest version of the operating system.
There is no guaranteed fix for iPhone 5 Wi-Fi problems, but there are a few things users can try before factory resetting, replacing the router, or taking the iPhone to an Apple Store.
First, try restarting the modem if possible. Leave it off for a minute or so and then plug it back in to see if it works. If not, try restarting your phone.
If none of this works, you will want to reset your network settings. To do this, turn on your iPhone 5 and go to Settings > General > Reset > Reset Network Settings.
You will need the password and again a few minutes because the phone will reboot itself to complete the changes. If you decide to try this fix, you’ll also want to watch for commonly used Wi-Fi passwords because you’ll have to re-enter them.
If that doesn’t fix the problem, you can also try turning off the Wi-Fi Network. To do this, go to Settings > Privacy > Location Services > System Services. After that restart the phone.
If none of this helps, Apple’s List of possible fixes for Wi-Fi issues.
How To Fix iPhone 5 Bluetooth Problems
Bluetooth issues are among the most common iOS issues and iPhone 5 users encounter these issues on iOS 10 and older versions of iOS.
Although there doesn’t seem to be a complete solution, we know there are several possible solutions that you can try with your iPhone 5.
First, try forgetting the Bluetooth connection that is giving you a problem. Go to Settings > Bluetooth > and select the appropriate connection using the circular blue “i” tab, then tap Forget This Device.
If that doesn’t work you will want to try resetting your Network Settings first. To do this, go to Settings > General > Reset > Reset Network Settings.
You can also try resetting all settings. To do this, go to Settings > General > Reset > and select Reset All Settings.
Again, have your Wi-Fi passwords handy before trying any of these.
How to Fix iPhone 5 App Problems
We hear a lot of complaints about apps crashing and freezing in iOS 10.
Apple will not fix these issues and it will be up to third-party developers to deal with them. This means permanent fixes may take some time.
First, make sure the apps on your iPhone 5 are updated. App updates with iOS 10 support have been slowly decreasing since its launch. Many iPhone users are terrible at updating apps, and this is a habit that can and should be broken right away.
Forgetful or lazy iPhone 5 users will want to turn on automatic App Store updates as it will automatically keep apps up to date and ensure they are always on the latest version with the latest bug fixes.
To do this, go to Settings > iTunes & App Store > Turn on Updates.
Contact the developer or find the app’s support forum if you need additional assistance. Spotify’s support forum is just an example.
How to Improve Performance on iPhone 5
Our iOS 10 experience on the iPhone 5 has been pretty good so far. It still performs quite well for a device that’s five years old. However, we did hear from some iPhone 5 users who noticed a drop in performance.
There are some ways to speed up performance on the iPhone 5 in case it gets a little choppy. We have identified a number of different strategies such as reducing animations and cool effects, resetting settings or restoring them to factory settings.
Note that not all performance issues on the iPhone 5 or any other iPhone have a cure. If nothing works, you may have to resort to restoring from a backup.
How to Fix iPhone 5 Landscape Issues
iPhone 5 can sometimes get stuck in landscape mode. This is a big problem, especially when using the camera app.
If this happens, you can lock the phone’s orientation to portrait. That way, the iPhone 5 won’t switch to landscape mode, get stuck, and potentially ruin captured images when using an app like the camera.
To lock it vertically, pull up the Control Center from the bottom of the phone, look for the lock in the upper right corner and press it. This will lock it up so it doesn’t exit portrait mode.
If that doesn’t work, try a hard reset. Press and hold the home button and power button for 10 seconds until the iPhone 5 restarts.
How To Fix iPhone 5 iMessage Problems
iPhone 5 iMessage problems are extremely common and users keep complaining about issues after iOS 10 update. Here’s how to potentially fix these issues.
First, try turning iMessage off and on. If that doesn’t work, try restarting the phone. If none of these work, it’s time to reset the device’s network settings.
To do this, go to Settings > General > Reset > Reset Network Settings. While the phone will reboot and stored Wi-Fi networks will be lost, re-entering a Wi-Fi password is a small price to pay for working iMessages.
How To Fix iPhone 5 Randomly Restarting
We’ve heard that there are occasional random reboots on the iPhone after the arrival of iOS 10.2. Fixing these can be tricky, but here’s something to try.
First, try restarting the iPhone 5. This helped us when we encountered random reboots on iPhone in iOS 10.
We also recommend resetting all settings of your iPhone 5. To do this, go to Settings > General > Reset > Reset All Settings.
Uninstalling recent apps may also be worth it if the problems just started. If nothing works, iPhone 5 you will have to wait for the next iOS update.
How To Fix iPhone 5 Keyboard Lag
We encountered occasional keyboard lag on iPhone 5 when capturing an email or iMessage. There are a few things iPhone 5 users can try to fix these issues should they occur while emailing or texting.
Try resetting your phone first. If you haven’t done this in a while, a simple reboot can help get things back to normal.
If that doesn’t work, try resetting all your device’s settings. To do this, go to General > Reset > Reset All Settings.
How To Fix iPhone 5 Cellular Data Issues
We’ve heard complaints about cellular data issues on the iPhone 5. Slow connections, no connectivity, and other random issues have plagued some iPhone users in the months since iOS 10 was released.
To try and fix these, try restarting the iPhone 5 first. This has worked for us in the past. If this fix doesn’t work, try toggling cellular data on and off. This has had a positive impact on our connection. To do this, choose Cellular > Cellular Data > Turn Off.
Finally, if none of this works, try turning Airplane Mode on, waiting 30 seconds, and then turning it off. This, like other fixes, has worked in the past to eliminate cellular data issues.
How To Fix iPhone 5 Issues If Nothing Else Is Working
If none of this works and Apple’s discussion forums doesn’t help, we have two suggestions. First, take the iPhone or iPad to a Genius Bar at your local Apple Store. They will help diagnose the problem.
If you do not want to leave the house, you can contact Apple’s customer support on Twitter for help.
If you’re at the end of your rope, it’s time to consider a factory reset. Factory reset will clean iPhone 5 even though it has worked wonders for devices in the past.
To do this, select Settings > General > Reset > Erase All Content and Settings. Again, this will erase everything on the iPhone or iPad, so you might want to make a backup just in case.
Here’s how to do it restore from a backup.