If your iPhone is shutting down automatically, go for a hard reset first. Updating the firmware to the latest iOS version, deleting unrecognized apps, and a factory reset may also solve the issue. However, you will have to replace the iPhone battery if the battery’s health is below 80%.
Although not very often, your iPhone may have sudden unexplained problems. One such problem is iPhones getting shut off automatically, which is truly annoying when you’re in the middle of something like playing a game or watching a movie.
As you’re reading this article, you’re probably one of the people who have encountered this problem, so let’s go ahead and see what might be causing your iPhone to turn off automatically and how you can fix it-
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What Causes an iPhone To Turn Off Rando mly?
Your iPhone can turn off abruptly for many reasons. Usually, there’s something wrong with the battery. Although iPhone 6 and later prevent unexpected shutdowns
through “performance peaks,” all Li-ion batteries degrade over time. Besides, older batteries perform somewhat poorly in colder temperatures. This adversely affects iPhone performance, and users face different issues, including automatic shut-off.
Below I’ve listed the common and known reasons for your iPhone to shut off suddenly.
Defective Batteries
Like I mentioned earlier, batteries play a significant role in automatically shutting off iPhones, whether for old age, low charge, or decreased Battery Health. To check your battery life, go to Settings > Battery > Battery Health and see if you need to replace the battery.
iPhone Overheating
If you’re iPhone’s temperature is too high, you’re likely to experience unexpected shutdowns. You can take it as the iPhone’s “defense mechanism” against overheating issues.
Water Damage
In addition to exposure to water, any type of physical damage is likely to cause the iPhone to shut off abruptly.
Software Bugs/Malware
Software incompatibility, bugs, and faulty updates can lead to issues as well. Besides, the device will be unusable if malware or virus attacks your iPhone. In this case, a factory reset will help it return to normal.
Firmware Update Failure
iPhones are but on iOS updates. But sometimes interruptions during firmware updates likely cause your iPhone to shut down. This can happen due to network issues, low battery, software bugs, and many more reasons.
Follow These Troubleshoots If Your iPhone Turns OFF Automatically
There can be many reasons your iPhone turns off by itself. It could be a software or hardware issue. The array of possible causes is actually quite long, but we’ll try to go through the most common ones. You can always take your iPhone to the Apple Store for a professional opinion, but before you do that, here are some things you can try on your own-
Do A Hard Reset
Sometimes the iPhone is loaded with too many processes running in the background, and this can cause it to turn off by itself. A hard reset can help with this problem. To do a hard reset, simply hold down the power button and the home button at the same time until you see the Apple logo appear on your screen.
A hard reset actually closes all the apps that are running in the background and gives your iPhone a fresh start. If you don’t want to lose any unsaved data, it’s a good idea to do a hard reset only when your iPhone is about to turn off by itself.
| iPhone Models | Hard Reset Process |
| iPhone 8 or later, iPhone SE 2nd Gen | Press the Volume Up Button, and release it.Press the Volume Down Button, and release it.Press and hold the Side button until the Apple logo appears on the screen. |
| iPhone 7 & 7 Plus | Press and hold both the Volume Down button and the Sleep Button at the same time.Release the buttons when the Apple logo appears. |
| iPhone 5s, 6, 6s, 6s Plus, and iPhone SE 1st Gen | Press and hold both the Home button and Sleep Button at the same time.Wait for around 10 seconds.Release the buttons when the Apple logo appears. |
Check Your Battery Health
If you’ve been using your iPhone for quite a few years now, you can check your battery health to see if it needs to be replaced. A degraded battery is one of the most common reasons iPhones turn off themselves.
To check your battery health, go to Settings >Battery >Battery Health. Battery health of over 80% is usually considered normal. If you see the battery health is too low, you might want to consider replacing your battery.
Update Your iPhone To The Latest iOS Version
If you’re using an outdated version of iOS, it’s possible that some of the software bugs have already been fixed in the latest update. So, if your iPhone is automatically turning off, it might be a good idea to update your iPhone to the latest iOS version.
To update your iPhone, go to Settings >General >Software Update. If there’s an update available, download and install it on your iPhone.
If you’ve installed any unauthorized third-party app on your iPhone, it’s possible that the app is not compatible with your iPhone and is causing it to turn off by itself. To fix this problem, simply delete the unauthorized third-party app from your iPhone.
You can check if there are any unauthorized third-party apps installed on your iPhone by going to the bottom of settings where you can see the list of all the apps that are installed on your iPhone. If you see any app that you don’t recognize, simply delete it.
If you have a known third-party app on your phone, check if it’s alright by putting the phone on Recovery mode. If your phone works fine in recovery mode, then it’s probably the app that’s causing your phone to turn off. In that case, you should consider deleting the app to avoid further issues.
Reset All Settings
If the problem persists even after trying all the solutions above, you can try resetting all settings on your iPhone. This will not delete any of your data, but it will reset all your preferences to the default settings.
To reset all settings on your iPhone, go to Settings > General > Reset > Reset All Settings.
You can also consider factory resetting your iPhone as a last resort. But before you do that, make sure to backup all your data because a factory reset will delete all your data from your iPhone.
Fix Hardware Issues
If you’ve tried all the solutions above and your iPhone is still automatically shutting off, there might be some hardware issues with your iPhone. For example, the logic board of your iPhone might be damaged or there might be some water damage.
Other than these, your phone may have other hardware issues like a faulty power button, bad battery connector, or damaged flex cable. You can take your iPhone to the Apple Store and have it checked by a professional. Or you can also take it to a reliable repair shop.
Prevent Your iPhone From Automatically Shutting Off
Once you’ve fixed the problem and your iPhone is no longer shutting off by itself, you can take some measures to prevent it from happening again in the future. Here are some tips-
- Keep your iPhone up-to-date by updating to the latest iOS version when it’s available.
- Check your battery health regularly and replace your battery if it’s degraded.
- Don’t use unlicensed or unauthorized third-party chargers to charge your iPhone.
- Avoid extreme temperatures, as it can damage your iPhone’s battery.
- Don’t use any unlicensed or unauthorized third-party app on your iPhone.
- Handle your iPhone with care, and don’t drop it too often.
These tips will hopefully prevent your iPhone from automatically shutting off in the future. But if the problem persists, make sure to take it to the Apple Store to have a thorough checkup.
Frequently Asked Question
Does hard reset wipes off all my phone data?
No, a hard reset only reboots or refreshes the system memory. It won’t delete your iPhone data. But a factory reset will delete all your saved data, apps, memory, settings, and everything else and restore it to factory settings.
Why does my iPhone shut off when it’s hot?
iPhones automatically shut off when overheating to prevent hardware damage. Lithium-ion batteries are very sensitive to temperature change, and the iPhone turns off as a defense mechanism if the device is too hot.
Why does my iPhone shut down when charging?
This could happen due to
- Faulty charger or charging cable
- Loosely connecting the adapter to the wall socket
- Backdated software
- Swollen battery
- Low battery health
- Using the phone excessively while charging
What to do if iPhone 5s shuts off randomly?
iPhone 5s is a relatively older model, and the batteries are likely quite old after prolonged use. So you’re highly likely to face automatic shut off. In that case, I would suggest a quick hard reset at first, followed by a factory reset, software update, and finally, battery replacement.
To hard reset your iPhone 5s-
- Press and hold both the Home button and Sleep Button at the same time.
- Wait for around 10 seconds.
- Release the buttons when the Apple logo appears.
Final Words
iPhone turning Off automatically can be really frustrating. But luckily, most of the time it can be fixed with a simple restart or by updating to the latest iOS version. So you should try these troubleshoots before spending money at the repair shop. Let us know if you have any other tips to fix this problem. Happy troubleshooting!