Phone launches are rarely immune from problems, and the iPhone 14 is proving to be no exception. Some iPhone 14 Pro owners have started reporting that their phones are randomly restarting while charging — be it via MagSafe or a Lightning cable.
While there have been some reports of battery drain with iOS 16, this is completely different. In fact, users over on Reddit (via 9to5Mac) are reporting that their iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max models are otherwise working normally. The random restarting only happens when the phone is connected to the charger.
One user, running iOS 16.0.1 claimed that their Pro Max was restarting every 10-20 minutes while charging — issues also experienced by those running iOS 16.0.2 and the iOS 16.1 beta.
Unfortunately, users are frustrated by the fact there doesn’t seem to be a solution yet.
iPhone 14 Pro restart bug: possible solutions
One user claimed to have had some advice from Apple Support. They were told to try uninstalling the Eufy app, disabling optimized charging, attempting a full restore from backup with recovery mode and doing a full restore from backup with DFU mode.
Some have claimed that a full DFU restore, and setting up the phone as if it were brand new, appeared to have fixed the issue, while others have not been so lucky. One user also claimed that the random restarting only occurred between 90 and 95% charge, and that disabling background app refresh stopped it from happening.
In short, nobody knows what the heck is going on, and are trying multiple options in the hopes that something sticks.
While the restart bug has only been affecting iPhone 14 Pro models while they’re charging, that’s still a problem. And one that’s more than just a simple irritation. For instance, if you rely on wired Apple CarPlay to get around, plugging your phone in risks losing access to navigation mid-drive. Likewise, doing anything important means you have to unplug the phone beforehand — or run the risk of being cut off part-way through.
Other iPhone 14 problems
We have confidence that Apple will find a solution fairly quickly, as has been the case with other iPhone 14 problems. The iOS 16.0.2 update has fixed issues involving a “rattling and shaking” camera in certain apps, a widespread copy-paste bug, as well as various bugs that prevented FaceTime and iMessage from working correctly. iOS 16.0.3 is out now and has addressed notification issues and a bug with Apple Carplay.
Though some issues still don’t appear to have a resolution — like the bug that appears to be causing excessive battery loss with iOS 16. An issue that affects several models of iPhone dating back as far as the iPhone XR.
Right now, there's only one real solution for people with iPhone 14 Pros suffering from random restarts. If you can't can’t hold out until a solution is found, and none of the Reddit troubleshooting has worked, you should contact Apple to try and get a replacement. Especially if you’re still within your 14-day grace period.
