It’s been a month since the launch of iPhone 16 devices, and many users, particularly those with the iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max, report that their phones freeze and restart randomly.
Discussions on Apple Support Communities, Reddit, and other forums highlight that numerous iPhone 16 Pro and Pro Max models face this issue right out of the box.
Users describe their iPhones slowing down or becoming unresponsive before unexpectedly restarting. In some cases, the phones crash even in standby mode, waking up to the home screen instead of the last open app.
A recent iOS 18.0.1 update has not resolved this problem, with reports indicating that the freezing and restarting cycle can occur up to 20 times daily, according to MacRumors.
Even after exchanging their phones, some users report the same issue with replacements. A Reddit user, amor121616, shared that their iPhone 16 Pro crashed at least five times in an hour while performing simple tasks like changing wallpapers and adjusting icon tint. Although a factory reset and restoring from a backup provided temporary improvement, the long-term effects remain uncertain.
Another user, PatrickHRCO, reported similar issues on the Apple Community, particularly with the Settings and Calendar apps. He noted that his iPhone 16 Pro 256GB began crashing constantly after being stable for 24 hours. Despite hard restarts and disabling Wi-Fi, the problem persisted, leading to multiple kernel panics. He expressed frustration, calling the situation “ridiculous on a brand new phone.”
Other users echoed these experiences, citing app crashes, missing icons, and lengthy backups from iCloud, with some describing their phones as “almost unusable.” Issues extend to features like CarPlay, which fails to connect properly, and several apps that intermittently fail to display.
Users who visited Apple Stores for assistance typically receive a software reinstall, but this solution hasn’t consistently resolved the issue. Some found that a full erase and reinstall offered temporary relief, but the underlying cause remains unknown. Speculation suggests a potential problem with iCloud syncing, and many hope Apple will address it in a future iOS update.
Apple has not yet issued an official statement on the issue, leaving the extent of the problem unclear. However, users may anticipate an update or fix from Apple in the near future.