Apple during its Special Event that was held last week on the 12th, introduced its latest flagship phones. We don’t have a “gate” problem on our hands yet, but iPhone XS and iPhone XS Max owners are already dealing with a variety of problems.
Apple’s new flagship iPhones are finally arriving on doorsteps so we’re starting to see feedback on social media platforms from those who decided to upgrade to this year’s crop.
While a lot of the feedback is good, the iPhone XS and iPhone XS Max are plenty fast and appear to have great battery life, we’re also seeing complaints about bugs, unforeseen shipping delays, connectivity issues, and activation problems.
The list of problems is pretty small right now, but we expect it to grow as more people decide to buy the iPhone XS and iPhone XS Plus in 2018 and beyond.
In this guide we’ll take you through the most common iPhone XS problems plaguing the two models. We’ll also provide you with some tips and resources that will come in handy if and when you start noticing issues on your new iPhone.
iPhone XS Problems
As expected, some iPhone XS and iPhone XS Max users are dealing with activation problems. Activation issues are extremely common in and around launch day so if you’re having trouble activating your new phone there’s no need to panic.
If you’re unable to activate your iPhone right now you might want to wait a few hours for servers to calm down. Check Apple’s System Status page. If it’s not green, you’ll want to wait until it’s green and then try again.
If it’s green and it’s still not working, make sure you have a SIM card in your iPhone. If you’re getting a “No Sim” or “Invalid SIM” error you’ll want to head here for help.
On top of those, we’re hearing about iCloud Restore problems. This is also a common launch day problem and it can be rather tricky to fix. If you run into issues restoring from iCloud, head here for a few potential fixes.
iPhone XS and iPhone XS Max users are also complaining about problems setting up Face ID, problems with iCloud, Wi-Fi problems, sound problems, and Bluetooth issues.
Some iPhone XS users are also dealing with shipping and in-store pickup problems. It appears some deliveries have been delayed due to “last minute logistical issues.”
Deliveries through UPS have been pushed back to September 24th and it looks like some in-store pickup orders have been pushed to next week at least.
If you’re dealing with a shipping issue you’ll want to get in contact with Apple customer service or with the delivery company’s customer service.
Where to Find Feedback
If you start noticing issues on your iPhone XS or iPhone XS Max, or if you’re thinking about buying one, you’ll want to dig into feedback and fixes from those who have upgraded. There are a few places to do that.
We recommend keeping an eye on YouTube, Apple’s discussion forums, social media sites like Twitter/Facebook, and the MacRumors forums.
These are great places to find out more about iPhone XS hardware and software problems.
How to Fix iPhone XS Problems
If you run into an iPhone XS problem there’s no reason to panic. There’s a very good chance you can fix the issue(s) you’re seeing in a matter of minutes.
We’ve also released some tips to help you improve your device’s overall performance and a guide that could help you improve your iPhone XS battery life.
If you can’t find a fix for your issue in those walkthroughs, you’ll want to check Apple’s discussion forums for potential fixes.
If you’d prefer to get in touch with Apple, you can do so via the company’s support account on Twitter. You can also get in contact with Apple Support via the company’s website.
If Apple’s frontline customer service can’t fix your problem, you might want to take your phone into your local Apple Store or your local carrier location to see if they can diagnose your issue.
If you’ve got an Apple Store in your area, schedule a Genius Bar appointment and have them run diagnostics on your device to see if they can pinpoint the problem.
Your iPhone XS is under warranty so they might offer you a replacement if they determine there’s a serious defect.
How to Downgrade the iPhone XS
There’s no way to downgrade an iPhone XS or iPhone XS Plus to iOS 11. You’re stuck with iOS 12. That said, once Apple rolls out a new version you’ll be able to downgrade to the previous update for a limited time.
Downgrading isn’t guaranteed to fix your issues, but if you were having a great experience on an older version of iOS 12 it could help restore order.
If you’re unfamiliar with the process you’ll want to get acquainted with it before Apple releases the next version of iOS 12. That way you’re ready if something goes horribly wrong.
What’s Next
Apple’s confirmed an iOS 12.1 update and the update is in beta ahead of a public release later this year.
We don’t know when the company will release iOS 12.1, but odds are good we’ll see it launch sometime in October alongside new iPads.
iOS 12.1 is a milestone upgrade which means it should bring a mix of new features (Group FaceTime), patches, and fixes for iPhone XS problems.
Apple typically rolls out quick bug fix updates so we could see an iOS 12.0.1 update roll out before iOS 12.1 arrives. If you’re struggling, keep an eye out for the first iPhone XS update. It should come soon.
