A new release of iOS always brings with it a flurry of screams from users about things that are not working or broken. iOS 26 seems to have unleashed an unprecedented amount of user issues.
I’ve been running iOS 26 since it’s first beta, and I’ve seen my fair share of bugs. Poor battery life and overheating have plagued my iPhone. I still think that my daily driver iPhone 16 Pro Max should have better battery life and process tasks without getting hot.
But I’m just one person. Nothing beats being able to tap into millions of users through the power of social media.
And it didn’t take me long to find a veritable treasure trove of iOS 26 bugs thanks to Reddit, X, and Apple’s own support forum.
Along with complaints about poor battery life and overheating issue — the evergreen complaints for every new iOS release — there are many other bugs.
Common iOS 26 problems and how to fix them
Here are a selection of the iOS 26 bugs that I’ve seen reported:
- iOS 26 Download Stuck or Failed
- Battery drain issue
- iPhone overheating
- iPhone freezing issue
- iPhone rebooting randomly
- Bluetooth not working
- Cellular data not working.
- Wi-Fi problems
- iPhone stuck in recovery mode
- Face ID not working
- iOS 26 not showing
There are many more bugs, but this seems to cover 95% of what I’ve come across.
Now, if you’re plagued by one or more of these bugs, you probably wonder if any solutions have bubbled to the surface.
Don’t hold your breath. Most iOS 26 problems are easy to fix. Here’s a look at some common iOS 26 problems and how to fix them.
iOS 26 Download Stuck or Failed
Most people have reported that their iPhones are stuck trying to install iOS 26. Common symptoms are when the iOS 26 update screen seems stuck on "Estimated Time Remaining," "Update Requested," or "Verifying Update," or "Preparing to Update."
Solutions
The first "fix" when iOS 26 update is stuck is patience. Just wait.
Go for a cup of tea or coffee, watch a movie, or just go for a walk (none of these things need an iPhone in hand to do… honestly!).
Most of the time just waiting for fixes these problems.
Another "fix" is to move to a spot with stronger Wi-Fi or cellular signal. This can be quite effective if your iOS 26 update is stuck or when the update keep failing.
Neither of those work?
Time to get a bit more hands-on and delete the download and redownload it.
Go to Settings > General > iPhone Storage, and find iOS 26 in the listing. Tap on it and select Delete Update, and then confirm the deletion.
Afterwards, I recommend turning your iPhone off and back on, and then go to Settings > General > Software Update to redownload the update.
iOS 26 Battery Drained Issue
One of the most common problems iPhone users face after upgrading to iOS 26 has to do with poor battery life. It’s completely normal to notice a drop in battery life after installing an iOS beta. This happens because your iPhone is busy performing a bunch of background tasks that require extra power.
Solutions
The first thing to do if your iPhone battery is draining quickly after iOS 26 update is to wait. Your battery life should return to normal once background tasks are completed. It’s just a matter of giving your device a little time to settle down. This can take anywhere from a couple of days to a week or more.
Reduce your screen brightness and ensure Auto-Brightness hasn’t been disabled, as this could cause your screen to run brighter than necessary, which consumes more power. This should be on by default, but you can find it in Settings > Accessibility > Display & text size to confirm.
Sometimes, the issue with battery life or performance might not be due to iOS 26 but rather apps that haven’t been updated to work with iOS 26. When Apple releases a new iOS version, it’s crucial to ensure all your apps are up-to-date before diving into troubleshooting.
To update your apps, open the App Store app and tap your profile icon in the upper-right corner. Then, scroll down to Available Updates. I like to pull down on this screen to refresh it, ensuring I see all the latest updates available.
Talking about apps, go to Settings > Battery and check which apps have consumed the most power under App and System Activity. If anything stands out here, consider using those apps less or even deleting them. If a power-hungry app shows "Background" you can switch it off under Settings > General > Background app refresh.
Go to Settings > Battery > Battery Health & Charging if you fear a battery issue. Here you can check out the current condition of your battery and see if there are any obvious issues. If you are experiencing significant battery loss, it’s a good idea to take/send your iPhone in for professional repair or replacement.
iPhone Overheating
Many people have reported that the latest iOS 26 is causing their iPhone to get warm. And it’s not just a little bit warm. These iPhones become physically hot to the touch and the battery depletes in a few hours with little to no usage.
These reports have come through social media, so it’s not possible to fully verify all of them. However, one of them comes from a former colleague I trust and the most severe report came from a source I was able to follow up with who did provide convincing evidence of their overheating issue.
If your iPhone is overheating after iOS 26 update, it’s likely due to background activities. A lot goes on during and after installing an update, and tasks such as reindexing photos can consume a lot of processing power, which in turn can temporarily cause the device to heat up.
Solutions
Wait for the iPhone to finish its background tasks. If problems persist then it’s likely a bug in the update and the solution is going to have to come from Apple in the form of another update.
iPhone iOS 26 Bricked or Freezing
We saw a number of reports early on of folks having problems with iPhones freezing completely after installing iOS 26 update.
Solutions
If your iPhone display is frozen after iOS 26 update, do a forced restart. This often helps to solve resprings by cleaning out anything deeper that could be causing an iPhone to freeze. To force restart your iPhone, press and quickly release the Volume up button, press and quickly release the Volume down button, press and hold the Sleep/wake button until you see the Apple logo.
Ensure you’re running the latest iOS 26 release. If you’re already up to date on iOS 26 and your iPhone keeps freezing, wait it out. It’s not uncommon to encounter performance issues while iOS is performing background optimizations.
iPhone reboots randomly
We’ve seen a few isolated reports of folks who find their iPhones keep restarting after iOS 26 update. In some cases, this can happen while the iPhone is charging — wirelessly or otherwise — while others have experienced sudden restarts while using the iPhone.
Note that two different things that can occur that may both seem like "reboots." If your iPhone screen momentarily goes blank with a spinning progress indicator but comes back after a few seconds, that’s known as a "springboard restart," and involves only the user interface (e.g., the home screen and status bar). A full reboot will typically return you to the Apple logo and take a minute or two before you can use your iPhone again. You’ll also be required to enter your passcode or password before you can use Face ID or Touch ID.
While both scenarios can be equally annoying, random full reboots are often the sign of a hardware issue while springboard restarts ("resprings") can be caused by corrupt settings or dodgy apps. This often happens when restoring an iPhone from older backups, as cruft can travel with those backups across every iPhone you’ve ever owned, and sooner or later hit an iOS version that doesn’t know how to deal with it.
Solutions
If you’re only experiencing resprings or reboots when using specific apps, check the App Store to ensure you’ve updated them to the latest versions and try removing and reinstalling them from the App Store. With cloud-based apps, you shouldn’t risk losing any data, although you may need to sign in to the service and reconfigure your preferences. If the app stores data locally, be sure you’ve backed up anything you want to keep.
Do a forced restart. This often helps to solve resprings by cleaning out anything deeper that could be causing problems with the high-level user interface apps like those that run the home screen and lock screen. If you’re iPhone is acutally rebooting on its own, a forced restart may seem counterintuitive, but a deliberate restart flushes out data that may not be cleaned up when the iPhone abruptly reboots without taking the time to shut itself down properly.
If resprings occur across multiple apps, try resetting some of your global preferences. In the Settings app under General > Transfer or reset iPhone > Reset, you’ll find options to reset various categories of settings, along with Reset all settings to take care of everything at once. None of these will remove any data, although resetting the network settings (or all settings) will clear out any saved Wi-Fi networks, so be sure you have the passwords handy for any you need to reconnect to.
Wiping and factory resetting your iPhone entirely can help to troubleshoot the problem.
Bluetooth Not Working
Some iPhone users noted Bluetooth issues after iOS 26 update. Those issues include anything from trouble pairing their phone to the car to maintaining a connection after the device has finally paired, to repeated connection and disconnection.
Solutions
- Ensure that your iOS has been updated to the latest iOS 26 version available.
- Go to Settings > Bluetooth and make sure that Bluetooth is on. If it’s disabled and you can’t enable it, restart your phone, and then try again to pair and connect.
- Make sure that your Bluetooth accessory and device are in close proximity.
- Turn your Bluetooth accessory off and on.
- Make sure that your Bluetooth accessory is on and fully charged or connected to power. If your accessory uses batteries, replace them with fresh ones. If you’ve been able to connect in the past, unpair the accessory and put it back in discovery mode. Then try again to pair and connect.
- If you can pair your accessory with devices other than your iPhone, unpair the accessory from the other devices and try again.
You can also forget and then reconnect the problematic Bluetooth device.
- Touch Settings.
- Touch Bluetooth.
- Select the Bluetooth connection having issues using the info circle.
- Tap Forget this Device.
- Try reconnecting.
If you still can’t connect, try resetting your phone’s network settings.
- Touch Settings.
- Touch General.
- Touch Transfer or Reset iPhone.
- Touch Reset.
- Touch Reset Network Settings.
Warning: this will remove all VPN settings, saved network passwords, etc.
- Reset your bluetooth accessory per manufacturer instructions and then re-pair it with the iPhone.
Cellular Data not working
If cellular data is not working on your iPhone after upgrading to iOS 26, here’s how to fix it.
Solutions
The first thing to do is restart your iPhone and turn on Airplane Mode on for 30 seconds before turning it off. If that doesn’t solve the problem, check your service provider for outages at Down Detector or look for reports on local social media.
Toggle Cellular Data off and on.
- Touch Settings.
- Touch Cellular.
- Turn off Cellular Data.
- Turn on Cellular Data.
Wi-Fi problems
More and more iPhone users are complaining about Wi-Fi problems after iOS 26 update. The issues range from slow or fluctuating Wi-Fi speeds to the phone showing a “no network connection” error.
If you are having problems connecting to Wi-Fi, or your connection repeatedly drops or is slow after upgrading to iOS 26, there are a few fixes you can try.
Solutions
Several users discovered that the most iOS 26 Wi-Fi problems Seems to be caused by VPN apps or configurations. Deleting the VPN app or removing VPN configurations resolved the issue for most owners. Even if the VPN wasn’t actively toggled on, its presence seemed to interfere with Wi-Fi connectivity.
If this is an issue between the iOS 26 and VPN apps, we can probably expect Apple to address it as a matter of importance with a software update.
With slow or fluctuating Wi-Fi speeds, users say that a simple restart or toggling the Wi-Fi off and on temporarily fixes the problem. They say that while they need to do so a couple of times a day, the Wi-Fi speeds return to expected speeds.
Some users say that iCloud’s Private Relay feature seems to drastically slow down Wi-Fi speeds. Private Relay works like a VPN and routes your Internet traffic through two separate relays to encrypt traffic and hide your IP address. If you have an iCloud Plus subscription, the setting is enabled by default. Go to Settings > iCloud > Private Relay and toggle it off. You can also do so by going to Settings > Wi-Fi > Information (“i” icon next to the Wi-Fi name) and toggling off Limit IP address tracking.
Next, make sure your Wi-Fi is working correctly or reset your router to make sure. If you’re connected to your network, unplug the router for a minute, plug it back in, and reconnect. If your home Wi-Fi is OK, then pick up your phone and make sure you have your Wi-Fi password on hand before you complete the following steps.
- Go to Settings > Wi-Fi.
- Tap the info circle next to your Wi-Fi name.
- Tap Forget This Network and try to reconnect. You’ll need to re-input your password.
Or try resetting your network by going to Settings > General > Transfer or Reset iPhone > Reset > Reset Network Settings.
iPhone Stuck in Recovery Mode
Some users have reported that their iPhone is stuck in recovery mode after iOS 26 update. iPhone recovery mode is used in specific circumstances. For example, if you were trying to install the iOS 26 update and your iPhone encountered an issue or got stuck, you’ll need to put your iPhone into recovery mode to get it working again. If you can’t get out of recovery mode after iOS 26 update, here’s what you can do.
Solutions
- Unplug your iPhone from the USB cable.
- : Press and release the Volume Up button, then press and release the Volume Down button, then press and hold the side Power button.
iOS 26 Not Showing
Most users have reported that they are facing issues with the iOS 26 update not showing up on their iPhones. This can be frustrating, especially when you’re looking forward to trying out the new features and improvements that come with the update. Read on to learn fixes for the iOS 26 update not showing up on iPhone.
Solutions
Make sure your iPhone is compatible with iOS 26. The iOS 26 is compatible with the following iPhone models:
- iPhone 16e
- iPhone 16
- iPhone 16 Plus
- iPhone 16 Pro
- iPhone 16 Pro Max
- iPhone 15
- iPhone 15 Plus
- iPhone 15 Pro
- iPhone 15 Pro Max
- iPhone 14
- iPhone 14 Plus
- iPhone 14 Pro
- iPhone 14 Pro Max
- iPhone 13
- iPhone 13 mini
- iPhone 13 Pro
- iPhone 13 Pro Max
- iPhone 12
- iPhone 12 mini
- iPhone 12 Pro
- iPhone 12 Pro Max
- iPhone 11
- iPhone 11 Pro
- iPhone 11 Pro Max
- iPhone SE (2nd generation or later)
To identify your iPhone model, go to Settings > General > About.
Your iPhone requires a strong internet signal in order to detect the presence of a beta update. Connect to a stable and fast Wi-Fi network. After connecting to a network, you can go to speedtest.net to check your Wi-Fi speed.
If your Wi-Fi signal is weak, try moving closer to your wireless router or restarting it. Sometimes, a quick reboot can resolve some issues with the router.
If the above measures do not work for your Internet, try to reset your network settings. Go to Settings > General > Transfer or Reset iPhone > Reset > Reset Network Settings.
Before iOS 26 can show up on your iPhone, you need to enroll your device in the Apple Developer Program.
- Go to the Apple Developer Center (developer.apple.com/account) and sign in with your Apple account information.
- Check the box for the terms and conditions and tap the Submit button.
After logging into the Apple Developer Center, you need to enable the "Beta Updates" option in the Settings app to receive the latest iOS 26 updates on your iPhone.
- Go to Settings > General > Software Update > Beta Updates and choose iOS 26 Developer beta.
- When a new 26 developer beta is available, you can install it from Software Update section.
Note: Your iPhone must be signed in with the Apple Account you use to sign into to the Apple Developer website in order to access the beta software.
If you don’t see the iOS 26 appear, try swiping down on the Software Update page a few times to refresh it.
Face ID Not Working
If you’re having problems with Face ID after iOS 26 update, here’s what to do.
Solutions
Make sure your iPhone is running the latest version of iOS 26. That should quickly clear everything up. If it does not, then do the following.
Tap Settings > Face ID & Passcode. Then, make sure that Face ID is set up on your phone and that all of the features you’re trying to use Face ID with are enabled. If you’re having issues using your face to unlock your phone, make sure you’re looking directly at the screen and that the room is light enough so that the camera can detect your face. Try bringing the iPhone closer to your face or position it more at face level. Make sure there’s no dirt, dust, or debris blocking the iPhone’s TrueDepth camera.
If you often change your appearance, consider adding an alternate appearance to Face ID. Go to Settings > Face ID & Passcode >Set Up an Alternate Appearance.
Conclusion
There are a few iOS 26 problems that don’t have a workaround, and the only option is to wait for a software update. Apple has also been rolling out updates consistently to squash major iOS 26 bugs. So make sure you keep your phone updated to the latest version.
See also: iOS 26 review: A New Era For The iPhone
