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My iPhone 14 Pro stops responding (video); other iPhone displays go dead; more iOS 16 issues arise

By Martin Filipov

Published: Nov 02, 2022, 11:24 AM

67comments

This article may contain personal views and opinion from the author.

My iPhone 14 Pro stops responding (video); other iPhone displays go dead; more iOS 16 issues arise

As recently reported, multiple bugs seem to be reaching hundreds of iPhones running iOS 16, which brings back some of my worst Pixel 6 Pro memories from the early days of Google's 2021 flagship.

Not even two weeks after putting out the detailed iOS 16 bug report, I'm now beginning to see some of the more annoying issues encountered by others pop up on my very own iPhone 14 Pro unit! So, the story goes on…

What I called The Google Virus continues to trouble iPhones running Apple's latest iOS 16 build, and it's only fair that I follow up on the original piece that tried to bring the issues to Apple's attention.

iPhone 14 Pro on iOS 16 bugs report. Take two. Here goes nothing…

iPhone 14 Pro freezes; display doesn't respond (requires a restart)

As mentioned, I had previously reported this iOS 16 bug (amongst others), which I now encountered on my own iPhone 14 Pro...

I think I was trying to unlock my iPhone 14 Pro when the device got stuck on the Spotlight search menu. I tried to quit it, but the phone wasn't responding to my touches. And then (as you can see) I tried again and again and again.

It's not shown in the video, but despite the iPhone being unresponsive, it turns out it was possible to summon the app switcher and even swipe up and down for the Control Center notifications. However, every time I tried to go "home", the iPhone would revert back to the Spotlight search glitch and stop responding to touches.

It quickly became clear that my iPhone 14 Pro required a restart. Luckily, the hardware buttons were fully responsive, which meant I could hold down the power and volume up to turn off the iPhone and then turn it back on.

It's going to be interesting to see how Apple's planning to handle software issues that require a restart in the future. As we know, iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Ultra are now expected to do away with the physical buttons and replace them with vibration motors (similar to how the trackpad on MacBooks works).

Anyway, the restart helped, and my iPhone 14 Pro was back to normal, but of course (and unfortunately), that's not where the story ends.

That being said, other iPhone 14 users have also reported similar issues with Spotlight search and screen freezes. A quick search in Google and Apple's own Support Community shows that such an issue (in fact, pretty much the same one) was seen in iPhone 13 Pro units running iOS 15 almost exactly a year ago when Apple's 2021 iPhones launched.

This shows there's a pattern to the Spotlight search screen freeze issues on iPhone. Then again, I happen to own the iPhone 6S, iPhone SE, iPhone 8, iPhone 13 mini, and iPhone 14 Pro, and I'm pretty sure this is the first time I've encountered such an issue. For the record, I didn't get the iPhone 13 mini at launch, which might've helped...

Multiple reports of dead iPhone 13 displays, showing a green screen after iOS 16 update; Twitter users complain

As if there weren't enough green screens in California!

Perhaps because I'm following a gazillion tech nerds and pages through my personal Twitter account (a mistake I need to fix), I encounter all kinds of leaks, rumors, complaints, shows of affection, and of course, bug reports on Elon Musk's new playground...

So, a few days ago, I stumbled upon a post for a dead iPhone 13 display, which shows a solid green screen; I read up on the user's arguments and then discovered that other people have had similar issues. Anyway, here's what Akash has to say about his iPhone 13 issues:

When I tried to update to iOS 16.1 on 25th October 2022, and the screen turned completely green. Service Centre quoted 31INR ($375) for replacing the display.

I first noticed the green display after updating to iOS 16.0.2, but it came back to normal after 5 seconds. Then when I tried to update to iOS 16.1, the display suddenly turned completely green. I have tried troubleshooting methods like Forced Restart, Factory Reset but no hope.

Apple should replace my display free of cost. Also, they should set up a service program for the affected iPhones ASAP. Case No 101844522285.

Apple's (reported) reaction to the green screen issues on iPhone 13

According to another user (writing in the same Twitter threat), Apple replaced his iPhone 13 display for free, thanks to the iPhone being within its warranty period. However, Akash doesn't seem to have had the same luck, as his iPhone 13 first showed the "green screen in California" problem when it was still in warranty but started working again until it completely shut itself off (weeks later) after Akash's warranty had expired:

When I visited the service center, they quoted 31K ($375) for replacing the display. I purchased this iPhone on 11-10-2021. So my warranty just expired 18 days ago. I contacted AppleSupport, but they are not taking any responsibility for this case.

Apple and Google swap roles as Pixel 7 might be more reliable than iPhone 14 Pro right now; another small bug on my iPhone 14 Pro shows lack of attention to detail

As mentioned in one of the longest stories I've written this year, iPhone 14 Pro caught the Google virus, and multiple bugs have hit iOS 16. Many are complaining on Twitter and other social media platforms...

Of course, iPhones have always had software issues, just like any other Android phone, but I don't seem to recall them being thatsevere. Again, none of my iPhones has gotten so buggy to the point of no return, but if Akash's case is anything to go by, other people might not have the same luck.

If the Green screen problem is real, then it's only fair that Cupertino takes responsibility for the issue by repairing damaged iPhones.

Before I go, I also have to mention a bug I noticed just hours ago that also has to do with the Spotlight search on my iPhone 14 Pro (Spotlight search is really starting to creep in on Apple now!). Luckily, this time the bug is purely visual.

It seems like Apple missed addressing what I'd call "the shadow transition animation" of the little "Search" pill on the bottom of your home screen. You can clearly notice how when I open and quit Spotlight search, the shadow behind the pill widget appears and disappears rather abruptly. This doesn't happen on my iPhone 13 mini running the same version of the software (iOS 16.1).

So, clearly, Tim Cook & Co have some software and hardware bugs to work on before iPhone 14 or iOS 16 reaches the point of reliability we've to expect from iPhone. What's interesting is that in a few cases, we have serious issues, and in others, some very minor imperfections. Apple's known for its meticulous attention to detail, so this is indeed bizarre.

Last year it was the Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro that bugged everyone (and especially myself) with dozens of bugs, and now it seems like Apple's playing catch up. Still not as bad as Google, but… only for now.

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Martin, a tech journalist at PhoneArena, brings a unique blend of humor and insight to his work. His fascination with smartphones began with a Galaxy Young and evolved through a series of trades and upgrades, making him a self-proclaimed smartphone nerd. Martin's content often combines current analysis of market trends with historical references and future predictions. Whether it's a deep dive into technical issues or a first-person commentary on industry events, Martin's articles are designed to inform and engage. His critical perspective is driven by genuine curiosity and a desire to keep readers informed, not by any corporate sponsorship.