iPhone 13 Problems: 5 Things You Need to Know

iPhone 13, iPhone 13 mini, iPhone 13 Pro, and iPhone 13 Pro Max users are complaining about an assortment of bugs, connectivity problems, and performance issues.

The iPhone 13, iPhone 13 mini, iPhone 13 Pro, and iPhone 13 Pro Max face many of the same problems because they share many parts, were released at the same time, and utilize 5G networks in the United States and abroad.

The list of iPhone 13 problems will grow. Some problems will get resolved by Apple and its partners via software updates, but we’ll continue to see issues pop up as people put more mileage on their device.

Below are the most common iPhone 13 issues, some potential fixes for the problems, places to find feedback about iPhone 13 performance, and a look at what’s in the iOS 17 pipeline for these phones.

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iPhone 13 Problems

If you’re having issues activating your new iPhone 13 model, check Apple’s System Status page. If you don’t see a green symbol next to iOS Device Activation, you’ll want to wait until it’s green and then try activating your phone again.

If the symbol is green and the activation process still isn’t working, make sure you have a SIM card inserted in your iPhone. If you’re receiving a “No Sim” or “Invalid SIM” error, you’ll want to head over to this guide for assistance.

We’re also hearing about the following iPhone 13 issue, impacting all four models:

Issues with first and third-party apps
Excessive battery drain
Ongoing noise cancellation issues
Exchange problems
Wi-Fi problems
A variety of CarPlay problems including crashes
iCloud issues
Bluetooth issues
Sound problems
Login issues

A number of iPhone 13 users are complaining about touch issues where the device’s display doesn’t respond to swipes and gestures.

We’re also hearing about 5G cellular data issues. Some users are saying cellular service is dropping unexpectedly. Others are complaining about the speed of 5G.

iPhone 13 Performance

If you’re thinking about buying an iPhone 13, iPhone 13 mini, iPhone 13 Pro, or iPhone 13 Pro, or if you already own one, you’ll want to monitor feedback from other people using the same device. This feedback will alert you to potential issues with Apple’s hardware and software.

We recommend keeping an eye on YouTube, Apple’s discussion forums, social media sites like Twitter, and sites like the MacRumors forums for ongoing feedback about these phones.

If you’re thinking about moving your device to iOS 17, or if you’ve already made the move, take a look at our guide that goes over the latest version of the software.

We’ve also released a quick review that covers the iOS 17.1.2 which is the latest software release for all four iPhone 13 models.

How to Fix iPhone 13 Problems

If you run into a problem on your iPhone there’s a good chance you’ll be able to fix the problem yourself. In some cases, you may need to contact Apple support, contact your carrier, or take your phone into an Apple Store.

If you’ve run into trouble, take a look at our list of fixes for the most common iPhone 13 problems. Our guide runs down fixes for the most common iPhone issues like broken Bluetooth and busted Wi-Fi.

We’ve also released some tips to help improve your iPhone 13’s performance and a guide that could help you improve battery life if you think it’s draining faster than it should be.

If you can’t find a fix in our guides, you’ll want to check Apple’s discussion forums and see if someone has a solution for whatever is ailing your phone.

If you can’t find anything on Apple’s forums, you should contact Apple. You can do so via the company’s website.

If you’d rather get answers in person, you might want to take your phone into your local Apple Store and see if they can diagnose your problem.

If you’ve got an Apple Store in your area, make sure you schedule a Genius Bar appointment.

iOS Downgrade Status

If you’re dealing with software problems on your iPhone 13, iPhone 13 mini, iPhone 13 Pro, or iPhone 13 Pro Max, you can try downgrading your devices to the previous version of iOS if the option is available.

If you’re unfamiliar with the iOS downgrade process our iOS downgrade guide will walk you through everything you need to know before you make the move.

Next iPhone 13 Update

If your device is struggling on iOS 17.1.2, or another version of iOS 17, help is on the way.

Apple’s confirmed a new iOS 17.2 update and it’s currently in beta testing. We expect the release to come sometime in December alongside iPadOS 17.2 for iPad, watchOS 10.2 for Apple Watch, and macOS Sonoma 14.2 for Mac.

If you can’t/don’t want to wait for the official release date, you might try downloading the iOS 17.2 beta on your device and see if performance improves. You can always downgrade if it doesn’t.

For more about iOS 17.2 and the beta, have a look at our walkthrough. And for more about the upcoming iOS 17.2 release date, check out our guide.

4 Reasons Not to Install iOS 17.1.2 & 11 Reasons You Should

Install iOS 17.1.2 for Better Security

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If security is important to you, and you missed older versions of iOS 17, think about installing Apple's iOS 17.1.2 update right away.

iOS 17.1.2 has two security patches on board. Both are related to WebKit. If you want to learn more, you can do so right here.

If you skipped an older version of iOS, you'll get fixes from the updates you missed when you upgrade to iOS 17.1.2.

iOS 17.1 brought 18 security fixes to iPhone. It addressed issues within Weather, Status Bar, WebKit, and more.

iOS 17.0.3 brought two patches for two security issues Apple identified within the software. If you want to read about the patches, head here.

iOS 17.0.1 delivered three important patches to iPhone. If you're interested in the exact nature of these improvements, you can read about them over on Apple's security website.

As for iOS 17 itself, it brought 40+ new security patches with it. A staggering number to say the least. If you want to learn more about them, head over to Apple.

In addition to those patches, iOS 17 brings some additional enhancements to privacy and security including improvements to Communication Safety beyond Messages.

It now includes content sent by AirDrop, Contact Posters in the Phone app, FaceTime, and the systemwide photo picker. You now have an option to blur out sensitive photos and videos before you choose to view them.

There's also an expanded Lockdown Mode which will help protect you against cyber attacks.

Apple's also improved sharing permissions and you now have more control over what you share with the apps on your device.

The company also notes that starting in iOS 17, Voice Memos encrypts the titles of recordings stored in iCloud, in addition to the recordings themselves.

If you skipped older versions of iOS, you'll get the security patches from those updates with your iOS 17.1.2 update as well.