You can make a difference in the Apple Support Community!

When you sign up with your Apple Account, you can provide valuable feedback to other community members by upvoting helpful replies and User Tips.

💡 Did you know?

⏺ If you can't accept iCloud Terms and Conditions... Learn more >

⏺ If you don't see your iCloud notes in the Notes app... Learn more >

Looks like no one’s replied in a while. To start the conversation again, simply ask a new question.

iOS4 update - now iPhone now reboots during phone call

After about 4 or 5 mins in a phone call my iPhone 3GS reboots itself for no apparent reason. this did not happen before I put the iOS4 update on it. Is the some way I can stop this happening, or revert back to the previous version?

iPhone 3GS, iOS 4

Posted on Jun 22, 2010 1:53 AM

Reply
2,230 replies

Jan 16, 2011 5:13 AM in response to Saabi93

Dear frustrated fellow iPhone 3Gs OS4 victims,

I have submitted this issue as a bug report using the feedback form. http://www.apple.com/feedback/iphone.html :

Dear Apple developers,

The Apple iPhone forum describes a major problem caused by the OS4 update. About 514,893 people have read this post and 2115 have expressed their frustrations about this issue.
I understand there are many issues that need to be addressed, but this problem is about the basic functionality of the iPhone 3Gs. Without a solution this iPhone type is been reduced merely to the functionality of an iPod.

Please add your comment to this issue and please place this issue on the top of your fix list.

I advise you all to do the same to speed up the development of a bug fix.

Jan 16, 2011 8:37 AM in response to Saabi93

Here is what I submitted in the bug-report feedback section:


Dear Apple,

I purchased my iPhone 3GS in mid-July 2009. It worked perfectly until I updated to iOS 4.1 in early September, 2010. Following the update, it began exhibiting the following problems:
1) phone shuts-down randomly, regardless of application being used or battery percentage remaining.
2) when switched back on, it displays the apple logo as if booting up, and then shuts-off suddenly.
3) when a 2nd attempt is made to switch it back on, it behaves as if the battery if completely drained - shows the red, battery empty symbol.
4) phone is unresponsive until plugged-in to a computer's USB port.
5) when phone finally boots again, it indicates a battery at the same level as when it first shut-down.

At that point, I researched the issue online and found that this problem affects a large number of 3GS users, since the update to iOS 4 / 4.1 / 4.2, as indicated in the following threads:

http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?threadID=2544949&start=180&tstart=0

http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?threadID=2471090&tstart=0&messageID=129 38410#12938410

I tried a number of the solutions suggested by other affected users in these threads (restore to previous backup, setup as new phone, etc.). All had no effect. I then booked an appointment with my local Genius bar to have the problem looked at. Despite arriving with printouts from some of the threads above, I was told not to "believe everything I read online" and this was not a known issue, and because my phone was out-of-warranty, my only option was to pay $99 to have the battery replaced (which might not resolve the issue), or $200 for a new phone.

This is a very unsatisfactory response, given the circumstances: problem caused by Apple software update, but user is expected to foot the bill.

I am thoroughly unimpressed with Apple's customer service and consider this a violation of my consumer rights.

Jan 17, 2011 10:28 AM in response to homer4x4

Took mine my 3GS into Apple Birmingham, UK today. They ran diagnostic on it and the results showed that the MobileSMS function was causing the crashes.

They advised to restore from back up which i said that i did, however did say that number of messages on device before restore date and should try restore from new. Guy also said the iOS4.4 should fix this error. Dont know where and would say where he got this info from.

Wouldnt replace at this staage as over 18th months old. Has said i should try restore from new. However based on his comments about 4.3 thinking might wait until after this date first so that i dont lose SMS's and app data.

Jan 17, 2011 10:57 AM in response to adeharding

My faith in Apple has been restored to some extent.

Thought I'd try my luck at the Genius bar one more time. Explained the issue to the guy and he indicated it was an issue he'd encountered previously ("yeah, they do that sometimes..."). Said he could do anything as the phone was out-of-warranty and I didn't have Apple Care. I said I didn't hunk that was fair as the problems were caused by the software update. He said he couldn't replace the phone but offered to get his manager to speak with me.

She was very nice and polite and I maintained a positive demeanor, without getting angry - told her more about it and explained the issue again, gave her a copy of the bug report I submitted and referenced these forums with printouts. She refused to look at the forum info but thanked my for submitting the report, took a copy of it, and offered to replace the phone with a new one there and then!! She emphasized they "normally wouldn't do this" but were making a special exception just for me.

I suspect they will do the same for other people here as long as you are firm but polite.


Best of luck everyone!

Jan 18, 2011 12:06 PM in response to homer4x4

After all this time, still no fix. Been in and out of this thread hoping for some bright spark to come up with a solution. Tried most of things mentioned, apart from removing battery and still no luck. I have noticed after the reboot the last call is not listed on the calls/recent lists.
All calls now taken on speaker.

Jan 19, 2011 5:54 AM in response to andymb

Like Assos (above) I have come back to this thread to see if the mighty marketing machine that is Apple has come back with a fix to this issue. Unfortunately it would appear that they couldn't give a stuff about anyone who doesn't have their latest product.

I swapped out my original 3GS because of this problem just before my warranty ran out - only a small number of customers have managed it after their warranty has expired - but this is NOT a fix! What about all the customers that don't have a 'Genius' store within 100 miles of their home...or in their country for that matter?!

IMHO Apple have got so big now that they think they can afford to lose a certain percentage of customers - although I wonder how many on this forum will make the mistake of upgrading to another iPhone in the future? I remember when Apple were a bit of a joke! Don't get me wrong, I loved my iPhone before iOS4 (I still love my iPod classic), but as far as Apple goes for phones, I will be taking my business elsewhere.

Did you hear the one about the phone that couldn't make calls......Not that funny is it!!

Jan 20, 2011 7:07 AM in response to Bryan Harder

Hello all of you!

I'm from Sweden so please excuse my bad English.
I was a proud owner of an Iphone 3Gs when it was running on iOS 3.XX.
As soon as I upgraded to iOS 4.XX to take advantage of the numerous improvements and multitasking, the phone lost it's ability to even hold phone calls for sometimes as short as 5 minutes.

The iOS 4.XX version got out in second half of 2010, and as I bought my phone exactly 5 days before, ( in 2009 ), this version got out, I couldn't use my warranty as it was expired since 5 days.

I called the Apple servicecenter called LAN-Master here in Sweden and they will not accept my warranty as it has expired.

I was told that there would be a fix ( So they really confirm that there is a problem with 3Gs models ) in later iOS4.xx version but still I have the same old tiresome problem.

Apple will not even comment in this thread and many of us are dissapointed in Apple and how they even can live with this knowing that many of their customers will now skip the Apple products and instead buy other brands, WHICH DOES NOT REBOOT!!

I still haven't received any response to my problem and I feel that the only way to get anything out of this and to be able to use our phones again, theres really only a few options.

1. As Apple stopped signing old firmwares we are unable to restore the Iphone 3Gs back to iOS 3.XX, they actually could fix this for those people affected by the iOS 4.XX problem.

2. A solution I really do not like, but nonetheless maby will be nesesary is to sue Apple. As far as I can see, there are above 2000+ people/phones with this problem and if we all contribute with a small amount we should have enough to do this.

I do not tolerate Apples ignorance. Fix my phone, which I spent about 1600 $ on ( 11000 SEK ), and everyone elses that has this problem. You can't ignore the problem you created, either by manufacturing phones with hardware fault or programming an iOS that cant operate with every single Iphone 3Gs!

Jan 20, 2011 6:23 PM in response to homer4x4

I am having exactly the same problem, have tried everything. I brought the 3GS new $1299 NZD and loaded the lasted 4 OS software approximately 4 month ago when the phone was approx 14 months old and began having dropped calls immediately after. I discussed this with apple support and restored the phone from new and tested it twice as advised and the problem continued, I then took it to the Genius at the apple store and he could not diagnose the problem after testing and inspecting the interior of the phone which I was informed was in good condition with no water damage. He then told me that as it is outside the one year warranty I could pay another $250 and have this replaced. Why should a device that's primary function is to make calls not be replaced after a complete inspection. I will not be purchasing an apple mac as I m in the market for an upgrade and was considering a change as these products should come with better support considering the proprietary software is what is at fault in this instance not to mention the price exceeds the competitors considerably thus you would expect the support to be very high. You lost a customer here apple.

Jan 21, 2011 8:23 AM in response to shicko

shicko wrote:
I have the same problem as discussed here.

I seen some posts reffering to battery problems and replacing it solved their problem.

Last night i had a charge of about 60% and when i used the phone later on it showed 18% i was suprised to see how much charge it had lost in a short space of time, about twenty minutres later i used phone again and it was back up to 53%.

maybe it is a false battery reading or battery that is causing the issue?



This is exactly the problem I'm having with an original US launch 3GS. My batt goes down to anywhere between 75% to 55% with normal use and I start having the problem. The phone turns off. Sometimes I can restart it but, then it will usually turn off almost immediately while still loading the OS. I can do this usually 3 or 4 times. Then I get the icon that indicates I don't have enough charge to turn it on (red flashing bit in the battery icon with the plug icon below that). At this point I can feel the warmth coming through the shell. If I let it cool for a about 15 minutes, I can turn it on and I'm back up to the same 65% or less range. If I use the phone in any way, repeat all of the above until I recharge it.

I think either the OS isn't reading the battery condition right or the battery itself is failing. I ordered a replacement battery kit from ifixit. If it works (and I don't ruin the thing) - great. If not, then it may be time for a different (brand?) phone.

iOS4 update - now iPhone now reboots during phone call

Welcome to Apple Support Community
A forum where Apple customers help each other with their products. Get started with your Apple Account.