Want to highlight a helpful answer? Upvote!

Did someone help you, or did an answer or User Tip resolve your issue? Upvote by selecting the upvote arrow. Your feedback helps others! Learn more about when to upvote >

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

iOS 5.0.1 Crashing iPhone 3GS

Hi, I own a iPhone 3GS 32 GB, and I just updated to iOS 5.0.1. For some reason, even if my iPhone is on sleep, it keeps rebooting every 2 minutes, regardless of what I am doing. It goes back to the apple logo, reboots, and shows the lock screen. After unlocking it, I can only use it for about 2 minutes everytime. Then the screen goes black. I don't know what's the problem, because iOS 5.0 was working perfectly fine before updating. I updated without connecting it to my computer over wifi. Does anyone else have this problem???

iPhone 3GS, iOS 5.0.1, 32 GB

Posted on Nov 12, 2011 9:20 AM

Reply
Question marked as Best reply

Posted on Nov 12, 2011 9:23 AM

I have no problems but you may need to do a restore.

139 replies

Nov 13, 2011 1:36 AM in response to suburban.legend

Just to let everyone know that I managed to restore from backup (via iTunes), and everything seems stable so far, running IOS 5.0.1.


It did take several attempts to restore from backup (numerous errors veryfying the backup against Apple's servers, which seem very flakey at the moment - even the page describing the error condition was unavailable due to 'scheduled upgrades'), and eventually the phone booted with what looked like a raw OS (I needed to set up from scratch re: location services, preferred wireless networks etc). But now the restore is progressing well (no crashes so far), and my previously downloaded apps all seem to be installed and working.


I hope this helps others to get out of this irritating predicament. If I was Apple I would be quite concerned about the unreliability of this whole process, why flys in the face of their 'it just works' motto. To recap, my very sub-standard customer experience went roughly like this:


1. IOS 5.0.0 asks me "would you like to upgrade to 5.0.1?". I respond "yes". It doesn't seem that it did any kind of backup immediately before the upgrade.


2. After that completes successfully, the phone crashes every 2 minutes or so, effectively preventing me from being able to do a backup or restore.


3. Eventually, I manage to initiate a restore, but after unpacking the file, it fails verifying against the Apple servers.


4. I click on "More info..." and get redirected to a "resource not availble" error page.


5. After several more similar failed attempts, my phone eventually reboots into a virgin OS, and I manage to restore from backup.


Total elapsed time, about 3 hours. Sad, but true.

Nov 14, 2011 4:42 AM in response to MysteryMan529

I have a similar problem on my 3GS (16GB) it randomly shuts down after upgrading to iOS 5.0.1 but this is infrequent - 3 times yesterday. It hasn't happened today (it's now 12:30 GMT) so I'll wait till tomorrow to see if it re-occurs. If it does I intend to do a restore from a backup unless some other solution is posted in the meantime.

It's an annoying issue as it occurs during calls.

Nov 14, 2011 9:39 AM in response to MysteryMan529

Same problem on 16g 3GS after over air update.


I did a reset via the phone itself (without deleting all data) and this corrected the problem.


However the bug is still in there as after switching the phone off and on again the same problem happened - every 2 minutes over and over again( Groundhog Day anyone?). A reset on the phone solved problem again but phone will need to be kept on UNTIL Apple SORT THIS OUT.


Hope this may help some poor souls

Nov 15, 2011 5:47 AM in response to MysteryMan529

Follow up to my post yesterday at 04:42 (Phone - 3GS 16GB):

Again yesterday the phone powered down during a phone conversation and just before it powered off I noticed that the battery indicator was gone red and that it appeared to be shutting off due to lack of a battery charge. I immediatly turned the phone on again and the battery indicator showed 75% charge.

The battery "fix" in iOS 5.0.1 appears to have created the following issue with the 3GS: During a phone call the battery sensor is mis-interpreting the change level and powering off the phone thinking that the battery change is depleted. On my phone this only happens during phone calls - at other times it senses the charge level accurately.

I wonder if this misinterpretation relates to an older battery type in the 3GS! Over to you Apple.

Nov 16, 2011 9:25 AM in response to MysteryMan529

Same problem here - 3GS constantly rebooting at random (and not getting texts) but it was doing it both Before and After 5.0.1 - so it's not a .1 problem for me...

Have done everything, restore, hard reset etc, close apps all the time but it makes no difference - it even restarts randomly when on charge, but it was fine before iOS 5


However we have another, older 3GS which is fine!


Help!!

Nov 16, 2011 10:06 AM in response to Iain Cowper2

I am stuck with the same problem. iPhone 3GS reboots after every 2 minutes. This is a piece of junk now. It seems Apple is falling apart after Steve Jobs. They can't get a simple update right.


Dear Tim Cook,


We are Apple loyalists because of what you offer and how you offer. Please get this problem fixed asap. And before you launch a new upgrade, TEST IT, VALIDATE IT for all criticial and non-critical conditions.


You are being judged.

Nov 19, 2011 11:25 PM in response to nkhanna2012

OK.........Finally I found the solution for sim problem with update 5.0.1 and the solution for fixing the iphone 3gs keeps rebooting or keeps restarting after 3-2 minutes?


for fixing the sim issues with update 5.0.1 or the rebooting problem do the following:



  1. Take the sim out
  2. enable the 3G and cellular date in network setting
  3. than insert the sim back
  4. the netwok will register your sim via 3G not GSM
  5. than after 3 minutes turn off 3G and cellular data


congratulation………your problem had been solved?...Im not an expert…butits seems this update 5.0.1…is not suitable for 3GS phones as they have ( special tapfro turning 3g on and off)this update is suitable for iphone 4?which enable automatically 3G.


Theapple should have warn all 3GS phone about that ………not waiting some one notexpert like me to solve it out?


Anyway……………have a nice day every one

iOS 5.0.1 Crashing iPhone 3GS

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