wifi greyed out iphone 4s

wickedmoose wrote:

Yes, this is brutal. As mentioned, I am never buying another Apple product again as a result of their anti-consumer marketing and sales strategies and lack of support unless you slip them some green. However, I would like to see a fix for this so that I can continue to use the device that i bought and paid for for its intended purpose, if only through WiFi. Following Apple's troubleshooting directions to reset my phone as new has caused me to lose all in app purchases including Hipstamatic (which I had literally bough and paid for all of the addon packs) and left me with no way to retrieve them.

Despite what some on this thread are stating, this coincides with a software issue and is not a hardware only issue. I paid for and own my 4S and should be able to wipe it and roll back to an earlier software version where this problem did not exist on this level. You can do this with any Android or Windows device or computer, and apple should be no different.

It's not a software issue. It's never been a software issue. It's a HEAT issue.

The terms and conditions of the iOS updates, that you agree to (but probably don't read), make it clear that downgrading is not an option.

If you want to use Apple's iOS, then you have to follow their rules. Feel free to select a different operating system.

When i blow dried my iphone 4s, it worked, till I shut it off a day later and powered it back on and lo and behold the wifi was grayesd out, nfortunately.

Most people's problem started after upgrading to IOS 6 which had an over active defense that greys out (disables) your WiFi at the first sign of it getting warm. It is a combination of hardware and software as I mentioned. This wasn't a common issue on IOS 5 as far as I know. As for the terms and conditions, of course I didn't read them. How many do? It still doesn't make it right to block us from rolling back IOS versions on our own phones, and it doesn't mean that I can't be annoyed by their antics. And I already did choose a new OS for my new phone, however I wanted to use my 4s on WiFi as a camera/ipod. I also sold my iPad and will never put another dime down on an apple product.

For sure it is a hardware problem with the welding on the wifi chip. Downloading the large iOS 6 update just shows the problem because it heated up the phone and weld.

We did the hair dryer then freezer in a ziplock bag once. It lasted us 5 weeks. Now has greyed out again, so will try 2nd time. I hope this helps.

wickedmoose wrote:

Most people's problem started after upgrading to IOS 6 which had an over active defense that greys out (disables) your WiFi at the first sign of it getting warm. It is a combination of hardware and software as I mentioned. This wasn't a common issue on IOS 5 as far as I know. As for the terms and conditions, of course I didn't read them. How many do? It still doesn't make it right to block us from rolling back IOS versions on our own phones, and it doesn't mean that I can't be annoyed by their antics. And I already did choose a new OS for my new phone, however I wanted to use my 4s on WiFi as a camera/ipod. I also sold my iPad and will never put another dime down on an apple product.

The only reason it's software related is because the update process generates heat. The code of the software has nothing to do with it.

It was a common issue on iOS 5 as well.

I'm sorry you chose not to read the terms & conditions, but that doesn't mean you are exempt from them.

Plus, it's been common knowledge among Apple iOS users for many years that you cannot downgrade an iOS.

You're welcome to be annoyed, but it's a pointless rage. You (inadvertently) agreed to the terms & conditions.

Get your iPhone 4S replaced under warranty, or pay the $199 for the replacement.

In short, iOS 7 didn't cause the problem. Place the blame where it belongs; on your defective hardware.

5 Weeks, good to know. Thank you for reporting back!

Hi, I figured I would share my issue with you all to see if I could get some advice, since I'm at my last hope.

I've had my iPhone 4S for about 10 months now, and two weeks ago, the wifi greyed out like all of yours had. I took it to my local Verizon store, and since this was under my warranty, I received a new iPhone 4S. Once I had my new phone for about 24 hours, the same exact issue happened, so I called Verizon and got my second new phone sent to me. This new phone now has the same exact issue: the wifi is totally greyed out. I've tried every trick in the book besides freezine and hair-drying, since I don't want to lose my warranty in case they don't work. I called Verizon tech support last night and the issue was fixed temporarily by closing apps and resetting the phone, but the wifi greyed out once again after a few hours. I'm on my last nerve with this phone, since I'm now on my third one with the SAME EXACT PROBLEM. My current plan is to call Verizon again tomorrow, and then go to the Genius Bar on Sunday to see if Apple can offer me any suggestions.

I'd appreciate any advice that any of you have for me!

Thank you.

Caroline,

I would ask Verizon speciically if your replacement phones are 'brand new' or refurbished (you would not necessarily know by looking or the packaging). If refurb., try demandind a brand new phone. I vaguely recall long ago hearing that replacement phones were not necessaily 'brand new'.

Does anyone else know what the policy is in getting a 'replacement' iPhone?

We didn't have time to do the hairdryer/freezer thing again, but Hubby updated to ios 7.0.2 - voila, wifi is back working again! It didn't do it after the massive ios 7.0 update, so this is strange. It is probably just that the phone got really hot doing the update, but I don't know. We will see how long this lasts.

I suggest trying this: Remove the SIM. Reboot the phone (hold HOME and SLEEP until an Apple logo appears). Try WiFi. Reinsert the SIM.

I've had the issue twice now. The first time I tried every other type of reset, freezing and heating possible. In the end my chip was replaced but the problem came back after updating to iOS7.0.1.

After trying the hard reboot without the sim, my phone seems to have wifi again.

So let me make sure I understand. You believe that any company should be able to forgive itself all responsibility just because they put a disclaimer in a lengthy user agreement? I had a perfectly functioning 4s before I downloaded iOS 7.0 -- battery meter started acting funny -- then the 7.0.2 update. THen suddendly my phone won't charge and won't come on. There was no heat build up. The Apple store sold me a replacement for $199. Now this one won't connect to my wifi and is locking up. Really? This is acceptable? There are flaws with this iOS. Apple should be held accountable. It may take a class action lawsuit, but they should be held accountable for treating their loyal customers so poorly. If iOS 7 creates such problems with a lot of 4S phones, they should know this, should have tested it adequately. Now I have to go back to the Apple store, with the replacement phone they just sold me, and have them tell me there's a problem with this one, too. I have a job. I have a family. I don't have time to keep going back to the darned store. And I shouldn't have to. They should release a quality product that works, and doesn't take so much time from the users.

my phone had wi-fi without the sim, but still won't connect to the network, then the wifi locks up.

RCP3_FSO wrote:

So let me make sure I understand. You believe that any company should be able to forgive itself all responsibility just because they put a disclaimer in a lengthy user agreement? I had a perfectly functioning 4s before I downloaded iOS 7.0 -- battery meter started acting funny -- then the 7.0.2 update. THen suddendly my phone won't charge and won't come on. There was no heat build up. The Apple store sold me a replacement for $199. Now this one won't connect to my wifi and is locking up. Really? This is acceptable? There are flaws with this iOS. Apple should be held accountable. It may take a class action lawsuit, but they should be held accountable for treating their loyal customers so poorly. If iOS 7 creates such problems with a lot of 4S phones, they should know this, should have tested it adequately. Now I have to go back to the Apple store, with the replacement phone they just sold me, and have them tell me there's a problem with this one, too. I have a job. I have a family. I don't have time to keep going back to the darned store. And I shouldn't have to. They should release a quality product that works, and doesn't take so much time from the users.

Really? You can verify, under oath, that there was no heat buildup? How did you monitor the temperature of the device during the update?

The fact that you got a replacement for $199 means you didn't have an active warranty. In other words, the device performed, as promised, during the warranty period. You got what you paid for.

Caveat emptor!

No, it was one month out of warranty. It worked fine until I downloaded the new iOS and installed it. Seriously - just fine. Are you suggesting that I can't trust an iPhone to operate for the two year duration of my contract with my cell provider? And not only my original phone, but then a replacement they sell me won't last more than a day without having a failure? Do you believe that kind of unreliability is acceptable? Caveat emptor. Really.

So...what did I learn? That I can not trust Apple to stand by their products. Period. So I will now look at their competition. After they swap out the replacement phone that cost me $199. Of course, it says on the receipt they gave me "No returns." Are you going to tell me it should now be acceptable for Apple to deny a swap for this defective phone I've owned - from their store - for less than 48 hours?

RCP3_FSO wrote:

No, it was one month out of warranty. It worked fine until I downloaded the new iOS and installed it. Seriously - just fine. Are you suggesting that I can't trust an iPhone to operate for the two year duration of my contract with my cell provider? And not only my original phone, but then a replacement they sell me won't last more than a day without having a failure? Do you believe that kind of unreliability is acceptable? Caveat emptor. Really.

So...what did I learn? That I can not trust Apple to stand by their products. Period. So I will now look at their competition. After they swap out the replacement phone that cost me $199. Of course, it says on the receipt they gave me "No returns." Are you going to tell me it should now be acceptable for Apple to deny a swap for this defective phone I've owned - from their store - for less than 48 hours?

1. It was one month out of warranty. Enough said.

2. Apple did stand behind their product, for one year. They offered to extend that coverage by an additional year for $99. You declined. Now, you're paying twice that amount for one replacement.

So, what did you learn? If you want extended coverage, pay for extended coverage.

Your replacement phone has a 90-day warranty. You're confusing 'no returns' with 'no exchanges'. Have you even BOTHERED to contact the store about swapping out the device, or did you just ASSUME the answer would be no?

Perhaps you WOULD be better off with another phone. May I recommend the Jitterbug?