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System time (Clock) changes on iPhone 5c

Hi everybody,

a friend recently encounters a very strange problem with his iPhone 5c. Without any reason, the clock time on the phone changes. Not full-hours-wise (like a wrong time zone) but apparently completely arbitrary - the clock then displays completely wrong times. Sometimes the clock continues running from that wrong time, sometimes it remains static for a while on a particular time. This is of course a real pain, particularly if the iPhone should be used as an alarm clock...

The phenomenon is completely independent from the "set automatically" setting in "date & time" - it even occurs if the time was set manually. It is also independent from the phone being logged into a Wifi network or if it's just online in a mobile network. It has also nothing to do with synchronizing with a PC that has a wrong system time (this appears to be the most frequently cited comment in this issue).

Sometimes it helps for a couple of minutes if "set automatically" in "date & time" is switched off and on again. Sometimes! ;-) And even if it helps and the time gets set correctly, it only takes a couple of minutes and the clock show a wrong time again.

We have tried all kinds of stuff to solve the problem: Stop all running apps (in case on of it has gone bonkers). Switch the phone off and on again. Switch flight mode off and on. Switch Wifi off and on. Switch mobile data off and on. Let the battery run completely empty, then recharge and switch the phone on again. All to no avail... The last desperate try (which I really hoped would be successful) was a hard reset (set back to factory settings via cable and iTunes and then replay the last backup). The time was ok after that - but just for a few minutes, then it changed again...

Has anybody any idea of what this strange behavior could be all about? Anybody had a similar problem? Anybody with a genius (sic!) solution? Or at least a hint what else we could try?!

Oh yes, the phone runs iOS 8.1.2 and is about 15 months old - bought directly at German Telekom.

Any help is greatly appreciated!!!


Best regards,

TCF

iPhone 5c, iOS 8.1.2

Posted on Jan 13, 2015 4:03 AM

Reply
51 replies

Jul 30, 2015 10:01 PM in response to cooper826

I'm having the same issue. It began after I updated to iOS 8.4. Seems that Apple is appling planned obsolescence voraciously. I am very disaponted, all my hardware has been Mac for years but after this silent scam I'm changing my mind. I will try to open file to a legal fight to this, is obvios all around internet blogs iphone 5c is failing after this iOS update, and you can not downgrade!, this stinks!! 😠

Aug 7, 2015 8:13 AM in response to tcf68

I am facing the same issue like many many people are facing for almost year and half now, tried almost everything, hard reset, restart, toggling ON and Off the settings, location Services, restored to factory setting, Resetting network settings.

i am on ios 8.4 with iPhone 5C, bluetooth is not turning ON, Wifi signals drops continuously.

What Apple is doing.... Time should be a Software issue as for as I understand. Why Apple is silent on it...

Apple is definitely gonna loose its loyal customers on that...


Time bug should be fixed in the new update ios 8.4.1 or I am gonna switch to Android.

Even if people are gonna replace the device, Apple should now tell them what the heck of problem was with the device i.e Software or hardware... Apple is loosing loyalty after Steve Jobs.

Sep 16, 2015 4:17 PM in response to KarmTLV

Same issue I brought iPhone5c from Toronto Saturday, clock stops when auto lock or manually by the top button. If you have external power connected no issues.

TRied resetting to factory factory default as new device. Same issue updated to latest ios 841. (9 is out now, will try that next) no change.

this looks to me to be either hardware or/power distribution issue. If no replies on this thread I will call Apple as it's clear this is their problem!

Sep 21, 2015 9:02 AM in response to Echo5Romeo

Same here. I upgraded last week about an hour after it came out on my 5c and have been having problems even more ever since. My wifi is not stable and the Bluetooth no longer works. My system time quit working all together! My clock app is frozen. I've done everything I know to do with restoring outside of an Icloud backup but have had no luck. I have no interest in staying with Apple over this unless they fix it. This and other people's stories reading this thread's previous posts tells me all I need to know about how they treat their customers.


To Apple:

Your lack of support and help on this issue is embarrassing and completely uncalled for. Several people are reporting this error and you refuse to respond or even acknowledge it. For me this is a complete unnecessary hassle and waste of time. As a company that strives for perfection and the six-sigma tier, you are doing the complete opposite by not taking action on this. I will be switching away from your services to the Droid and will be encouraging all my friends/family to do the same come next month when my upgrade renewal contract is up unless someone confirms this is a bug and a fix/patch for it is in progress.

Oct 22, 2015 2:48 PM in response to tcf68

I have been the same exact issue as everybody else here. I find it truly pathetic and ridiculous how the issue is entirely ignored by the company. As many of you, I headed to an Apple Store for assistance and was directly told, after a brief explanation of the issues I was facing with the phone, that it was a hardware issue and that I could have had it replaced for a few hundred pounds.


Honestly speaking, somebody should start a petition, at least to have the issue acknowledged.


The idea of having to pay for an issue caused by the firm's apparent manufacturing problem, is both hard to believe and to forget.

Dec 1, 2015 1:33 PM in response to Stempor

I've had this problem since is yesterday.
It's impossible this is a hardware problem, because I live in Brazil and bought this ****** iPhone here.
The clock delays whenever I lock the screen. Wifi seems to be working alright, so is 3g. Bluetooth has not been turning on anymore, however.
I thought I had fixed it when I saw I had turned off the clock from the 3g signal on settings, but no.


I'm appalled that Apple ignores this issue completely. It's running on the latest iOS.
Has anybody had any luck? Did you replace the phone or has the problem gone away?

System time (Clock) changes on iPhone 5c

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