iOS 18.4.1 Problems: Broken News App, Silent Siri, Screen Issues on iPhone 16 Pro

1. Siri Not Responding

Possible Fix:

• Go to Settings > Screen Time > Content & Privacy Restrictions, and toggle it on (even if you don’t use it).
• Restart your iPhone.
• After restarting, you can toggle it off again if you prefer.

This workaround has restored Siri for some users, especially after the 18.4.1 update.

2. Apple News Says “No Internet Connection”

Issue: Apple News won’t load and claims there’s no internet, even though Wi-Fi or cellular is working fine for other apps.

Possible Fixes:

• Reset Network Settings: Go to Settings > General > Transfer or Reset iPhone > Reset > Reset Network Settings.
• (Note: This will erase saved Wi-Fi passwords.)

Disable Private Relay if it’s enabled under iCloud > Private Relay, as it can sometimes interfere with News.

3. Screen Freezing Randomly

Issue: Screen becomes unresponsive or freezes at random times.

Possible Fixes:

• Force Restart your iPhone:
• Quickly press and release Volume Up, then Volume Down, then hold the Side button until the Apple logo appears.
• Free Up Storage: Low available storage can cause lag and freezing.
• Check under Settings > General > iPhone Storage and remove unused apps or files.
• Reset All Settings (won’t erase data):
• Go to Settings > General > Transfer or Reset iPhone > Reset > Reset All Settings.

What Else You Can Try

• Make sure all apps are up to date from the App Store.
• Avoid restoring from backup if doing a full reset—some have reported better performance by setting up the phone as new (though it’s a hassle).
• The Apple Store may suggest a full restore and setup as new, but that means re-downloading everything manually—frustrating, but it has worked in some stubborn cases.

For Siri not responding here is a quick way that has helped me to get it working again without shutting down or rebooting my phone as none of the steps above have resolved my issue.

Go to Settings > Apple Intelligence & Siri > Talk & Type to Siri and then turn all options off. It will notify you that you are disabling Siri. Then hit the back arrow. Then go back into Talk & Type to Siri and enable your preferred options again and then hit the back arrow. Siri should now hear you again.

For reference I only use Press Button for Siri and this is on my iPhone 16 Pro running iOS 18.4.1.