Why is my iPhone 16 lagging and freezing on iOS 18.3?

Question

Level 1

4 points

Why is my iPhone 16 lagging and freezing on iOS 18.3?

Hello everyone,

I purchased a standard iPhone 16 in December and I’m currently running iOS 18.3. Lately I’ve noticed several frustrating issues: I sometimes don’t receive WhatsApp notifications at all; the front-facing camera briefly glitches or freezes when I open it; the app switcher stutters or fails to respond smoothly when swiping up; and I see small graphical hiccups on Instagram when scrolling through Stories or the main feed. Has anyone else experienced the same problems, and what steps did you take to fix them? I’ve heard that updating to iOS 18.4 might not be recommended—has anyone tried it, and did it help or make things worse? Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

[Re-Titled by Moderator]

Posted on May 5, 2025 12:48 PM

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Answer 1

KiltedTim

Level 10

221,604 points

May 6, 2025 4:50 AM in response to Teebee99

Teebee99 wrote:

I understand that with the update the battery life will instantly drop, and that there are bugs and glitches in the new version. Have you experienced any of these issues on your device?

You understand incorrectly. I've had no such problems on any of my devices.

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Answer 2

Jeff Donald

Level 8

41,706 points

May 6, 2025 5:16 AM in response to Teebee99

It’s possible you may experience a few issues related to the update. Most are caused by third party apps. I would urge you to update because there were important security updates and fixes in 18.4 and 18.4.1.

Im on 18.4.1 and Im experiencing none of the issues you shared in your original post. I don’t use WhatsApp, but my understanding is that’s an app issue and not an iOS issue.

Update your iPhone or iPad - Apple Support

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Answer 3

Teebee99 Author

Level 1

4 points

May 6, 2025 6:56 AM in response to Jeff Donald

Actually, I believe it’s also related to the operating system. There are clear glitches that seem to be originating from the system itself. Have you checked if your iPhone model could be affecting the behavior? Are you using the iPhone 16 Standard, or a different model? It might also depend on the specific iPhone variant you’re using.

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Answer 4

Jeff Donald

Level 8

41,706 points

May 6, 2025 7:18 AM in response to Teebee99

Here’s my current list of iPhones on 18.4.1 and have no issues.

2-iPhone 16 Pro Max

1-iPhone 16 Pro

1-iPhone 15 Pro Max

1-iPhone 14 Pro Max

1-iPhone 13 Pro Max

1-iPhone XS

1-iPhone Xr

I do the tech support for my family including children and grandchildren. If they have a problem dad/grandpa gets a text or message right away. Their are mostly related to 3rd party apps and initial break in after a point update. After updating the device may get warmer than expected and consume more daily battery capacity than normal. But I’m not aware of any of them having issues with the update.

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Answer 5

KiltedTim

Level 10

221,604 points

May 5, 2025 12:59 PM in response to Teebee99

The current version is 18.4.1. Please update. Troubleshooting a version of iOS that's been replaced already is pretty much pointless.

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Answer 6

Teebee99 Author

Level 1

4 points

May 6, 2025 1:43 AM in response to KiltedTim

I understand that with the update the battery life will instantly drop, and that there are bugs and glitches in the new version. Have you experienced any of these issues on your device?

Reply

Answer 7

Teebee99 Author

Level 1

4 points

May 6, 2025 5:04 AM in response to KiltedTim

Hmm.. Have all the issues been resolved after installing the new iOS 18.4?

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Why is my iPhone 16 lagging and freezing on iOS 18.3?

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