iOS 14 problems can spoil Apple’s otherwise beautiful iPhone software upgrade, so we’re here to help you fix the iOS 14 bugs and glitches that you may run into.
Broken Wi-Fi, poor battery life and spontaneously reset settings are the most talked about iOS 14 problems, according to iPhone users. Luckily, Apple’s iOS 14.0.1 update fixed many of these early issues, as we’ve noted below, and subsequent updates have also addressed problems.
That said, while some bugs have been solved, a few nasty ones persist. Not only that, but some updates have brought new problems, with iOS 14.2 for example leading to battery issues for some users. And currently, some folks aren’t even getting text message notifications – an issue Apple hasn’t even fixed yet.
Most issues are more annoying than severe, but even then they can ruin the experience of using an expensive phone.
Don’t see your iOS 14 problem listed? We’re happy to troubleshoot it with you. Please follow us and share your problem, and we’ll either reply or direct message you (if it’s a long one) with a solution if we find one.
Below, we’ll explain the top iOS 14 problems along with any fixes that have been figured out so far. Some of the issues are solved by simply updating to the latest version of iOS; when we note that an update addressed the issue, consider it fixed for every later version of iOS unless we say otherwise.
To update to the latest version, head to Settings > General > Software Update > Download and Install, and click Install Now when the option becomes available.
iOS 14 is a great upgrade and worth it for the widgets. But, for some people, it has bugs like unpredictable battery life and WiFi disconnects. Any other iOS 14 problems? Please share so we can troubleshoot them. 🛠📲September 29, 2020
iOS 14 text notifications not appearing
More and more users are lamenting that text message notifications aren’t working properly – specifically, texts are going through, but notification bubbles aren’t always popping up. There are reports that even the red bubble may not appear either, even if you have unread texts.
It’s annoying, irregular, and for now, it doesn’t have an official fix. Heck, there aren’t even workarounds – you’ll have to fully open your Messages app to manually check if you have new texts or iMessages.
As always, we recommend updating to the latest version of iOS to get the most up-to-date software – and eventually, Apple will release a fix this way. We’re hoping its sooner rather than later.
iOS 14 won’t download on your iPhone
Technically, you’re not on iOS 14 yet, and that’s the first major problem. If you have a compatible iPhone, you should be able to get the latest software update. Make sure you’re iPhone is the iPhone 6S series or newer.
You’ll also need enough space on your device to download iOS 14 and the battery needs to be charged. It’s best to install iOS 14 when your iPhone is plugged in. If you previously tested the beta, delete that version of the software in Settings > General > Profiles.
Battery drains faster
Some users are reporting that, after installing iOS 14, their batteries have drained at an alarming rate, like this iPhone owner in Apple’s official forums. This problem hasn’t been fixed with an update at the time of writing, and what’s more, the update to iOS 14.2 is seemingly causing similar battery issues for other users.
While the issue hopefully will be patched, there are things you can do in the meantime.
For one thing, this issue regularly happens to some users when they install a new version of iOS. When upgrading to a new version of the operating system, users’ iPhones are re-indexing their files and apps so they can find them faster and more efficiently – in other words, this battery drain may just be temporary until your iPhone gets used to the new update.
There are other things to look out for if battery loss continues – namely checking if it’s lost capacity over time. Head to Settings > Battery > Battery Health to check whether your battery has deteriorated.
If so, or if you want to extend battery life generally, there are plenty of Apple-recommended ways to do so, like turning off auto-brightness on your screen (Settings > General > Accessibility > Display Accommodations) and manually keeping it at a low setting.
You can also turn off apps refreshing in the background (Settings > General > Background App Refresh) and switch off location services within apps (Settings > Privacy > Location Services). Lastly, you can easily toggle off several of the above features just by switching to Low Power Mode (Settings > Battery).
iOS 14 widgets are the star of this iPhone update, yet you may find it difficult to add or edit widgets. That’s certainly an iOS 14 problem, if you ask us.
New apps you download may not allow you to add widgets when tapping the + icon in the top right corner (while in jiggle mode).
iOS 14 problem solved: While we’re not going to consider this fully solved until Apple issues an update to fix the known widgets glitch, here’s a quick fix we’ve found: if you open up the app and play around with it first, then close it, you may find that it appears within the widget list after hitting the + icon.
iOS 14 won’t play YouTube in 4K or picture-in-picture – Solved
One of the big perks to the iOS 14 update is that you can now play videos in a small rectangular corner window even when you exit a video app. It’s called picture-in-picture, and apps including FaceTime use it so you can video chat and browse another app, like your email or Safari, without the video pausing.
iOS 14 problem solved: Picture-and-picture does work with YouTube, but the iOS 14 problem arises if you aren’t logged into your YouTube Premium account (or don’t subscribe to Google’s paid ad-free service). The same applies for 4K videos on your iPhone – the iOS 14 feature won’t work on this specific app unless you’re a paid subscriber.
Delayed text when typing
This one’s more annoying than disruptive, but it’s still not ideal: users are reporting that at times, they’ll type several words into a message or field before the text starts appearing. This has been a persistent issue since the iOS 14 beta versions, as users on Reddit and the MacRumors forums attest.
It’s an odd issue, to be sure, which TechRadar editors have only experienced sporadically; when we did, restarting our iPhone would temporarily solve the issue. We stopped running into the issue after updating to iOS 14.0.1, but it’s unclear if that’s a widespread fix – please let us know!
Disconnecting from Wi-Fi – Solved
Plenty of users have complained on social media and forums about losing Wi-Fi after upgrading to iOS 14, as noticed by MacWorld. Some have pointed out that their connection drops when they lock their screen and put their iPhone into sleep mode, like this user on Apple forums, who claimed to need to manually reconnect to Wi-Fi.
iOS 14 problem solved: Apple has already rushed out an operating system update, iOS 14.0.1, that aims to fix issues preventing iPhones from connecting to Wi-Fi networks. Hopefully this particular problem is included in the fix.
Switched mail and browser default apps reverting upon reset – Solved
One of the most exciting new features in iOS 14 is the ability to set third-party apps as default mail and internet browsers for your iPhone. But in the initial release, some users found that after resetting their phones, their mail and browser apps defaulted to their factory settings – Mail and Safari, respectively.
iOS 14 problem solved: The first iOS 14 operating system update, iOS 14.0.1, included a fix explicitly for this issue, so hopefully it is resolved for users who have experienced it.
Some users, like this one on the official Apple forums, have set up widgets for Apple News have seen its ‘Top Stories’ section appear blank, while other sections are populated with content. This issue was seen in other widgets, including Weather and Music.
iOS 14 problem solved: Apple expressly added a specific fix to this issue in iOS 14.0.1, which was rushed out a week after iOS 14 was released. It’s unclear if this also fixes issues in other widgets.
iPhone 7 camera viewfinder shows black screen – Solved
iPhone 7 owners like this official Apple forum poster are running into an issue with the camera app viewfinder turning completely dark. The user above reported that opening the viewfinder in Snapchat or Instagram resulted in a similar black screen. It’s unclear if it was only affecting iPhone 7 owners or if other iPhones have been affected.
iOS 14 problem solved: This issue was supposedly fixed in the rushed-out iOS 14.0.1 update, which specifically addressed the problem.
‘Jailbroken’ warning
Gotten a message from an app that warned your iPhone was Jailbroken, like this user on the Apple forums? Don’t fret – your app may not have fully updated to iOS 14 and is failing to recognize the new operating system as an official update. Give the developers some time and install the app’s next update, if possible, or reach out to them to alert them of the issue if you’re still getting the error message.
