The Mega-Guide to Fixing Your Own iPhone

1. Start by making sure that your iPhone and Bluetooth accessory are fully charged, powered on, and close to each other.
2. Read up on your Bluetooth device or system, make sure you know how the pairing process works, and make your device discoverable (sometimes you have to hold down a button).
3. Go to Settings, Bluetooth on your iPhone, make sure it’s toggled on, look for the device you want to connect to in the list, and tap on it.
4. You may have to enter a PIN or passcode.
5. Some Bluetooth accessories use an app on your iPhone. If that’s the case, go to Settings, Privacy, Bluetooth, and make sure Bluetooth is turned on for the app.
6. If a previously connected device doesn’t seem to be working, then try unpairing it. Go to Settings, Bluetooth on your iPhone and tap the info button next to the device in question, tap Forget This Device, then try pairing again.
7. If you still can’t connect to your iPhone, try connecting to another phone or tablet to ensure the issue isn’t with your accessory or Bluetooth system. Sometimes there’s a limit to how many connections you can have, so refer to your Bluetooth device’s manufacturer to find out if this is the case and how you can delete old connections. We have a separate guide for troubleshooting Bluetooth headphone problems.
8. Try connecting a different Bluetooth device to your iPhone to see if that works.
9. If the problem seems to be with your iPhone, and nothing so far has worked, it’s time to contact Apple support.

We all know the fear as you inspect your iPhone screen for cracks after a tumble. Broken or cracked screens are very common. Although your iPhone may still work, it’s a good idea to get the screen fixed as soon as you can to prevent injury or further damage. These are your options:

1. Contact Apple and book an appointment to take your iPhone into an Apple Authorized Service Provider or the Genius Bar. You may have the option of scheduling an onsite repair where someone comes to your home or office. You can also mail your iPhone to a service center for repair, but that means being without your phone for a while. Apple’s official repairs are also very expensive. (It costs $279 for an out-of-warranty iPhone 13, for example.)
2. Find a reliable third-party repair shop, like New York City’s iPhone doctor. Just make sure you do your homework and read reviews first. And, if possible, have them repair it in front of you.
3. If you’re feeling handy, you could always try repairing it yourself. You can find detailed instructions and repair kits at iFixit and elsewhere. After a lot of pressure, Apple is finally making it easier to repair your iPhone, but most people probably shouldn’t attempt it—it’s easy to make a bad situation worse.
4. You might be tempted to just trade in or sell your iPhone, but we highly recommend fixing it first. While some services will buy broken iPhones, the amount of money they knock off the payment for a broken screen far exceeds the cost of a repair.
5. Whatever fix you go for, consider getting an iPhone case, screen protector, or both, so it doesn’t happen again.

If you find that your iPhone’s battery doesn’t last as long as it used to, you can check its health by going to Settings, Battery, Battery Health. This will show you what percentage of your battery’s initial charge capacity is left.

It’s easy to get a battery replacement, and it may even be free if your iPhone is still under warranty or you have AppleCare+, but you will need to visit an Apple Store or send your iPhone to a repair center. You can find more details in our guide on how to get a battery replacement for your smartphone.

Whether you spilled coffee all over it or your iPhone took a dive into the toilet bowl, there’s a good chance it will survive, provided you take the right action. Every iPhone since the iPhone 7 has some kind of water resistance. If yours gets wet, turn it off immediately and remove as much liquid as you can with a clean towel. Then read our guide on how to rescue a wet phone.

One of the reasons that Apple is so popular, and you paid a premium for that iPhone in the first place, is that the company offers a high standard of customer support. You should take advantage of that and contact Apple for help if you can’t find a fix on your own. Here’s how to go about it:

1. Before you contact Apple, it can be helpful to write a detailed description of your problem and document everything you have already tried to fix it.
2. It’s worth downloading the official Apple Support app. It offers lots of useful advice and troubleshooting tips and can connect you with a person when you need to speak to someone.
3. The Apple Support website can guide you through some possible fixes and help you find the right number to call when you need to.
4. If you want to go into an Apple Store or visit an authorized repair center, try this Apple website to locate one near you.

These fixes will cover many common iPhone problems. Even if you don’t think some of our suggestions relate to your issue, give them a try. You might be surprised. In the unfortunate event that your iPhone is still not behaving, here’s some advice on finding a fix yourself:

1. Start by typing your problem into Google (or your preferred search engine) and be as specific as possible. Include your iPhone model and a description of the problem.
2. Support forums are often the best places to find solutions. Look for a thread where someone has posted your exact problem and found a fix that worked. Try the Apple Support Forum, iPhone subreddits on Reddit, and forums on Apple-focused sites like iMore. You can also try creating a post of your own to ask for ideas on fixes.

The last resort for persistent problems is to factory-reset your iPhone, but this will wipe everything that’s on there. Please back up your iPhone before you consider this.

1. Once you have backed up, go to Settings, General, Reset, Erase All Content and Settings. Confirm and then set your iPhone aside for a few minutes for the process to complete.
2. If you restore your backup during the setup process and find that you still have issues, then try factory-resetting again, but this time, after it has been wiped and restarted, choose Set Up as New iPhone. If the issue is gone, it could be that an app or setting in your backup is causing the problem.

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