iPhone 11 Problems: 5 Things You Need to Know

We continue to see complaints about iPhone 11, iPhone 11 Pro, and iPhone 11 Pro Max problems as we push into the new year.

A lot of the feedback about their performance is good. These are powerful devices with outstanding cameras and they are still worth a look if you’re in the market for a new smartphone. However, they aren’t perfect.

We’re seeing frustrated iPhone 11, iPhone 11 Pro, and iPhone 11 Pro Max users voice complaints about a variety of hardware and software problems.

We haven’t heard about any widespread issues, but we have seen sporadic complaints about various bugs, performance issues, and problems with their design.

With all of that in mind, we want to take you through the most important things to know, right now, about iPhone 11, iPhone 11 Pro, and iPhone 11 Pro Max issues.

This guide we’ll take you through the current state of these issues, potential fixes for problems, places to find feedback about problems, and what’s next in terms of iOS updates for these devices.

iPhone 11 Problems

If you’re having issues activating your new iPhone 11 model, check Apple’s System Status page. If it’s not showing green, you’ll want to wait until it’s green and then try activating the phone again.

If it’s green and it’s still not working, make sure you have a SIM card inserted in your iPhone. If you’re receiving a “No Sim” or “Invalid SIM” error, you’ll want to head to this guide for assistance.

Some iPhone 11 users are complaining about iCloud Restore issues. This is another common problem with new iPhones. If you run into issues restoring from iCloud, head here for some potential fixes.

We’re also hearing about Face ID problems, issues with first and third-party applications, RAM management problems, Exchange problems, iCloud issues, visual voicemail problems, Bluetooth issues, Wi-Fi issues, sound problems, and quite a few complaints about abnormal battery drain.

A number of iPhone 11 users are also complaining about scratched displays and you can read more about those complaints in our report.

We expect the list of iPhone 11 problems to grow as more people adopt these devices in 2023 and beyond.

Where to Find Feedback

If you’re thinking about buying an iPhone 11, iPhone 11 Pro, or iPhone Pro Max, or if you already own one, you’ll want to monitor feedback from owners of these phones. This feedback will alert you to potential issues with the hardware and software.

We recommend keeping an eye on YouTube, Apple’s discussion forums, social media sites like Twitter, and the MacRumors forums for ongoing feedback about these devices.

We’ve put together a list of the best reasons to, and not to, install the latest version of iOS 15. The current version for the iPhone 11 series is iOS 15.7.1.

Apple’s pushed a new iOS 16.4 update to the iPhone 11, iPhone 11 Pro, and iPhone Pro Max. We’ve released a guide that will take you through the best reasons to move your phone to the latest version of iOS 16.

How to Fix iPhone 11 Problems

If you run into a problem on your new iPhone, there’s no need to panic. There’s a good chance you’ll be able to avoid taking it into an Apple Store or your local carrier store for help.

First, take a look at our list of fixes for the most common iOS problems. It will take you through fixes for common issues like broken Bluetooth and busted Wi-Fi.

We’ve also released some tips to help you improve performance and a guide that could help you improve battery life if you’re noticing abnormal drain.

If you can’t find a fix for your issue in our guides, you’ll want to check Apple’s discussion forums for potential fixes for your problem(s).

If you can’t find anything there, it’s time to get in touch with Apple and you can do so via the company’s support account on Twitter. You can also get in contact with Apple Support via the company’s website.

If you’d rather explain your issue in person, you should take your new phone into your local Apple Store and see if they can diagnose your problem. If you’ve got an Apple Store in your area, and it’s open, you’ll want to schedule a Genius Bar appointment.

Your iPhone is currently under warranty so they might offer you a replacement if the problem is serious enough.

How to Downgrade iPhone 11 Software

If you’re having issues on your iPhone 11, iPhone 11 Pro, or iPhone 11 Pro Max, you can try downgrading back to older software if the option is available.

If you’re unfamiliar with the downgrade process our guide will walk you through everything you need to know.

What’s Next

If your iPhone 11, iPhone 11 Pro, or iPhone 11 Pro Max is struggling, you’ll probably be on your own for a bit.

Apple’s reportedly working on a new iOS 16.7 update. We expect the software to roll out in September alongside Apple’s new iOS 17 operating system this fall.

As for iOS 17, the company will push the operating system to the iPhone 11, iPhone 11, Pro, and iPhone 11 Pro Max later this year, probably sometime in mid-September.

For more about iOS 17 and its release, take a look at our guide.

Install iOS 16.6.1 for Better Security

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If security is important to you, think about installing Apple's iOS 16.6.1 update on your iPhone right away. iOS 16.6.1 isn't a huge upgrade, but it does have two important security patches for your device on board. If you're interested in what they patch up, here's Apple's guide.  As for older software, the iOS 16.6 update delivered 16 security patches. For more information about the changes, check out Apple's rundown.   iOS 16.5.1 brought two security patches to iPhone users  If you want to learn more, head on over to Apple's website. The company's iOS Security Response 16.5.1 (c) update also included a security update and you can learn more about it right here. iOS 16.5 brought a ton of security patches to the iPhone. You can find out more about them over on Apple's security site. iOS 16.4.1 included two security upgrades . You can learn more about the pair right here. Apple's iOS 16.4 update had a substantial number of patches on board. You can read about them in detail over on Apple's security site. The iOS 16.3.1 update had three security patches on board including one for an actively exploited vulnerability. For more on the security contents of iOS 16.3.1, check out Apple's security page.  iOS 16.3 brought 10+ new security patches with it and you can learn more about all of those right here.  In addition, the software came with support for physical security keys for Apple ID. These will beef up your account security by requiring a physical security key as part of the two factor authentication sign in process. Learn more about the change right here. If you skipped iOS 16.2, you'll get its changes with iOS 16.6.1. iOS 16.2 brought a ton of important security patches with it and you can dig into the details on Apple's security site.  The update also brought end-to-end encryption to iCloud, iMessage, iPhone backups, Notes, Photos, and more. If you want to learn more about it, head over to Apple's guide.  If you decided to missed iOS 16.1.2, you'll get its solitary security patch with your upgrade. Learn more about it right here. If you skipped iOS 16.1.1, you'll get its security patches when you upgrade. You can learn more about them right here. If you missed the iOS 16.1 update, it brought 19 security patches to the iPhone and you can learn about the particulars of those over on Apple's website. If you failed to download iOS 16.0.3, it had one security patch on board, a fix for a potential exploit within the Mail app. For more about the fix, check out Apple's security site. If you're still running iOS 15 your iPhone, you'll get a bunch of other patches when you upgrade. iOS 16.0 brought a ton of security patches to the iPhone. If you're interested in the exact nature of these improvements, you can read about them over on Apple's security website. In addition to those patches, iOS 16 brings some additional enhancements to privacy and security including Safety Check which, according to Apple, will help "people in domestic or intimate partner violence situations review and reset the access they’ve granted others."  The feature also resets system privacy permissions for apps and restricts Messages and FaceTime to the device on hand. Apple's also made some improvements to Passkeys in Safari. iOS 16 brings a brand new sign-in method that's end-to-end encrypted and safe from phishing and data leaks.

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