iPhone SE (2022) Phone keeps failing in a very particular way

[Mike Richardson]

Is anyone else having this issue?

It's an iPhone SE 2022. What happens is that the phone will be completely unresponsive, EXCEPT the home "button" haptic feedback works.

Pressing the button does not make the screen turn on, no other buttons work or do anything, but the home button replies with haptic feedback.

It's a particularly stupid and aggravating failure because the phone has to be "on" to some degree for that haptic feedback to work.

It is not a low battery issue. Weeks can go by between incidents, and then it will happen 3 days in a row. It's completely random.

The only way to get it working again is a forced restart.

I've already changed the phone out once with AppleCare. The only relief is to back it up, erase the phone and use it like a new phone, and not restore anything.

So it's something in the settings. But come on, that's ultimately not an acceptable solution, and honestly that's something I'd expect to see in Windows 95, not iOS.

This was an upgrade from an iPhone 8 which got traded in. The issue did not occur on the 8. However I was recently given an iPhone SE 2020 and I'm thinking of restoring to that, to see if the issue occurs there.

I'm not a phone person, I spend all day on the laptop, so I might not even touch the phone all day if I don't go outside. Which means when I do go to use it and it's failed, it's probably failed for several hours and caused me to miss calls which is even more aggravating.

 

[Mike Richardson]

Here is a video of the failure. You can clearly hear the haptic feedback of the button. It is my understanding that at least some portion of the OS has to be working for that haptic feedback to occur.

 

[Mike Richardson]

The tier 1 chat advisor told me to erase my phone without having done a backup first, because Find My won't disable on the phone it's self.

Just sheer incompetence.

 

[uller6]

I’ve started having this same issue recently on my SE 2022. It’s annoying! I’ve had freezes where the screen is still on but none of the buttons, nor touch work (except home button haptics). I’ve also had this happen with a black screen exactly as you describe. For me it’s been happening 1/week or so, and I have no idea what’s causing the issue!

Keep us posted if you find any real solutions!

 

[BugeyeSTI]

If a complete restore and setting up as new without using your backup fixes the issue then it's obvious your backup is corrupt and using it will only result in the same issues. It may be inconvenient to set your phone back up with all the accounts and settings you like but if it's the only way to get your phone working normally again I'd say you have no choice. Once your sign back into iCloud everything that you have enabled in your iCloud settings will be re populated onto your device so a lot will return without you having to do anything. Again not ideal but also not the end of the world. I've had to do it before to fix stubborn issues also so your not alone..

 

[DeepIn2U]

Is anyone else having this issue?

It's an iPhone SE 2022. What happens is that the phone will be completely unresponsive, EXCEPT the home "button" haptic feedback works.

Pressing the button does not make the screen turn on, no other buttons work or do anything, but the home button replies with haptic feedback.

It's a particularly stupid and aggravating failure because the phone has to be "on" to some degree for that haptic feedback to work.

It is not a low battery issue. Weeks can go by between incidents, and then it will happen 3 days in a row. It's completely random.

The only way to get it working again is a forced restart.

I've already changed the phone out once with AppleCare. The only relief is to back it up, erase the phone and use it like a new phone, and not restore anything.

So it's something in the settings. But come on, that's ultimately not an acceptable solution, and honestly that's something I'd expect to see in Windows 95, not iOS.

This was an upgrade from an iPhone 8 which got traded in. The issue did not occur on the 8. However I was recently given an iPhone SE 2020 and I'm thinking of restoring to that, to see if the issue occurs there.

I'm not a phone person, I spend all day on the laptop, so I might not even touch the phone all day if I don't go outside. Which means when I do go to use it and it's failed, it's probably failed for several hours and caused me to miss calls which is even more aggravating.

I’ve started having this same issue recently on my SE 2022. It’s annoying! I’ve had freezes where the screen is still on but none of the buttons, nor touch work (except home button haptics). I’ve also had this happen with a black screen exactly as you describe. For me it’s been happening 1/week or so, and I have no idea what’s causing the issue!

Keep us posted if you find any real solutions!

Sorry to hear your having that issue.

Let’s take it from the top:
When the phone works how much storage space do you have is it in MB or GB? Latter more preferable of course.

Next reset screen sleep/timeout and ensure focus not enabled. Next turn off any accessibility options - unless you specifically need or use any of course.

Also next time this happens before fully restarting your phone see if it responds to clearing RAM steps :

1. Hold down the power button until the “slide to power off” option appears on the device’s display.
   
   3. Next, release the power button, and then hold down the home button for roughly five seconds.
   
   And just like that — poof — the iPhone’s memory, or RAM, is refreshed.

I’m curious if the clearing RAM resolves the issue even if temporarily but faster than a full restart/reset.

Also what iOS version are you on guys? Lastly wondering if it’s sensor issue - in particular can you relocate the issue on demand if you cover the top half of the screen - while it’s on to invoke the screen going to sleep (as if holding the phone to your face when you’re on a call.