iPad Pro intermittently restarts several times a day

[jagooch]

For a little over a month, my iPad has been restarting randomly several times a day on the days that I use it. It's under warranty since I purchased is Jan 2018, but I didn't buy AppleCare. It''s been running iOS 11.4.1 the entire time that I've been having problems.

Some use cases when it will restart

• Connected to wall charger but not being used.
• Connected to charger while being used.
• Not connected to a charger but not being used.
• Not connected to a charger while being used.

Before I sent to Apple for troubleshooting and repair I:

• Did an "Erase all setting and content" followed by a restore from iCloud back. No change in symptoms.
• Did 5 separate "Erase all setting and content"'s and set the iPad up a new. No change in symptoms.
• Checked for dirt or anything else in the lightning port . Clean as a whistle.

Apple tech support troubleshot it with me over chat, and then had me mail it to them so that their techs could troubleshoot it. They said that they could not reproduce the issue or find any other problem, and they mailed it back to me. I got it back this past Tuesday.

After I set it back up, this time restoring from iCloud backup , I rebooted while I using it on the train during my commute to/from work.

It rebooted 3 times yesterday , and rebooted 2 times today, so I am critical that Apple tech support could not find a problem with it. I can literally log into it , leave it laying around, and check the lock screen and see that it has rebooted. I know when it reboots because it asks for the PIN after each restart, otherwise I can use touch id to login.

Options I'm considering:

1. It might be an iOS issue, so perhaps joining the public beta for iOS 12 might fix it.
2. It might be a hardware issue, like a bad area in memory that as soon as an app tries to access it, the system reboot. Setting up an Genius Bar appointment.

If #1 doesn't work and I then try #2 , Apple techs might just blame it on the beta ( currently public beta 3 ) and send me home.

#2 might be a waste of time based on how Apple online tech support handled it.

What would you do?

 

[ericwn]

I would call Apple and explain that you are I satisfied with them being unable to reproduce. I don’t think you can do much else but ask for service again.

Could you demonstrate the behaviour in an Apple Store?

 

[jagooch]

I would call Apple and explain that you are I satisfied with them being unable to reproduce. I don’t think you can do much else but ask for service again.

Could you demonstrate the behaviour in an Apple Store?

I cannot make it happen, it’s random . It happened twice while I was watching youtube on the train yesterday . Again while I was watching Game of Thrones last night.

I’ll just be surfing , checking email, typing in a document , ie doing whatever , and it will restart .

weeks ago I took it out of my backpack and it would turn itself off instead of restarting . I’d turn it on, see apple logo , then the screen went blank and it was off . That is when the restarts really got my attention .

What I could do maybe trying to opening several apps and stream video and see if can find a combinations of things that make it happen.

it would be good to know that I can reliably demonstrate the issue at the Genius bar.

 

[jagooch]

I figured it out! It's a hardware issue. The iPad restarted today while I was wiping the screen off with a lens cloth. I was able to reproduce the issue which happened every time I did that. I decided to see if it had to do with the pressure put on the device while cleaning the screen , so I did a different test.

I held the iPad in landscape mode with one hand on each side, and then I gently pushed on the back and it restarted. It restarts every time I do that, so I can easily demonstrate the issue to Apple techs.

Good news, I can reproduce the issue. Bad news, since it's hardware I can't fix is myself. I'll have to wade through Apple's support maze to get it replaced.

 

[NightWingz]

Hey TS, I have the exact same problem as you, and mine started about a month ago too.
The only thing is my iPad is no longer under warranty.

Initially I suspected it was an iOS issue.
But I went through the entire same process as your discovery.

My iPad was in my bag and it would just lock up.
Then slowly it happened while using it.
Finally realized it was hardware issue when I wiped it down with a cloth and was able to replicate the issue.

Did Apple replaced your iPad?
Also, did they mention why this issue is happening?

 

[jagooch]

Hey TS, I have the exact same problem as you, and mine started about a month ago too.
The only thing is my iPad is no longer under warranty.

Initially I suspected it was an iOS issue.
But I went through the entire same process as your discovery.

My iPad was in my bag and it would just lock up.
Then slowly it happened while using it.
Finally realized it was hardware issue when I wiped it down with a cloth and was able to replicate the issue.

Did Apple replaced your iPad?
Also, did they mention why this issue is happening?

They replaced it right away . They didn’t email me with questions or tracking number or anything . It just showed up at my house a few days later delivered by UPS.

They didn’t tell me anything at all.

 

[NightWingz]

They replaced it right away . They didn’t email me with questions or tracking number or anything . It just showed up at my house a few days later delivered by UPS.

They didn’t tell me anything at all.

Thanks for sharing your experience.

I wonder if it is the battery or screen panel. I did experience unresponsive screen sometimes and have to lock/unlock to fix it.

 

[davegregory]

Thanks for sharing your experience.

I wonder if it is the battery or screen panel. I did experience unresponsive screen sometimes and have to lock/unlock to fix it.

I had this same issue just recently. My 2017 iPad Pro was restarting intermittently several times a day. Eventually, this Friday, it was just restarting over and over endlessly. I managed to shut it off, but cannot get it to turn back on. Took it to the Apple store and they said it’s a hardware issue. It’s 15 days past warranty and they said they’ll replace it for $809 Canadian. Needless to say I’m a bit frustrated by that response. Luckily, I purchased it on my Visa and it has automatic extended warranty coverage. But I wanted the OP to know that it is happening on other devices.

 

[NightWingz]

I had this same issue just recently. My 2017 iPad Pro was restarting intermittently several times a day. Eventually, this Friday, it was just restarting over and over endlessly. I managed to shut it off, but cannot get it to turn back on. Took it to the Apple store and they said it’s a hardware issue. It’s 15 days past warranty and they said they’ll replace it for $809 Canadian. Needless to say I’m a bit frustrated by that response. Luckily, I purchased it on my Visa and it has automatic extended warranty coverage. But I wanted the OP to know that it is happening on other devices.

I wonder how widespread this problem is.
I still can’t bring myself to pay the out of warranty replacement fee to Apple for what may seem like a non-user issue to me.