02/11 Update below. This article was originally published on October 31
iOS 16 continues to cause problems for iPhone owners despite receiving four updates in just six weeks since its release. Now the latest update has introduced another major problem.
Users are reporting that iOS 16.1, released last week, is causing iPhones to frequently disconnect from Wi-Fi, and the level of frustration is reaching a boiling point.
MacRumors first spotted iPhone owners taking to Reddit, Twitter and the Apple Support community forums to complain about the issue, which can cause their iPhone to disconnect from WiFi every few seconds:
Reviews of Apple and iOS 16 were consistently among the top-rated comments, with one user tweeting, "It's driving me crazy." Others are losing patience with iOS 16's continued instability. Especially given the potentially high data costs that accessing mobile networks can incur.
Unlike the iOS 16.1 update, there doesn't seem to be a clear trigger for the problem. Affected users report that Wi-Fi drops when using their iPhones, while others report that their phones sleep or charge at night.
There is also no consistent solution. The user says turning off location services for network and wireless ( Settings > Privacy > Location Services > System Services ) resolved the issue. However, it didn't work for others and even a full network reset made no difference.
Update 02/11: An additional issue with iOS 16 has surfaced in Apple's accessibility service. Some users identified by AppleVis report a bug in VoiceOver that causes calls to random numbers from the contact list.
"If I open the phone app and type in recent calls, I'll scroll, find the caller and double-click to call back," explains poster Ambro. "As of iOS 16, VoiceOver calls a random person instead of the person I selected... I understand that this issue occurs randomly, but please investigate as it is serious and embarrassing."
Ambro says Apple has confirmed it is looking into the matter. Meanwhile, several users are reporting the same problem, some of them having it since iOS 15. It's unclear at this point how common it is or when it first appeared, but reviews say it's normal. Happened several times after updating iOS. 16.1.
Three posters offered a temporary way out. "From the list of recent calls, long or triple tap on the person you want to call. There you can change whether the screen input is correct or not and start the call from there."
It's unclear at this point how widespread the problem is, but there's been enough activity on social media and the Apple forum to suggest a fix is needed ASAP. Adding to the problem, iOS 16.1 is a feature-rich release with over 20 security fixes, making it an attractive update.
For those still using iOS 15, the new iOS 15.7.1 includes the same important fixes and is more stable. I've contacted Apple about these findings and will update this article when I hear back from them.
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