Apple iPhone X Freezing In The Cold? Probable Causes, Solutions

The iPhone X might be Apple's most advanced iPhone till date, however, it is plagued with a number of issues — the most recent one being the phone freezing off in cold weather. The issue surfaced on Reddit on Thursday in the r/iPhone Subreddit in a thread titled: “iPhone X screen not responsive in the cold.”

For many users, the device has been becoming unresponsive as they step out into the cold — it doesn’t register a user’s touch.

But, what is causing the issue?

Light sensors

According to some users, the change in light from indoors to outdoors might be causing the issue. A user going by the name Darus214 stated on the thread: “I don't have anything covering the screen so it can't be that. I don't think it's the cold either because it literally happens as soon as I step outside. Maybe it's the light sensors?”

Cold weather

A user who goes by the name YamadaPuckah reported that an Apple representative told him: "The device was designed to work in temperatures up to 0 degrees Celsius. It is expected that the device may slow down and maybe unresponsive."

Software issue

According to some users, there might be a problem with Apple’s new software update iOS 11.2 Beta. A user named Charblee remarked on the thread: “I thought I was only experiencing this because I was in 11.2 Beta. Good to know I’m not alone. Thank you for the post.”

A user was also told by an Apple Store employee to restore his phone to get rid of the problem.

Issues with one-handed usage

A user complained about the thread that his phone doesn’t work in one-handed usage. “It still works but it definitely doesn’t register my finger sometimes, especially during one-handed use. Seemingly preferring the pads of my fingers vs the edges of my finger” the user, who goes by Jpkun said.

Apple confirmed the issue and stated that it is working on a fix. “We are aware of instances where the iPhone X screen will become temporarily unresponsive to touch after a rapid change to a cold environment. After several seconds the screen will become fully responsive again. This will be addressed in an upcoming software update,” the company told Apple blog The Loop on Thursday.

The issue adds another feather in the iPhone X’s cap — after being called “the most breakable iPhone ever”, the device is now being called the “the most fragile iPhone ever.”

Apple is expected to issue an update over-the-air update soon. Until then, according to some users, the only solution, if the problem persists, users can simply reset the phone to make it work. This might be an inconvenience, but currently, that is the only solution available.