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Some iPhone XS, XS Max Devices Are Experiencing Charging Issues (theverge.com)

Posted by BeauHD on from the power-hungry dept.

Poor cellular reception doesn't appear to be the only issue affecting some new iPhone XS and XS Max owners. "Dozens of users have reported charging issues with their iPhone XS and XS Max devices, and shared their experiences on the MacRumors forums and Apple's support forums," reports The Verge. From the report: Specifically, users are experiencing issues where phones will not charge if the Lightning cable is plugged in while the device is asleep. The problem appears to be a software bug -- perhaps related to the phone's USB accessory settings -- and requires iPhones to be unlocked (or at least have the screen lit up) in order to begin charging. Tech vlogger Lewis Hilsenteger demonstrated the issues on nine different iPhone X, XS, and XS Max devices on his YouTube channel Unbox Therapy. Some iPhones respond immediately to being plugged into a charger, while others have to be tapped to awaken, and others freeze up. If you are experiencing this issue, you should find relief by upgrading to the iOS 12.1 beta, which apparently eliminates the problem entirely. "For now, others suggest going into Settings, FaceID and Passcode, scrolling down to 'Allow access when locked' and turning on USB Accessories," reports The Verge.

50 comments

  1. I don't think it's unique to new devices by alvinrod · · Score: 4, Informative

    I've got a 6S and some time ago (seems like the last few months) it started acting this way where it needed to be unlocked before it would charge. This only seemed to happen if plugged in to a computer via USB cable though, which I don't do terribly often. I had just assumed it was some new "feature" designed to stymie attempts at cracking security by letting the battery drain down.

    1. Re:I don't think it's unique to new devices by BeauHD++Eats++Poop · · Score: 0

      Hay guyz I think this is total conspiracy by Apple 2 m8k us bi new fonez lol.

      -=BeauHD's Poop which he likes to consume!=-

    2. Re:I don't think it's unique to new devices by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Please share more about digested Apples and poop, Mr. HD, whatever that means.

    3. Re: I don't think it's unique to new devices by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Yep I noticed this myself about 3 months ago with my iPhone 7. It happens to me even using a wall charger (with a non-standard charging wire).

      I noticed it because sometimes I would plug it in at night and in the morning it wouldn't be charged at all. I realized I had to make sure the device was unlocked when plugging in the charger so I could visibly see the charging symbol light up. Works every time doing it that way.

      Weird bug.

    4. Re:I don't think it's unique to new devices by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      This has been happening on my iPad and older iPhones for a few months now too. Plug into charging cable and get a "device must be unlocked to use USB devices" message. This is all lightning cable devices. My older devices (iPod touch and another older iPhone) all work fine. But then again, they don't install the latest crap updates.

  2. Oh no! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    I know this article mentions Apple and that brings in the clicks (from trolls and fanboys mostly, but clicks are clicks I guess), but "dozens of users" reporting mostly minor issues (they aren't DoA or anything) on a new product that is selling at a rapid rate? The HORROR! I think that is called normal guys.

    1. Re:Oh no! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      So how many users have to report a pretty fundamental issue with the world's most popular model of smartphone before it becomes something of interest?

    2. Re: Oh no! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Minimum 1000 complaints. Verified. Duh.

    3. Re:Oh no! by LynnwoodRooster · · Score: 1

      100% of them. Sometime after the next model is released. Until then, it's just unsubstantiated FUD.

      --
      Browsing at +1 - no ACs, I ignore their posts. So refreshing!
    4. Re:Oh no! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I am going to go with more than dozens of people, I really rather thought that obvious. What are your metrics? If you move well over 200 million units of something (that is Apple's numbers for last year IDK them for this year) and twenty people may have some unidentified issue with it, I would hope you would still pay attention to them. However, I wouldn't expect it to be newsworthy, and this isn't either.

    5. Re:Oh no! by Tough+Love · · Score: 2

      I know this article mentions Apple and that brings in the clicks (from trolls and fanboys mostly, but clicks are clicks I guess)

      It brought you.

      --
      When all you have is a hammer, every problem starts to look like a thumb.
    6. Re: Oh no! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      And if you gaze long enough into a shitpost, the shitpost will gaze back into you.

    7. Re:Oh no! by war4peace · · Score: 2

      Well, yes, until Unbox Therapy brought 9 phones together and half of them exhibited the problem.
      Remember, this only happens when the phone is charged through cable, not wirelessly, and when the cable is plugged in while the phone is idle. My guess is that very few people do that, and if they do and the screen doesn't lit up, they tap the screen to see what's going on, and then the phone starts charging. I would have not considered it as an issue, but a very small annoyance I could adapt to.

      So the issue might be way more common, with the vast majority of users dismissing it as yet another weird feature they don't fully comprehend.

      --
      ...gis sdrawkcab (usually not responding to ACs; don't bother posting as AC)
    8. Re: Oh no! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      The problem here is that the bulk of the users won't know any better and think the pack of charging is how it works.

      The handful of people complaining are the only ones that are intelligent enough to know that's a problem

    9. Re: Oh no! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      The unbox therapy guy had something like 8 phones he tested and most of them had the same problem. Seems like it's a little more than just a few users.

    10. Re:Oh no! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      it bricks phones if the battery discharges.

  3. It's a software bug by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Informative

    it looks like it's an issue with iOS 12, not the new phones. People with other model iPhones are having the same problems.

    1. Re:It's a software bug by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Why would you bother installing iOS 12 unless forced to by it being pre-installed on the phone? It doesn't add any new features, has a ton of bugs, and as with every iOS release, is even slower than the last one.

    2. Re:It's a software bug by 93+Escort+Wagon · · Score: 1

      Perhaps this is related to that new security feature which disables access to iOS devices after an hour.

      --
      #DeleteChrome
  4. Re:Get rid of jews, problem's solved by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    How do we get rid of this?

  5. Dozens of users, eh? by chrism238 · · Score: 2

    Wow; have Apple sold a million of these yet?

  6. Re:Get rid of jews, problem's solved by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Don't read at -1 if you don't like reading about jews being responsible for 9/11 and gay n1ggers you fucking idiot. How new are you?

  7. and so it begins... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Every new phone is a buggy badly designed pile of poo.

    1. Re:and so it begins... by PopeRatzo · · Score: 2

      Every new phone is a buggy badly designed pile of poo.

      In this case, a $1000.00 buggy, badly-designed pile of poo.

      --
      You are welcome on my lawn.
    2. Re:and so it begins... by Cmdln+Daco · · Score: 1

      You only bought the base model for $1K? I bet your friends are going to start looking at you funny. At least get the new Apple Watch; that will will kinda help your rep.

    3. Re:and so it begins... by Tough+Love · · Score: 1

      At least get the new Apple Watch

      Don't get just one, get two! Love that blocky look.

      --
      When all you have is a hammer, every problem starts to look like a thumb.
    4. Re:and so it begins... by LinuxIsGarbage · · Score: 1

      Every new phone is a buggy badly designed pile of poo.

      In this case, a $1000.00 buggy, badly-designed pile of poo.

      At least the pile of poo is animated according to its face recognition algorithm. Since that seems to be the level of innovation at Apple...

  8. iPhone 6S+ by Andy+Smith · · Score: 1, Interesting

    FYI as of this evening my iPhone 6S+ is having the same problem with charging, ie it wonâ(TM)t charge unless I unlock it.

    1. Re:iPhone 6S+ by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Mine too for a couple of years, but that's because the new lightning connector isn't as secure as the 30-pin connector used on the first four generations of iPhones. I never had a problem with my first five iPods or three iPhones since they use the more secure connector. Now, my iPhone 6s Plus keeps disconnecting from the charger whenever it vibrates due to the weak connector. Replacing the cable doesn't help since the tabs are in the phone instead of on the connector.

    2. Re:iPhone 6S+ by Tough+Love · · Score: 1

      FYI as of this evening my iPhone 6S+ is having the same problem with charging, ie it wonâ(TM)t charge unless I unlock it.

      Does that make you more or less likely to spend $1000+ on an Apple phone in the future?

      --
      When all you have is a hammer, every problem starts to look like a thumb.
    3. Re:iPhone 6S+ by Andy+Smith · · Score: 1

      It adds to the growing number of reasons why I'm unlikely to ever buy a new iPhone again. I do like the 6S+ and when this one dies I'll probably buy another one, if they're still available. But my phone use has dropped dramatically since I stopped using social media, and my mobile gaming moved to the Switch. So a top-of-the-range $1000 phone doesn't make sense for me anymore.

      I'll definitely be staying with Apple though. I don't like Android. I'm no fan of Apple the company, but I do like their hardware and software.

    4. Re:iPhone 6S+ by Tough+Love · · Score: 1

      Apple won't be happy when it finds out you're planning to buy used and will be looking at ways to punish you for that.

      --
      When all you have is a hammer, every problem starts to look like a thumb.
    5. Re: iPhone 6S+ by Andy+Smith · · Score: 1

      Oh no I wouldnâ(TM)t buy used. If I canâ(TM)t get a new 6S+ then Iâ(TM)m not sure what Iâ(TM)d get. Iâ(TM)d probably just get a cheap no-frills Nokia or something. If itâ(TM)s got an alarm feature and a podcast app then thatâ(TM)s all I need nowadays.

  9. As Designed? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Isn't this working as designed? It makes sense that not all users would report this problem. The iPhone has the option to be accessory-locked unless you have the device connected while the phone is unlocked (after which the connected device will continue to work after the phone locks again). It sounds like a lot of users just aren't educated on this security feature that was added to help prevent people from force unlocking your phone using third party accessories.

    1. Re:As Designed? by Cmdln+Daco · · Score: 1

      Accessory locked? For a charger?

      Now, you might be correct. I remember back when I had an iPod Touch and Apple locked me out of my low cost partially homemade charger with an OS update.

      They really take those 'approved' logos on the package seriously.

  10. Bad news in bulk these days ... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Bad news on /. for everyone but MSFT these days.

  11. Re: Get rid of jews, problem's solved by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Jewggers are responsible for gay n1ggers??

    P. S. -1 is the only mark worth reading!

  12. perhaps not unique to iPhones by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Perhaps Apple users are used to crappy devices at insane prices, but this is NOT typical for other new devices.