09/19 update below. This post was originally published on September 17th
It’s been a rocky start for iPhone 14 owners. Yesterday, Apple released iOS 16.0.1 specifically to solve data migration, authorization and photo issues with the series. Today, the company confirmed more issues with iMessage and FaceTime.
In a new support document, Apple also admitted that “iMessage and FaceTime may not complete activation on iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Pro,” acknowledging that issues may still arise even after the iOS 16.0.1 update.
The Apple iPhone 14 and 14 Pro models have had problems starting up
To break down the issues, Apple states that “after setting up your iPhone, you may experience one or more of the following issues”:
- You can’t receive iMessages or FaceTime calls.
- You see a green message bubble instead of a blue one when you send a message to another Apple device.
- Conversations in Messages appear as two separate threads instead of one.
- Recipients will see that your messages came from the wrong account, such as your email address, if you selected your phone number.
While the problems are clear, the solution is not. In its support document, Apple recommends that users update to iOS 16.0.1 “to fix this,” but a) these bugs are not listed in the iOS 16.0.1 release notes, and b) Apple suggests backup steps if you “still have problems” after the update. These are:
- In the Settings app, tap Cellular. Make sure your phone line is on. If you are using multiple SIMs, make sure the phone number you want is selected and activated.
- In the Settings app, tap Messages. Then tap Send & Receive.
- Tap the phone number you want to use with messages.
- Go back into the Settings app and tap FaceTime.
- Tap the phone number you want to use with FaceTime.
The end? Not quite.
In an internal Apple memo seen by MacRumors, Apple acknowledges the activation issues, stating, “There are no current official fixes and support personnel should not be attempting a repair [case] for the topic’.” The internal recommendations for action are also different:
“‘Connect to iTunes with Mac or PC’ in the initial iOS onboarding process when prompted to connect to a Wi-Fi network, then return to the previous screen and try Wi-Fi again until activation completed successfully.” MacRumors quotes the report as saying.
I reached out to Apple to clarify what iOS 16.0.1 includes and the conflicting information in the leaked memo. I’ll update this post when/if I get a reply. In the meantime, I would strongly advise owners of older iPhones to opt for iOS 15.7 over iOS 16, which is currently a dumpster for iPhones of all ages.
09/19 update: More issues are reported for iPhone 14 Pro models. picked up by 9to5Mac, reports are mounting from owners that the model’s new 48-megapixel main camera is unable to capture photos and videos in third-party apps such as Instagram, SnapChat and TikTok. In addition, the bug appears to physically damage the lens.
YouTuber Luke Miani (below) demonstrated the error that occurs when using the primary camera in third-party apps. Optical image stabilization fails, causing the lens to shake violently – so much so that the noise is audible. For reports of this issue, see Reddit and tiktokand Miani reports that after posting this on Twitter, “a surprising number of people said they experienced this with their pros and pro maxes as well.”
In addition, this violent shaking can have a lasting effect. “The worst part was that we started noticing damage to the actual camera itself,” explains Miani. “It became very difficult for her to focus and eventually she didn’t want to focus on things that were close, even in the default camera app.”
When I took the phone to an Apple Store, the device was replaced. Whether or not Apple can fix this via software remains to be seen, but for affected users it will be a race against time before the tremor physically breaks the main camera. Apple hasn’t commented on the issue yet, but I’ve requested comment.
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