Apple’s iOS 18.5 Release Candidate (RC) is the final pre-release version before the public rollout. While the RC brings some pretty neat features and performance enhancements, it’s not without its flaws. Early adopters and developers testing the RC build have encountered various bugs and performance hiccups that could impact the daily user experience. Whether you’re an enthusiast who installed the RC for early access or someone planning to update soon, it’s crucial to understand the issues currently affecting iOS 18.5 RC and how to resolve them.
In this guide, I’m going to list out the six major problems in the iOS 18.5 RC build, along with practical solutions or workarounds to resolve them. Read on…
1. Battery Drain Issues
Many users are reporting that their iPhones are draining battery significantly faster after installing iOS 18.5 RC. This is especially noticeable on older devices like the iPhone 12 and earlier.
Having been on the receiving end of the rapid battery drain problem, I can independently verify it. Thankfully, there are some handy tips to resolve the issue and improve the battery life.
- On your iPhone, head over to Settings > Battery to identify apps consuming excessive power.
- After that, make sure to disable Background App Refresh for non-essential apps via Settings > General > Background App Refresh.
- Perform a soft reset: press and hold the Power and Volume Down buttons, then slide to power off. After waiting for a few seconds, press the Side button to reboot your device.
- If the battery draining problem still persists, consider resetting all settings from Settings > General > Transfer or Reset iPhone > Reset > Reset All Settings.
2. Wi-Fi Disconnecting Randomly
Several testers have experienced their Wi-Fi dropping intermittently, especially when switching between networks or during FaceTime and streaming.
- Forget the affected network and reconnect: Settings > Wi-Fi > tap “i” next to the network > Forget This Network.
- Reset network settings: Settings > General > Transfer or Reset iPhone > Reset > Reset Network Settings.
- Ensure your router firmware is up to date and try switching to a different frequency band (2.4GHz or 5GHz).
3. Touchscreen Unresponsiveness
Some users report that the touchscreen becomes unresponsive intermittently, especially after waking the phone from sleep.
- First off, force restart your iPhone as it’s exceptionally helpful in resolving the common iOS device issues.
- Then, be sure to check for screen protector or case interference.
- Go to Settings > Accessibility > Touch and disable Touch Accommodations.
4. App Crashes and Freezing
Popular apps like Safari, Instagram, and third-party email clients have been crashing or freezing since updating.
- Ensure apps are updated to the latest versions via the App Store.
- Offload and reinstall problematic apps: Settings > General > iPhone Storage > [App Name] > Offload App.
- Restart the device after major updates to help background processes stabilize.
5. iMessage and FaceTime Activation Errors
After updating, some users are facing repeated activation failures for iMessage and FaceTime.
- Turn off iMessage and FaceTime under Settings > Messages and Settings > FaceTime, then reboot and re-enable them.
- Sign out of your Apple ID and sign back in: Settings > [Your Name] > Sign Out.
- Check date and time settings are set to automatic: Settings > General > Date & Time > Set Automatically.
6. Overheating During Charging or Gaming
A handful of iPhone owners have reported noticeable heat buildup while charging or during high-performance tasks like gaming.
- Make sure to avoid using the phone while charging.
- It’s always recommended to use certified Apple chargers and cables.
- Disable Optimized Battery Charging temporarily from Settings > Battery > Battery Health & Charging.
- Let your iPhone cool down and restart to prevent further performance throttling.
Wrapping up…
While iOS 18.5 RC brings several enhancements and bug fixes, it’s not immune to common early-release issues. These six problems—ranging from battery drain to connectivity troubles—can significantly affect user experience. Thankfully, most of these glitches can be resolved or mitigated with the solutions outlined above.
If you’re not a developer or someone who needs early access, you might consider waiting for the official public release, which is likely to be more stable. For those who’ve already updated, regular feedback to Apple via the Feedback app can help expedite fixes in the final release.
