Most Common iPhone XS Complaints (and How to Resolve Them)

The iPhone XS and iPhone XS Max are undoubtedly significant upgrades over their iPhone X predecessor. With a better camera, faster processor, and overall bumped up specifications, the 2018 iPhones are the best that Apple has ever made. With that being said, there are a few things that users have complained about regarding the new smartphones. From smooth selfies to problems charging, there are a couple of bugs and other issues with the new handsets. Luckily, in most cases, you can easily mitigate or fix the issue! Continue reading to learn about the Most Common iPhone XS Complaints (and How to Resolve Them).

5 Mediocre Cellular & Wi-Fi Speeds

The iPhone XS and iPhone XS Max are supposed to feature significantly improved LTE speeds, compared to the last generation, thanks to the introduction of 4x4 MIMO. That’s what made “Antennagate” so puzzling.

Basically, a good percentage of iPhone XS or XS Max users reported mediocre reception, connectivity, and LTE speeds that ended up being actually slower than the last generation of Apple handsets. Other users indicated that their devices opted for slower Wi-Fi networks, resulting in substandard speeds.

This doesn’t affect all of iPhone XS or XS Max devices. But if you’ve been impacted, a full restore via iTunes without using a backup can reportedly fix both the LTE speed and Wi-Fi connectivity issues completely!

4 Problems When Charging

Over the last few days, a number of iPhone XS and XS Max owners reported issues getting their new devices to charge properly when plugged into a wall adapter with a Lightning cable.

The device will either fail to charge until woken up, or it might not charge at all. Though it’s not clear how widespread the issue actually is, it does not appear to affect all iPhone XS or XS Max devices. But it became certainly the center of media attention late last week.

It’s becoming clear that this is a software bug and will be patched when iOS 12.1 drops. In the meantime you can try:

1. Using a different Lightning cable or Qi charger..
2. Tapping it to wake once it’s been plugged in..
3. And/or restarting your iPhone.

3 Selfie Smoothing

Do your iPhone XS or XS Max selfies look too good? Apparently, quite a few users who snapped pictures on the new 2018 handsets — including some high-profile YouTubers — thought so.

The so-called “Beautygate” controversy focused on selfies that looked too smooth and glow-y, almost as if a beauty filter had been covertly added without user knowledge or input. But, in fact, it’s actually not a bug or a beauty mode.

Instead, it’s likely a combination of aggressive noise reduction and multiple exposure merging thanks to Smart HDR. You can disable Smart HDR by going to

1. Settings
2. Camera
3. Toggle Smart HDR off.

You may still notice some smoothing, but it’s actually intended behavior.

2 Ill-Fitting iPhone XS Cases

The iPhone XS is a direct successor to the iPhone X. Because of that, you'd expect the two devices share a form factor that’s essentially the same. But is it?

In fact, the camera bump on the iPhone XS is actually slightly wider and longer than the iPhone X’s. Because of that, third-party iPhone X cases won’t fit properly on the new 2018 device — particularly ones bought off third parties on Amazon or eBay.

The only “fix” to this problem is to simply buy a case that’s been exclusively designed for the iPhone XS. On third-party retailer sites, that might be tough. So buy directly from the website of reputable brands that can confirm their cases are iPhone XS-compatible. Or, just stick to Apple cases.

1 "Borderline Criminal" Charging Times

The iPhone XS and XS Max may have slightly shorter battery lives than the iPhone X, despite featuring apparently better battery life expectations (according to Apple).

Similarly, many users are complaining about the mediocre charging times provided by the standard 5W Lightning brick. That’s particularly true because the new iPhones support USB-C fast charging. Unfortunately, while there is a fix for this issue, it’s the hardest to wholeheartedly recommend.

Basically, you’ll need to spend more money and use a different charger. While we recommend sticking with a first-party Apple Lightning to USB-C cable, you can opt for a third-party USB-C power adapter. You should only buy one from trustworthy brands or retailers, however.