Apple problems: iOS 13, iCloud and Siri are going crazy

At Apple there seem to be a lot of problems at the moment. There are increasing reports that there are malfunctions, failures and strange reactions in the brand new iOS 13 as well as in the iCloud and Siri. For example, emails end up in my junk folder even though I've been in contact with the senders for years. You can find an overview of the known errors that could be caused by Apple and therefore have nothing to do with your apparently stubborn end device.

After the rollout of iOS 13 for the iPhone and the current iPod Touch, there are problems in all corners of the Apple universe. iCloud, Siri, and some apps no longer work properly.
After the rollout of iOS 13 for the iPhone and the current iPod Touch, there are problems in all corners of the Apple universe. iCloud, Siri, and some apps no longer work properly.

Problems with Apple systems like iCloud, Siri and iOS 13

Many users who have installed the upgrade directly on their iPhone are particularly annoyed with iOS 13.0. So much (and in some cases so justified) that Apple will release the first update to iOS 13.1 tomorrow. In addition to the operating system with teething troubles, iCloud also slumps here and there. And Siri has her problems too. Here is a list of the problems I currently know:

  • iOS 13 cannot charge watchOS 6 for the Apple Watch
  • The iPhone does not forward any messages to the Apple Watch (observed with iOS 13 and watchOS 6)
  • Siri reports incorrect temperatures from HomeKit thermometers, as apparently the received data is interpreted as Fahrenheit and converted into Celsius
  • Siri does not play radio stations for some users, neither on the iPhone nor via the AirPods
  • In the new shortcuts app, the "Automations" tab, which is to be delivered with iOS 13.1, is missing
  • Lists from the Reminders app can disappear under iOS 13 (but can be found again in iCloud)
  • Voice inputs are not implemented correctly (for example in the reminders app)
  • The dictionary (German) does not seem to work properly for some users either; especially with regard to umlauts
  • The connection to the App Store can be lost on the iPhone and not work for some time
  • The “Where is?” App replaces the “My Friends” app, but it does not appear to be found on all iPhones, especially not on older models like the iPhone 6S
  • Sometimes there is a slower system and faster battery consumption under iOS 13 and watchOS 6
  • The iCloud is partially not or only incorrectly accessible; Data is not synchronized correctly
  • Calendar entries on the Mac under macOS, for example, are not available on the iPhone in a timely manner
  • Mail on iPhone no longer shows inbox; Incoming e-mails are (if they did not land directly in the junk folder) in the inbox in a jumbled manner and not listed chronologically
  • Phone number links from email leads to a FaceTime call instead of a regular call
  • Scanning the Photos app for albums such as People and Places uses a lot of battery
  • For some, the Bluetooth connection does not end in airplane mode
  • The HomePod also seems to have some problems
  • And and and

Just switch it off and on again

Have you tried turning it off and on again? - In fact, this age-old trick can help here. I heard from a reader that he couldn't access his videos after upgrading his iPhone to iOS 13. In addition, the device used an above-average amount of battery, so that only 30% was available at noon after charging in the morning. The solution: restart the device. Then he could watch his videos again in the Photos app and the battery lasted longer.

via GIPHY

Apple shows that problems have been fixed

As has already been advised, your first look should go to this page when there are disruptions in Apple services: https://www.apple.com/de/support/systemstatus/. The system status overview of the technology giant from Cupertino shows by color code whether services are available (green), disrupted (yellow) or not available (red). The symbols are also shaped differently for color-blind people.

The system status on Apple.com tells you which services have been spinning and which are spinning.
The system status on Apple.com tells you which services have been spinning and which are spinning.

A recent look shows that everything listed is given the green light (except for iCloud calendar, which can change quickly) - from the App Store and Apple ID to FaceTime and iMessage to Siri and Spotlight. However, almost half say “2 problems fixed” or “3 problems fixed”. A sign that something has gone wrong - and that can still have after-effects.

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17 Responses to "Apple problems: iOS 13, iCloud and Siri are going crazy"

  1. So far everything works fine for me. However, I would have liked one thing: That the charge level of the battery could be displayed in% in the upper status line. Is there a setting for this that I can't find?

    1. No, unfortunately the option does not (still) exist. The only way to see it quickly is through the control center. So swipe down from the top right corner. Then comes the percent display.

  2. As of today, the calendar and the reminder apps on my Mac and iPhone are no longer synchronizing properly ...

    In “Calendar” I get the following error message from the server:
    "The request for "Account "iCloud"" failed.

    Response from the server
    "400"
    to operation CalDAVAccountRefreshQueueableOperation.”

    hmmm ... does anyone know what i can do?

    1. Hello Lukas!
      Yes, there are the following instructions for:
      1. Open the terminal
      2. Enter the command: defaults write com.apple.finder AppleShowAllFiles YES
      3. Restart the Mac or enter in Terminal: sudo killall Finder
      4. In the Finder, click on the "Go" menu at the top, then hold down the ALT key and select the "Library" folder
      5. Switch to the "Preferences" folder
      6. Select the files “com.apple.iCal.plist” and “com.apple.CalendarAgent” and drag them to the desktop (or to the trash).
      7. Restart your Mac

      After that, the calendar sync with iCloud should actually work again. I wish you much success!

      1. Nope, then exactly the same thing happens again, only that now the app briefly thought I would open it for the first time and show me holidays again ...
        But exactly the same thing happens again.

        By the way, sync errors also occur with other cloud services such as reminders. And also with my iPhone ...

        Meanwhile, the Apple System Status page shows an iCloud calendar problem again.

        Thanks anyway :)

  3. Hi Jens,
    I have iOS 13.1 on my iPad and the update from iOS 13.0 to iOS 13.1 is currently running on my iPhone Xs. It is now possible to connect a USB stick (ext. USB hard drive?) Using an adapter. At Amazon there is also an SD card reader, which also allows the connection of USB devices. What now ? A cheap adapter from Amazon, the SD card reader from Amazon or the expensive adapter from Apple. Some also say something about camera? Now I don't even know what to take !! Can you recommend a suitable adapter to me?
    Many thanks in advance
    Eyrie

    1. Hello Horst! The USB connection is actually a standard, so you should be able to fall back on cheaper devices that do not come from Apple. This adapter here from HooToo offers, for example, many options from a card reader to two USB 3.0 ports. An external hard drive on the iPad Pro should then also work.

      1. Hi Jens,
        Thanks for the answer. Should I now understand that the connection of a USB stick / external hard drive under iOS 13.1 or IPad-iOS 13.1 only works on an IPad Pro and not on my IPad 2018 (9,7 inch) or on my IPhone Xs.
        gruß
        Eyrie

        1. Hello Horst! I like to be corrected, but as soon as I get it, the USB-C port is crucial for connecting hard drives and other things beyond a USB stick. USB sticks with a Lightning connector can of course also be used on any Lightning iPad or iPhone XS, but in my opinion only the iPad Pro with USB-C supports hard drives. Maybe another reader just has a clue of how it works. That would be helpful…

    2. So, I've gotten a little smarter. In principle, this also works with the Lightning port, but the catch is that devices on the Lightning port are not allowed to draw more than 100 mA. According to my measurements, external 2,5 inch hard drives have a consumption of approx. 500 mA, which is why they fail. There are even some USB sticks that use up more.
      As a test, I clamped my SanDisk SSD and measured the current. That is between 200 and 400 mA. So too high for Lightning. For this reason you have to have a device with USB-C that can deliver up to 7,5 W (i.e. 5 V and 1,5 A).

  4. Hi Jens,
    I heard the bell that the IPhone Xs (iOS 13.1) / IPad 2018 (iOS 13.1) can access (write / read) the hard drive in my Windows PC via SMB. How should it work and what is SMB anyway? Reference to corresponding articles would be helpful for me. I would prefer a detailed explanation from you if it is not asking too much. Answers from other thematic readers would of course also be welcome.

    Thanks in advance everyone

    Best regards

    Eyrie

    1. Hello Horst! Thanks you for the question. I'll do an article about it, but just wanted to give you a few answers. SMB is a network protocol that is used for local networks to exchange files or print jobs. It stands for Server Message Block (SMB). As far as I know, you don't need an iPhone XS, you can also access it with an older iOS device, but you need an app that does the connection and file management. I don't have a Windows PC and couldn't test anything but the app "File Explorer” (unfortunately it costs something) seems to do a good job here.
      You then have to activate file sharing on the Windows computer so that it is visible to the app on the iPhone in the network. I hope this helps you quickly. It will be a little more detailed in the article. : D
      LG! Jens

      1. Hi Jens,
        Thank you for your prompt reply. I'll deal with it and see if I can cope now. In any case, I can now do something with SMB. Nice weekend

        gruß
        Eyrie

        PS
        Now let's go to the Oktoberfest for an ox steak and one or two liters of beer (no more!)

  5. Hi Jens, after updating to iOS 7 and 13 on my iPhone 13.1, I can't move the apps on the screen, even if I click on the "Rearrange apps" button promptly. After I take the trembling app under one finger and move it, the cross disappears. After I exit the tremor mode, the app reverts to its old location. A restart didn't help. Do you know the little problem? Everything else works as before.

    1. Hi Hartmut! I've just tried it on myself: Everything works fine. My recommendation would be to just restart your iPhone again. Diffuse errors like this tend to disappear. If not, the next step would be: create an encrypted backup, reset the iPhone and then restore the backup. After that, everything usually works fine.

  6. Now may not be true for everyone, but it is important information for those it affects. Wearers of smart hearing aids to support people with hearing loss can have problems with the new iOS 13 (and 13.1).

    Hearing aids are no longer bulky hearing prostheses, but smart computers that are barely visible behind the ear or even invisible in the ear canal. The premium and middle class versions are able to enable hands-free telephony and playback of the TV sound, as well as the streaming of music and other audio content from the mobile phone.

    For this purpose, the hearing aids are linked to the smartphone via Bluetooth, similar to headsets or in-ear headphones. From then on, the hard of hearing can make phone calls without being able to pick up the cell phone. He can also listen to music or audio books without being seen.

    Since iOS 13, however, things have looked bad for many users of such smart hearing aids. The pairing of hearing aids and smartphones is often not possible, or it keeps breaking off.

    This means that the hearing impaired can no longer use these functions. The update to iOS 13.1 did not improve the situation either.

    One might say that this “only” means doing without comfort functions. But in everyday life, these are significant limitations once you have adjusted to the functioning of these features.

    Another aspect: Due to the repeated attempts to pair the hearing aid, the battery or rechargeable battery of the hearing aid is sucked empty very quickly.

    Owners of older hearing aids could still counteract an "empty" hearing aid by quickly changing the battery. However, modern hearing aids, especially in the “smart” range, have rechargeable batteries that normally last 30 hours. But if this time is drastically reduced, the rechargeable hearing aid wearer is suddenly deaf.

    Another important note: some apps from the hearing aid manufacturers no longer work properly with iOS 13. Hearing aids used to have adjusting wheels and buttons for operation. Today, however, it is operated via an app on the smartphone. Some hearing aids no longer have any controls.

    Under iOS 13, however, some hearing aid apps have connection and display problems. In the worst case, the hearing aid wearer can no longer operate their hearing systems.

    We therefore advise hearing aid wearers who have a smart hearing aid with Bluetooth connectivity to wait until they update to iOS 13 or 13.1 until they are sure that there are no more problems.

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