Hi friends,welcome once again,  Jessica here 👋. If you’re anything like me, your iPhone isn’t just a phone — it’s your daily life manager. I use mine for grocery lists, family group chats, work emails, booking vacations, and even keeping my kids entertained with YouTube Kids. That’s why it can be so frustrating when my iPhone 16 — which is supposed to be Apple’s most advanced phone yet — lags, apps crash, or the keyboard stutters while typing.

These issues may sound small, but when you’re a multitasking mom juggling work and kids, they really slow you down. The good news? Most of these problems are easy to fix at home. After dealing with a few annoying hiccups on my own phone, I’ve collected tried-and-true solutions that should help anyone experiencing these glitches.

Let’s dive into some simple, step-by-step fixes for software lags, app crashes, and keyboard delays on the iPhone 16.

1. Close Background Apps

If your iPhone feels sluggish or an app freezes, too many apps may be running in the background.

How to fix it:

• Swipe up from the bottom of the screen and hold to see your App Switcher.
• Swipe up on unused apps to close them.

I do this every night before bed — it keeps things running smoothly the next morning.

2. Restart Your iPhone 16

Just like us, phones need rest. A quick restart often clears temporary memory glitches.

Steps:

• Hold Power + Volume Down until you see “Slide to Power Off.”
• Turn it back on after 10–15 seconds.

This alone has solved many of my app crash problems.

3. Update iOS & Apps

When a new iPhone model launches, apps sometimes aren’t fully optimized. Outdated apps or software may cause crashes or delays.

To check:

• Go to Settings > General > Software Update.
• Open the App Store > Profile > Update All Apps.

Pro tip: I always set my phone to Auto-Update overnight while charging.

4. Clear Storage Space

Lag and keyboard delays often happen when your storage is nearly full.

Check your storage:

• Go to Settings > General > iPhone Storage.
• If you’re above 90% capacity, delete old videos, offload unused apps, or back up photos to iCloud or Google Photos.

After clearing 15 GB of space, my iPhone 16 felt noticeably faster.

5. Disable Background App Refresh

Apps refreshing in the background can hog memory and slow down the system.

Turn it off:

• Go to Settings > General > Background App Refresh.
• Choose Wi-Fi only or Off.

This helps free up processing power for things you actually need — like a smooth keyboard.

6. Reset the Keyboard Dictionary

Sometimes the keyboard lag isn’t a system issue, but a keyboard file glitch.

Steps:

• Go to Settings > General > Transfer or Reset iPhone > Reset.
• Select Reset Keyboard Dictionary.

It wipes learned words but usually fixes typing delays.

7. Turn Off Keyboard Features Temporarily

Features like Predictive Text and Keyboard Clicks can add slight delays.

Try this:

• Go to Settings > General > Keyboard.
• Toggle off Predictive, Smart Punctuation, or even Auto-Correction temporarily.

If the lag disappears, turn them back on one by one.

8. Force Restart (Hard Reset)

If your phone completely freezes:

• Quickly press Volume Up, then Volume Down.
• Hold the Power button until you see the Apple logo.

This clears deeper system glitches without erasing data.

9. Offload or Reinstall Problem Apps

If the same app crashes repeatedly (Instagram, TikTok, etc.), reinstalling can fix corrupted files.

Steps:

• Go to Settings > General > iPhone Storage.
• Select the app → Offload App or Delete App.
• Reinstall from the App Store.

This has fixed Snapchat crashing on my teen niece’s phone multiple times.

10. Reduce Motion & Transparency

Fancy effects look nice but may cause UI lag.

Fix:

• Go to Settings > Accessibility > Motion.
• Turn on Reduce Motion.
• Also check Display & Text Size > Reduce Transparency.

It makes your phone feel snappier, especially on older iPhones — though even the 16 benefits.

11. Reset All Settings

If glitches persist, reset system settings without deleting your data.

Steps:

• Go to Settings > General > Transfer or Reset iPhone > Reset.
• Tap Reset All Settings.

You’ll need to re-enter Wi-Fi passwords, but it clears out stubborn bugs.

12. Check for Hardware Issues

If you’ve tried everything and your iPhone still lags, it might be hardware-related — like faulty RAM or storage chips.

How to test:

• Run Apple’s Diagnostics (start with Support app).
• Or book a Genius Bar appointment.

If you’re still under warranty or AppleCare+, they’ll usually replace the device.

Bonus Tips from My Mom-Life Hacks

• Use a third-party keyboard app like Gboard if Apple’s native keyboard keeps lagging.
• Keep at least 20% storage free for smoother performance.
• Schedule weekly restarts — Sunday nights before bed works for me.

Final Thoughts

As much as I love Apple products, even the latest iPhone 16 isn’t immune to hiccups like software lag, app crashes, or keyboard delays. The good news is that most fixes are simple and quick: closing apps, freeing storage, updating software, or tweaking settings.

For me, the biggest game-changer was freeing up storage space and resetting the keyboard dictionary. Now, I can type grocery lists in Notes without the keyboard stuttering, hop into Zoom calls for work without crashes, and capture quick photos of my kids without lag.

At the end of the day, remember that your iPhone is a tiny computer — and sometimes it just needs a little tune-up to run at full speed again. Try these steps, and you’ll have your iPhone 16 running smooth in no time.