Alex Ruben
How To Resolve iPhone Lagging Issues Following iOS 26 Beta Update in 2025
Running the latest beta can be a headache — your iPhone starts feeling sluggish, apps freeze, maybe even some random crashes. No one likes that, especially when you’re just trying to use the thing normally. This guide is meant to get a decent grip on some fixes that’ve actually worked in real-world setups. It’s not guaranteed, but hopefully, it helps bring back a smoother experience. Because of course, the beta process isn’t perfect, and performance bugs are common. Let’s get into some practical steps that can make a difference.
How to Fix Lagging iPhone After iOS 26 Beta
Try restarting your iPhone first — sometimes, that’s all it takes
Yeah, it sounds basic, but a reboot can sometimes clear out weird temp stuff that’s bogging down the system. Especially with beta firmware, it’s kind of weird how just powering off and on can fix things. To do it:
- Open the Settings app.
- Tap on Shutdown.
- Let it sit for about 15-20 seconds.
- Power it back on and see if it’s quicker than before.
On one setup, this helped immediately. On another, it did nothing but I’d say it’s worth a shot — it’s quick and easy.
Disable VPN connections — they can cause some weird slowdown
VPNs, especially if set to auto-connect or if they’re flaky, can mess with network traffic and slow things down, not always obvious. Disable any VPNs:
- Go to Settings.
- Tap on VPN & Device Management.
- If you see active VPNs, turn them off.
This can free up some processing power and reduce lag, especially if your VPN is misbehaving in iOS 26 beta.
Shut off Background App Refresh and see if it helps
Background refresh can eat up CPU cycles when apps update or fetch data in the background. Turning it off is easy:
- Open Settings.
- Tap on General > Background App Refresh.
- Switch it off for all apps or selectively, if you want to keep some background functions.
On some devices, that unburdens the system a bit — on others, not so much. It’s a cheap fix to try.
Turn off Content & Privacy Restrictions — they can sometimes slow things down
This isn’t always necessary, but if you’ve enabled restrictions or parental controls, turn them off to rule out any interference:
- Go to Settings.
- Scroll to Screen Time.
- Tap on Content & Privacy Restrictions and toggle off.
Sometimes these restrictions mess with system performance, especially with beta firmware where some features are experimental.
Adjust Location Services to reduce background activity
Having all location services enabled at all times can drain resources; disable unnecessary ones:
- Head to Settings.
- Select Privacy & Security.
- Tap on Location Services.
- Toggle it off completely or review app-specific settings to disable location for apps that don’t need it.
This can help cut down system load and improve responsiveness.
Reset All Settings — if nothing else works, this might revive performance
Not a factory reset — that’s more drastic — but just resetting all settings resets network, display, privacy, and system preferences without deleting your data. Sometimes, leftover configs from the beta update cause issues:
- Open Settings.
- Go to General.
- Select Transfer or Reset iPhone.
- Tap on Reset > Reset All Settings.
- Confirm and wait. Your phone will reboot afterward.
Expect this to reset settings like Wi-Fi passwords, wallpaper, network preferences — but no data will be lost. Sometimes, this resets the system memory enough for performance to improve.
Extra tips — keep those apps updated and storage in check
Because of course, beta versions are more unstable — keeping everything updated helps ensure compatibility. Also, if storage is tight, your device might slow down; try deleting unused apps, old photos, or large files. Finally, check if the iOS Beta itself has updates — sometimes, Apple releases quick patches that fix performance bugs.
Summary
- Restart your device — often underrated but surprisingly effective.
- Disable VPN and unnecessary location services.
- Turn off Background App Refresh and Restrictions.
- Reset all settings if nothing else works.
- Keep apps and iOS updated, clear storage.
Wrap-up
Running a beta is always a balancing act — some days it works like a charm, other days it’s super laggy. These tricks are based on real-world fixes that’ve helped in multiple setups. Of course, performance issues are more common with early beta builds, so a full downgrade or waiting for official updates might be needed if things stay really bad. Fingers crossed, these steps get your iPhone running smoother — at least until the next beta update.