iOS 17.6 Update Did Not Fix My iOS 17.5.1 Induced Bluetooth Issue. . .

[lightandaprayer]

Unfortunately the iOS 17.6 update has not fully addressed a Bluetooth bug apparently caused by iOS 17.5.1 after I updated my iPhone around a month ago.

Bluetooth cycles ON/OF continuously, causing the battery to be drained in a matter of hours. It is also impossible to turn-off Bluetooth via Settings.

The main Apple Community discussion regarding the bug is at Since iOS 17.5.1 update, Bluetooth no longer works and iPhone 11 Pro overheats .

17.6 partially fixed the bug on my phone: it is now possible to turn-off Bluetooth but it took several attempts before I was able to do it. It seems like you need to click the button at just the right instant in the ON/OFF cycle. Previously I could not do it no matter how many times I tried. . .

Battery life seems to be back to normal but I only installed 17.6 yesterday afternoon. Prior to that the iPhone SE3 battery would be exhausted overnight whereas before installing 17.5.1 it would have plenty of battery available in the morning.

Of course, using Bluetooth is out of the question. So much for enjoying my pricey Airpods Pro 2. . . I'm back to wired Apple earbuds. Anything else relying on Bluetooth is also off-limits.

I contacted Apple Support but all I dealt with was the initial support tier. They did the usual remote analysis and reset but it accomplished nothing. To add insult to injury, when I was accidentally disconnected from the first rep after around 30 minutes, she did not call me back as promised. (Perhaps it had something to do with the fact that it was almost 5pm in Georgia where the rep was located. . .) That meant that I basically had to start-over with a new rep.

The second rep said that the analysis points to a hardware issue with Bluetooth, which would require sending the iPhone to Apple or scheduling an appointment through Apple with a local Apple authorized repair shop.

I opted for the latter option. But instead of the locally-owned computer store I requested, she connected me with the local Best Buy "Geek Squad." I won't bore people with how badly that went from the git-go but it only took a few minutes before I thanked the obviously distracted person for their "assistance" and ended the call.

Anyhoo, since the SE3 is out of warranty (purchased in 2022 without extended AppleCare) I was told by the Apple rep that I am probably looking at purchasing another phone vs. it being repaired. Not having a backup cell phone complicates things a bit. . . LOL

I am considering installing the recently released iOS 18 first public beta. But I will need to see how others are faring after upgrading before I commit to the move. So it goes. . .

 

[dv9973]

You'd better send it to:
discussions.apple.com
or: Feedback - iPhone - Apple

 

[Thom Hogan]

The second rep said that the analysis points to a hardware issue with Bluetooth,

I would agree.

However, one thing to do first is go into the Bluetooth settings and Forget every device that's listed. It's not impossible to rule out that a device Bluetooth is attempting to find is the cause of your problems.

 

[lightandaprayer]

You'd better send it to:
discussions.apple.com
or: Feedback - iPhone - Apple

Been there; done that. . . See the link in my OP. According to the discussion stats at least 177 other people have similar Bluetooth issues since upgrading.

 

[lightandaprayer]

The second rep said that the analysis points to a hardware issue with Bluetooth,

I would agree.

However, one thing to do first is go into the Bluetooth settings and Forget every device that's listed. It's not impossible to rule out that a device Bluetooth is attempting to find is the cause of your problems.

Good idea! But since Bluetooth cannot be turned-on, I cannot access the settings. . .

I've got another idea, so I deleted the previous text while I do a little more trouble-shooting.

OK, I'm back. . . While preparing to reset the iPhone to factory defaults and minus the old Bluetooth data, I came across something that reminded me of the Bluetooth toggle in Control Center.

What I did not know until I had done a little more digging is that the Control Center toggle disconnects all devices using Bluetooth (the same thing happens when using the Wi-Fi toggle). To disable Bluetooth completely one must use Bluetooth/Settings.

After I used the Control Center Bluetooth toggle I could go to Bluetooth/Settings and delete the 3 devices. (Previously they did not even appear on the display.)

Bluetooth stopped cycling, so I can turn it On/Off and I paired the AirPods and, so far, things are working as they should. I suspect that the AirPods were the problem since the 3 Bluetooth speakers have either been powered-off or out of range during the past month. The AirPods live on my computer desk when not in use.

I don't assume that the issue is necessarily fixed but at least I am able to get things back to normal. I'll just have to see how things go from here.

Thanks for the suggestion Thom. It was an essential piece of the puzzle for regaining control of my iPhone's Bluetooth. . . :-D

 

[Thom Hogan]

The second rep said that the analysis points to a hardware issue with Bluetooth,

I would agree.

However, one thing to do first is go into the Bluetooth settings and Forget every device that's listed. It's not impossible to rule out that a device Bluetooth is attempting to find is the cause of your problems.

Good idea! But since Bluetooth cannot be turned-on, I cannot access the settings. . .

I've got another idea, so I deleted the previous text while I do a little more trouble-shooting.

OK, I'm back. . . While preparing to reset the iPhone to factory defaults and minus the old Bluetooth data, I came across something that reminded me of the Bluetooth toggle in Control Center.

What I did not know until I had done a little more digging is that the Control Center toggle disconnects all devices using Bluetooth (the same thing happens when using the Wi-Fi toggle). To disable Bluetooth completely one must use Bluetooth/Settings.

After I used the Control Center Bluetooth toggle I could go to Bluetooth/Settings and delete the 3 devices. (Previously they did not even appear on the display.)

Bluetooth stopped cycling, so I can turn it On/Off and I paired the AirPods and, so far, things are working as they should. I suspect that the AirPods were the problem since the 3 Bluetooth speakers have either been powered-off or out of range during the past month. The AirPods live on my computer desk when not in use.

I don't assume that the issue is necessarily fixed but at least I am able to get things back to normal. I'll just have to see how things go from here.

Thanks for the suggestion Thom. It was an essential piece of the puzzle for regaining control of my iPhone's Bluetooth. . . :-D

Glad to help. This is one of the common issues I deal with—usually because of SnapBridge getting out of sync with the camera—so it's the first thing I always try.

 

[lightandaprayer]

Glad to help. This is one of the common issues I deal with—usually because of SnapBridge getting out of sync with the camera—so it's the first thing I always try.

It's a kinda arcane part of the MacOS that I am glad to about now. . . I am a late adopter of Bluetooth.

However, my AirPods began acting-up again yesterday, connecting & disconnecting with the iPhone. So Bluetooth is off on the phone again. As I wrote earlier, I suspect that the AirPods may be the source of the issue since there were no other Bluetooth devices available. I'm trying to think whether there is a way to confirm it.

The good news is that the AirPods are covered by extended AppleCare until October 11 if they are part of the problem.

 

[halfmanhalfbiscuit]

Glad to help. This is one of the common issues I deal with—usually because of SnapBridge getting out of sync with the camera—so it's the first thing I always try.

It's a kinda arcane part of the MacOS that I am glad to about now. . . I am a late adopter of Bluetooth.

However, my AirPods began acting-up again yesterday, connecting & disconnecting with the iPhone. So Bluetooth is off on the phone again. As I wrote earlier, I suspect that the AirPods may be the source of the issue since there were no other Bluetooth devices available. I'm trying to think whether there is a way to confirm it.

The good news is that the AirPods are covered by extended AppleCare until October 11 if they are part of the problem.

There are a number of possibilities that could be causing this. Rather than attempting to summarize, this is a great article that provides a number of steps to try to resolve it - https://www.headphonesty.com/2023/07/airpods-randomly-connect/

It certainly does sound like they're the culprit for the bad behavior.

 

[lightandaprayer]

Glad to help. This is one of the common issues I deal with—usually because of SnapBridge getting out of sync with the camera—so it's the first thing I always try.

It's a kinda arcane part of the MacOS that I am glad to about now. . . I am a late adopter of Bluetooth.

However, my AirPods began acting-up again yesterday, connecting & disconnecting with the iPhone. So Bluetooth is off on the phone again. As I wrote earlier, I suspect that the AirPods may be the source of the issue since there were no other Bluetooth devices available. I'm trying to think whether there is a way to confirm it.

The good news is that the AirPods are covered by extended AppleCare until October 11 if they are part of the problem.

There are a number of possibilities that could be causing this. Rather than attempting to summarize, this is a great article that provides a number of steps to try to resolve it - https://www.headphonesty.com/2023/07/airpods-randomly-connect/

It certainly does sound like they're the culprit for the bad behavior.

I just want to thank you for the link; I didn't find it when I searched online. . . Probably because I was not focused on the AirPods at that time.

I haven't had time to return to trouble-shooting the AirPods/Bluetooth issue but I'm hoping that the article will be helpful. Thanks again. . .