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A shiny new smartphone can do all manner of cool things like snap loftier-quality photos, recognize your face, and run an almost uncountable number of apps. You lot would likewise expect it to practise some bones things like accuse when you plug it in. That seems to be a claiming for Apple's latest iPhones. Users are at present reporting that the phones won't accuse if you plug them in while the screen is off.

According to reports, not all devices suffer from this issue. Those that do will but refuse to draw power from the cable. If you wake the screen while the Lightning cable is plugged in, information technology volition immediately begin charging unremarkably whether the screen is on or off. This could be quite aggravating if you lot plug the phone in when it's about dead in the evening and awake to find a completely empty battery. The fact that not all phones behave in this way suggests this is a bug and not merely an sick-brash characteristic decision by Apple.

The initial report claimed it was merely Apple'due south latest iPhone XS and XR devices, only owners of previous-gen iPhones and iPads have since come forward to say they are all affected. The thread tying all of them together is iOS 12. In improver, the big seems only to affect wired charging. When setting an iPhone on a wireless charger, the device will begin charging regardless of whether information technology was awake at the time.

The apparent connection to the wired connection has led some to doubtable this bug has some connexion to USB Restricted Mode. Apple tree began using this feature over the summertime on iOS 11 builds (starting in xi.4.1) to block law enforcement snooping on locked phones. Expensive pieces of hardware like the GrayKey tin can crack iPhone security using private exploits injected over USB. Restricted Mode prevents new USB devices from connecting after the phone has been comatose for several minutes. It'due south not a perfect solution, but it helps. It's possible iOS 12 has a big in Restricted Mode that is also affecting charging cables. To be clear, this is not the intended beliefs of USB Restricted Mode.

Apple tree has yet to respond to the claims. If there is a bug causing charging bug in iOS 12, the company should be able to rectify matters with a quick software update. In the meantime, brand sure you wake upwards your iPhone screen afterward plugging it in merely to be safe.

Now read: Apple's AirPower Charger May Be Doomed by Overheating, Comm Bug, Apple Merely Killed the Best, Most Affordable iPhone It Always Built, and Apple Tells Lawmakers iPhones Don't Spy on Users