iPhone acting bizarrely

[Sawday]

I recently inherited my wife's iPhone SE and updated it it iOS 15.2, since when it has been acting very strangely. On opening up from sleep (ie just picking it up) it occasionally, as in several times a day, randomly opens an app. This could be the display of an image from photos, Google Maps, News or a banking app - anything. Most annoying is a message from my Headphones app telling me to 'Turn on Bluetooth to Allow "Headphones" to Connect to Accessories', Now, I haven't used my wireless headphones of two years and I don't turn on Bluetooth unless I need it, for example when in the car. I suspect it's the same issue but this one message comes up at least ten times a day.

The apps that open are not all on my home screen so I'm definitely not accidentally touching any of the icons.

Any suggestions before I bin the phone or suffer a breakdown?

 

[Raz0rEdge]

Do a normal power off and on and see if that resolves anything. If things continue to behave the same strange way, then you might want to try a hard reset (look up the instructions for the iPhone SE) by holding the volume button and power button or whatever the combination is.

Report back on if either of these two things fixes the issue.

 

[Sawday]

Do a normal power off and on and see if that resolves anything. If things continue to behave the same strange way, then you might want to try a hard reset (look up the instructions for the iPhone SE) by holding the volume button and power button or whatever the combination is.

Report back on if either of these two things fixes the issue.

Hi Ashwin. Thanks for replying. Tried both of these several times with no change.

 

[Raz0rEdge]

Ok, so that rules out any software issues. If things are opening randomly, then it's likely a hardware issue with a short or something.

Use this guide to see if there is any liquid damage detected.

Water and other liquid damage to iPhone or iPod isn't covered by warranty - Apple Support

Service for liquid damage to an iPhone or iPod isn't covered by the Apple One-Year Limited Warranty.

support.apple.com

If there is damage, that's likely the culprit.

 

[Sawday]

No water damage... Just mental health damage if this continues.

 

[IWT]

It hasn't actually been said so far, but I guess you already know that iOS 15.3 is the latest version and updating to that might see the end of your woes as it more or less replaces the OS.

Maybe you've done that already?

Ian

 

[daniellemill]

I have after reinstalling the iPhone software! My iPhone started to freeze, I went through reinstalling the software again and then everything worked well)))

 

[Rod]

Just out of curiosity is this the iPhone SE2?
You say an iPhone SE but there are two versions, the SE2 being the most recent.

 

[Sawday]

Just out of curiosity is this the iPhone SE2?
You say an iPhone SE but there are two versions, the SE2 being the most recent.

It's the original one.
Interestingly, I had Bluetooth set to on yesterday and no apps randomly opened. Odd though that most of the apps that do this do not use Bluetooth (calculator, banking app, maps, news apps, flashlight,compass...).

I'll go a day without Bluetooth on and see if issue returns.

 

[Rod]

I was wondering about iOS 15 comparability but it's fine, not even the oldest compatible.
You might want to turn off Raise to Wake I have the SE 2 and I found Raise to Wake was chewing through my battery. Not to mention apps that track your location and apps that can use Cellular Data. I confine most of them to WiFi only.

 

[Sawday]

Thanks Rod. I'll try that both with and without Bluetooth on.