troubleshooting

iPhone time zone keeps changing to GMT or Cupertino time

The iPhone may ship worldwide, but some units apparently want to go home to Cupertino. Several devices are exhibiting an issue in which the time zone setting persistently reverts to U.S. Pacific Coast time or GMT.

In some cases, this issue can be resolved by updating to iPhone OS 2.0.2.

In other cases, the following procedure may be required:

Turn off the phone Take out the SIM card Replace the SIM card Turn on the phone In Settings, Reset All Settings Set the correct time zone

iTunes 8: Workaround for 5002 Unknown Error When Trying to Update Apps

Users and one iPhone Atlas staffer are reporting problems with the iPod touch while upgrading apps in iTunes 8. See this Apple discussion.

We've discovered this workaround: update the apps from the iPod Touch itself and then sync your iPod Touch with iTunes 8. ITunes 8 transfers the purchases to the iTunes library on your computer and the updates are then available for other devices you might have like an iPhone or other iPods. The error no longer appears.

Since there have been reported problems with on device updates in the past it?s recommended that you closely monitor … Read more

iPod touch v2.1: Problems Syncing, Fix

A number of users are experiencing problems with syncing after the 2.1 update, receiving the message:

"The iPod cannot be updated. An unknown error has occurred (13213)."

This issue can be resolved, in some cases, via the following process:

Disconnect the iPod and turn it off Quit and relaunch iTunes 8 Reconnect the iPod (do not turn it on first)

Meanwhile, Apple's official release notes for iPod touch v2.1, displayed upon installation, are as follows:

Genius playlist creation Dramatically reduced time to backup to iTunes Improved email reliability, notably fetching email from POP and Exchange … Read more

iTunes 8.0 hands-on: major enhancements and problems

iTunes 8 includes some significant enhancements for iPhone and iPod Touch owners, but the improvements depend on your device's OS version. Unfortunately, a number of users are experiencing difficulty applying the iPod touch v2.1 update, which is required for some iTunes 8-related improvements.

In our hands-on testing we found the following, OS-specific enhancements and issues:

For the iPod touch (OS 2.1)

Backups are significantly faster -- less than a few minutes on average A capacity Meter now displays application space used on the device Application updates and software installations are somewhat faster

For the iPhone 3G (OS … Read more

Where's my iPhone's number?

Several iPhone 3G users have reported an issue in which their own numbers are not displayed on the devices. Generally, the subscriber's own number is displayed at the top of the contacts list (above the search function). The simple answer to this issue: the number was never properly saved to the iPhone's SIM card.

This problem can be solved in one of three ways:

Insert the SIM card in another phone (such as a Motorola RAZR) that allows you to manipulate SIM card contacts directly and enter your number. Call AT&T customer support at 1-800-331-0500, explain … Read more

Speeding up iPhone Backups

iPhone backups through iTunes after the OS 2.0.x update are inordinately long for some users, literally taking hours in some cases.

We've now received reports indicating that the slow backup issue may be caused by the presence of certain applications. Specifically, several users have reported that removing the application VoiceNote results in faster backups.

Some sample reports from an Apple Dicussions thread:

"Solution for me: Deleted the VoiceNote app and all my VoiceNote files on the iPhone and in iTunes. TADAA! Sync time decreased from 1 hour to less than a minute!" "(VoiceNote) was … Read more

Another fix for iPhone OS 2.0.x app crashes

We've extensively covered an issue in which in which some third-party applications crash or do not launch for many iPhone OS 2.0.x users. Previous reports indicated that the issue can be eliminated by reducing the number of applications installed on the iPhone. We also noted a separate fix that involves downgrading to an earlier version of iTunes and another more involved fix.

Further investigation reveals that the issue may be solved by simply deleting all applications from the iPhone (via a restore process, if desired), then re-downloading all applications through the iTunes store on a desktop … Read more

iPhone apps crash on launch (cont.): the fix

We continue to report on an issue under iPhone OS 2.x in which some third-party applications crash or do not launch, for many users. Previous reports indicated that the issue can be eliminated by reducing the number of applications installed on the iPhone. We also noted a separate fix that involves downgrading to an earlier version of iTunes.

We've now discovered a more definitive fix that should, in tandem with reducing the number of applications on the phone, resolve this issue in the majority of cases.

On the iPhone, select Settings > General > Erase all Content and … Read more

iPhone Mail Suddenly Refuses to Fetch Messages

Several users have reported an issue in which the iPhone's Mail application suddenly fails to retrieve new messages, generally after switching from one connection method to another (e.g. WiFi to EDGE or vice versa).

As desribed by one Apple Discussions poster:

"If I switch from edge to wifi or visa versa, the phone will no longer retrieve new mail without me doing a restart. It seems whatever mode it's in on startup won't let go of the control of mail until a restarts.

"Last night I was using WiFi and receiving mail fine. Early … Read more