Government demands answers from Apple over iOS 18 performance problems

Soon after Apple began the public rollout of iOS 18 — loaded with the Apple Intelligence stack — there were plenty of negative reports documenting sluggish performance, camera woes, UI status, and more.

Today, Apple has received a stern notice from India’s consumer watchdog over the performance issues encountered by iPhone users after installing the update. It is not quite the same as “Apple deliberately slowing down old iPhones,” because the iOS 18 woes also affect the latest iPhone models. The notice was issued by the Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA), a regulatory agency that oversees consumer grievances and violations of their rights, while also conducting investigations and issuing orders related to recalls.

Recommended Videos

After receiving complaints on the National Consumer Helpline regarding performance issues in #iPhones following the iOS 18+ software update, the department, after examining these grievances, has issued a notice to #Apple through the CCPA, seeking a response on the matter.

— Pralhad Joshi (@JoshiPralhad) January 23, 2025

Please enable Javascript to view this content

Information about the notice was provided by Pralhad Joshi, Union Minister of Consumer Affairs, in a post on X. The ministry acted upon complaints received via the National Consumer Helpline and has sought an official response from Apple.

The company has cultivated quite a sordid reputation regarding updates that allegedly slow down devices, especially the big annual software upgrades. There is certainly precedent for that, and Apple has even lost an appeal contesting such allegations in a court of law. In January last year, Apple started paying out to class members following a settlement worth half a billion dollars in a case where the company was found deliberately slowing down iPhones.

The Union Minister didn’t provide any further details regarding the exact slowdown issues faced by iPhone users in India who installed the iOS 18 update. But a quick look at Apple’s own community forum and Reddit shows many complaints about sub-par performance tied to iOS 18. Digital Trends has spotted over a dozen reports on public forums, most of which had iPhone users confirming the performance troubles they ran into after installing the iOS 18 update.

Here are some of the reports that we came across:

  • iOS 18 is the worst for iPhone 12
  • iPhone 13 Lagging After Updating to iOS 18
  • iPhone slower after iOS18 update
  • iOS 18 is a disaster for the 13 Pro, hold on from updating!
  • Anyone else having bad lag on certain apps after the iOS 18 update?
  • Has iOS 18 been incredibly buggy for you all? 
  • Lagging iPhone ever since the iOS 18.0.1 update
  • Iphone operates slower after update ios 18
  • iPhone lagging after iOS 18 Update
  • iPhone lagging after new update

A recurring theme across these complaints is random freezing of the UI, the camera app crashing, trouble with lens switching, non-responsive screens, and unexpected shutdowns. Some called the software downright unusable, while others called it the upgrade their worst decision. Apple hasn’t acknowledged these complaints so far, but with an official notice from India’s consumer watchdog, the company may have to respond in the near future. Depending on the outcome, questions may soon be asked by other regions.

Editors’ Recommendations

  • iOS 18.3: What to expect in the next iPhone update

  • I love Google Gemini, but I’ll take Apple Intelligence any day of the week

  • Zuckerberg vents at Apple over iPhone but forgets Facebook’s flops

  • Apple addresses false AI summaries, but does it go far enough?

  • Apple’s AI notification feature is making up news




Related posts

Latest posts

News Weekly: Alphabet’s earnings soar, new Zenfone Ultra, and more

This week we got a glimpse of how Alphabet faired this recent quarter, Zenfone 12 Ultra launches, Nothing teased yet

How to Watch Super Bowl LIX Free on iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Apple TV

Super Bowl LIX kicks off this Sunday, February 9. In the U.S., the game will be streaming for free in

2025 is going to be another big year for commercial moon missions

As soon as late February, a lunar lander will depart from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center on its way to the

2025 is going to be another big year for commercial moon missions

As soon as late February, a lunar lander will depart from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center on its way to the

You can officially download the TikTok app again on Android phones

TikTok is still absent from the Google Play Store. But the company is now letting users download the app officially on their Android phones.

I like the Galaxy S25 Ultra far more than I expected to

Samsung’s newest flagship has finally landed in stores and it would be easy to look at the as nothing more than an iterative upgrade that brings a few small upgrades to the table. However, as Andy covered in our , to do so would be to do a disservice to the overall experience. While reviewing […]

This adorable Noctua cooler completely transformed my gaming PC

I invested $60 in this tiny Noctua cooler, and it's made my small form factor gaming PC so much better.

Samsung’s ultra-thin Galaxy S25 Edge might get a monster camera

As per fresh leak, Galaxy S25 Edge will match the Galaxy S25 Ultra by serving a 200-megapixel camera, despite being the thinnest phone in Samsung's portfolio.

Spigen just accidentally leaked iPhone SE 4 renders

Case manufacturer Spigen has uploaded renders of the iPhone 4 SE (inside a case) to its website, and these renders line up with earlier leaks.

Fiio’s BTR13 is a budget DAC that lets you easily upgrade your phone audio

The BTR13 brings upgraded audio while still retaining the same focus on value.