9 Quick Tips to Fix iOS Auto Lock Not Working on iPhone/iPad

User Concern

“I'm running an iPhone 13 in iOS 16. Auto-Lock options are 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 minutes. On my device only 2 minutes works. The rest do nothing. And the Auto-Lock only works on the home screen and never when any app is in view. Anybody got ideas to fix this?”

Auto Lock is a useful feature that automaticlly locks the screen of your iPhone or iPad after a certain period of inactivity, helping to preserve the device's battery life and ensure its prvacy and security.

However, some iPhone users have reported issues with the Auto Lock feature not working as expected, especially after upgrading to the newest iOS 16. The Auto-Lock feature is stuck or greyed out, and their iPhones do not go into sleep mode after a period of inactivity.

In this article, we will explore the reasons why is Auto Lock not working on your iPhone and offer you effective solutions to fix the problem.

How Do You Fix Auto Lock Not Working on iPhone?

The following are some quick tips you can try to fix the Auto Lock not working on your iPhone or iPad.

1. Re-enable Auto Lock on iPhone

It's very obvious that your iPhone will not be automatically locked when Auto-Lock feature is disabled or it is set to Never. Follow the steps below to re-enable it:

• On your iPhone, go to Settings > Display & Brightness > Auto-Lock.
• Here you will see several time duration choices that you can choose to auto lock the device.
• Select one that suits you best and the iPhone screen will lock automatically after that time duration.

Note

Please don't set the time duration as "Never", or your iPhone will never get locked automatically. Also, try to change the Auto-Lock settings. For example, if your Auto-Lock is set to 5 minutes, change it to 1 minte and then check if this help to fix the issue.

2. Turn Off Low Power Mode

If your iPhone is in Low Power Mode, you may also experience iPhone Auto Lock not working issue. To fix this problem, you'd better trun off Low Power mode. Here's how to do it:

• Open your iPhone's Settings, select the Battery option in the drop-down menu.
• There will be an option for battery percentage and Low Power Mode.
• Just click the switch button next the Low Power Mode to turn it off.

3. Restart Your iPhone

Sometimes restarting an iPhone will help to fix minor software erros like this one that you experience after an iOS 15 upgrade. To restart your iPhone, follow these steps:

• For iPhone X, 11 or newer: Press and hold the Side and either of the Volume buttons at the same time until you see the "slide to power off" screen. Drag the slide to the right to power off your device.
• For iPhone 8 or lower: Press and hold the Side button until the "slide to power off" screen appears. Drag the slide to the right to turn off your device.

If a simple restart doesn't work, you can try a hard reboot and see if that helps resolve the problem.

• For iPhone 8 and newer: Quickly press and release the Volume Up and the Volume Down button, then keep pressing the Side button until you see the Apple logo on the screen.
• For iPhone 7 and 7 Plus: Press and hold the Side button and Volume Down button at the same time until the Apple logo screen appears.
• For iPhone 6s and older: Press and hold the Side button and Home button together until the device turns off and the Apple logo shows up.

4. Disable AssistiveTouch on iPhone

Not only the Low Power Mode, the AssistiveTouch feature could also prevent the Auto Lock from working normally sometimes. If AssistiveTouch is enabled on your iPhone, you can try to disable this feature. Here's what you need to do:

• Go to Settings > General > Accessibility > AssistiveTouch.
• Turn off AssistiveTouch and check if the Auto-Lock feature is working normally.

5. Turn Off Passcode & Turn It Back On

Some users who have the same issue said in the forum that turning off Passcode and then turning it back on can also be helpful to fix the iPhone/iPad Auto Lock not working issue. Here is how to do it:

• Head to Settings > Touch ID & Passcode (or Touch ID & Passcode, depending on your iPhone model) and enter the lock screen passcode when required.
• Swipe down to hit "Turn Passcode Off" and enter your passcode again to confirm.
• Then restart the device and go back to Settings. Tap on "Turn Passcode On" and enter a new passcode.

By doing this, you may be able to reset any settings that were causing the Auto Lock feature to malfunction. However, keep in mind that turning off the passcode will temporarily disable security features on your iPhone, so make sure to turn it back on as soon as possible.

6. Reset All Settings

Resettings all settings can also fix the Auto Lock not working issue. After that, the iPhone system will be reset to the default settings, but the app data, photos, data, etc. will not be deleted and can still be used as usual.

On your iPhone, open the Settings app and go to General > Reset and choose "Reset All Settings". Enter your iPhone passcode to confirm the choice and the device will reboot after that.

7. Update Your iPhone

In some cases, issues with the Auto Lock feature may be due to a bug or glitch that has been resolved in a software update. To make sure that your iPhone is running the latest version of iOS, follow these steps:

• Go to Settings > General > Software Update.
• If an update is available, tap "Download and Install."
• Wait for the update to download and tap "Install Now" to begin the installation process.

8. Erase and Restore Your iPhone

If none of the above solutions work, erasing and restoring your iPhone to its factory settings may help resolve the issue. This will delete all data and settings from your iPhone, so make sure to backup your iPhone data before proceeding. Here's how to erase and restore your iPhone:

• Connect your iPhone to your computer using a Lightning cable. Open iTunes and select your iPhone. Then click on "Restore iPhone."
• Follow the on-screen instructions to complete the restore process. This will erase all data and settings from your iPhone and install the latest version of iOS.
• After the restore process is complete, set up your iPhone as a new device and check if the Auto Lock feature is working properly.

If the Auto Lock feature is working properly after the restore process, you can restore your iPhone data from your backup using iTunes or iCloud.

9. Fix iPhone Auto Lock Not Working without Data Loss

The best solution that you can use if you don't want to suffer from data loss is using FoneGeek iOS System Recovery. It is a trusted repair tool that allows users to fix 200+ iOS related problems, such as iPhone vertical lines, GIFs not working, control center won't swipe up, and much more. This tool works well with the latest iOS 16 and iPhone 14 models.

In addition, it is reviewed by many professional media sites, such as, Mobile Mall, GetDroidTips, Inspirationfeed, Techjury, Pakainfo and many other media sites. Download it to your computer and follow these steps to fix Auto Lock not working on your iPhone:

Step 1. Download, install and launch FoneGeek iOS System Recovery on your computer. Select "Standard Mode" from the home page.

Step 2. Then connect your iPhone to the computer via USB cable and click on "Next".

Step 3. Your iPhone will be detected by the program. Click "Download" to download the firmware package.

Step 4. When the download is complete, click on "Fix Now" and the program will start repairing automatically.

It will take nearly 10 minutes to complete the repair process. The Auto-lock not working problem will go away after the repairing process.

FoneGeek iOS System Recovery has helped many users solved their iOS issues and below is a feedback from our custoemrs.

Conclusion

Auto Lock is an important security feature on your iPhone that helps protect your personal information. If you are experiencing issues with Auto Lock not working on your iPhone, try the methods mentioned in this article. If none of these solutions work, there may be a hardware issue with your iPhone that requires repair by a professional.

In such cases, it's best to contact Apple Support to have your iPhone checked by a certified technician. They will be able to diagnose any hardware issues with your iPhone and suggest the best possible solution. Remember, fixing hardware issues on your own may further damage your iPhone and void any warranties. So, it's always advisable to seek professional help for any hardware issues.