I recently upgraded my iPhone due to battery issues. A new phone, fresh install of the most recent version, but unfortunately the app still freezes and is laggy to the point of not being useable either on mobile data or fast fibre broadband. Meanwhile, iNat Classic seems to be working fine.
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I’m sorry to hear that. So it was laggy as soon as you started it up and logged in?
I am having the same problems and was unsure how to report it or if it was just my devices. When I open the app, sometimes it will be a white screen. But most of the time, it will usually refresh my feed with a lag, and then one of a number of things happens: 1) lets me scroll my observation feed but not click on anything, 2) lets me scroll my observation feed and not click on anything, except it will let me refresh the feed but it never finishes refreshing, or, 3) maybe 1 out of 15 new attempts, I can press the camera button to make an observation.
It started many months ago by not letting me view my Activity, but has significantly worsened. Restarting the app and the device does not help. Affects both my iPad Air M3 iOS 18.6.2 and iPhone 12 mini iOS 18.6.2.
The website version and iNat Classic both work normally for me on all devices.
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Thanks for the detailed report, I’m sorry you’re being affected by this bug.
Unfortunately, it was probably worse initially, however it currently seems to be working okay most of the time over the last 3 days although I have been using iNat Classic to record and upload my observations. I have tried to use the new app to view and query results and activity as much as possible to see how it performs
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This problem still continues after 3+ months. The issue has killed my engagement with iNaturalist platform and I have used the app more and more rarely, which is unfortunate.
Has the root cause been identified?
December 15, 2025. Replying due to similar issues consistently happening on my iPhone15Pro. I rarely use the app when in the field and instead take photos and download on my laptop later (this became my MO when using an old iPhone6 that couldn’t handle the app and storage). When I do try to use the app on the new phone, it frequently freezes and does not allow me to use any function – try to download a photo off the camera photos, or record a sound live, or even look at the menu (which is just what happened when I was looking to confirm which version of the app I am using). Nothing I do will unfreeze the screen to make the app usable. This has also happened when I have been training iNat for CalNat courses or tutoring people on an iNat outing as an Ambassador. I was able to see that my app says 1.0.11 (185), if that helps to know which version I have – I believe it is the newest version of iNat. I have tested my personal theory that when I am in the field I am not on WiFi, but at home with a strong WiFi it acts the same. This morning, after having tried to view the menu, the app is STUCK and won’t do anything. I even tried turning the phone all the way off and back on, was able to get into the menu again, but then it is frozen again and won’t do anything. This issue seems to be sporatic: sometimes it works okay, then other times it is like this and unusable. I installed the app at least a year ago. Should I try uninstalling it and re-installing it? I do not hold down a button for too long, and I have also tested the theory that I am not holding my finger on a button for long enough, I have cleaned my screen for optimum touch-screen sensitivity. I typically default to using the website on my laptop since there I can download, add projects and annotations live, and interact better/faster with the identifications screen.
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I am still having the same issues with the app freezing on my iPhone15Pro no matter what I try. I default to using the website on my laptop instead, downloading photos from my phone camera onto the laptop – I started doing this with my old iPhone6 because it couldn’t handle the app storage. So, it’s impossible for me to teach iNat in the field or tutor as an Ambassador on iNat outings because the app keeps freezing! It has nothing to do with having strong WiFi connection, either.
I’m experiencing the same issue. On an iPhone 17 Pro Max, the app frequently freezes on launch. The UI becomes unresponsive (buttons don’t work), and only the first dozen of my observations load. Force-closing and restarting the app sometimes resolves the issue, but often it takes multiple restarts.
I’m getting the same extremely frequently now. I open the app, and nothing works at all, it’s as if the screen is dead; doesn’t matter what I tap, zero response. I have to force close and restart the app, and the issue is sometimes fixed after one restart, but usually it takes anywhere between 3-4 or even up to 10 (!) restarts to get it to be responsive at all. At this point I almost never use the app because of how broken it is. I’ve also had at least 4-5 people over the past couple of weeks say they’re experiencing the same thing
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It’s early days, but the latest version of the iOS app (v1.0.12) seems to have resolved or greatly improved the slowdown-on-start issue for me.
I’m on a iPhone 15 Pro Max, and was regularly having the slowdown/freezing on start nearly every time I opened the app before the last few days.
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Any update on this?
Anyone who’s tried deleting and reinstalling the app: how long before it gets slow and laggy again. Almost immediately? A few days? Longer?
It’s still been much better for me. Maybe every once in a while it’s a little slow, but that may just be my internet connection at the time. Nothing like it had been doing, locking up nearly every time I opened the app.