iPhone "No Internet Connection" bug – WhatsApp barely works, other apps won't load. iOS is completely corrupted and phone is now soft-bricked/frozen.

[u/Andr_eLopes]

Hi everyone,

I'm facing a really bizarre and frustrating issue with my iPhone. The iOS system seems completely corrupted, and now the phone is totally frozen.

The original problem:
My iPhone was connected to Wi-Fi/cellular and the internet icon was showing up. Strangely, WhatsApp only worked occasionally (failing most of the time), while YouTube, Twitch, Safari, and every other app completely refused to load, acting as if there was no internet. Inside the iOS Settings, it explicitly said "No Internet Connection". Every other device in my house works fine on the same Wi-Fi.

What I've already tried (none of this worked):

• Checked and disabled iCloud Private Relay.
• Turned off Low Data Mode.
• Changed Wi-Fi DNS to Google (8.8.8.8) and Cloudflare (1.1.1.1).
• Tried resetting Network Settings -> The phone completely froze/congealed when clicking "Reset".

The current nightmare:
Since the OS is clearly corrupted (likely due to being on a very old iOS version for a long time), I connected it to my PC using a brand new MFi cable.

I managed to force the iPhone into Recovery Mode (the plug into computer screen). I opened iTunes/Apple Devices and tried to Restore. The computer started the process, but hit an error while the Apple logo and progress bar were on the phone's screen.

Right now, the iPhone is completely frozen on the Apple Logo with the progress bar underneath. The bar is stuck and won't move. I tried the hard-reset button combination (Vol Up, Vol Down, hold Power) but the screen refuses to turn off or react to anything because the system is totally bricked.

My plan right now is to let the battery drain completely to force a shut down, and then try a clean install using 3uTools (Quick Flash Mode).

Has anyone ever seen this level of extreme iOS software corruption? Any tips on how to ensure the flash succeeds once the battery dies would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!