How to get a panic log from an iPhone

When an iPhone restarts on its own, it writes down what happened. That file is called a panic log, and it is the shortest route to finding which part is at fault. Here is how to get it from the phone or from a computer.

From the phone

No software is needed; the report is already on the device.

1. Open Settings.
2. Go to Privacy & Security.
3. Scroll to the bottom and tap Analytics & Improvements.
4. Open Analytics Data. A long list of files appears.
5. Look for files beginning with panic-full-. The date in the name is when the phone restarted; open the newest one.
6. Tap the share icon at the top right to copy the text, or save the file to the Files app.

Menu names vary slightly between iOS versions.

If the phone restarts every 3 minutes

Some sensor faults make an iPhone restart at regular intervals, leaving little time to open the list. Put the phone on a charger and work quickly: as soon as the file opens, send it to yourself from the share icon. One log is enough, but taking several lets you see whether they all point to the same fault, which makes the result more reliable.

With a screenshot

If you cannot copy the text, a screenshot works too. Three things matter:

• The "product" and "panicString" lines must be visible. The first says which model it is, the second says what went wrong. Without the model, results can be wrong on iPhone 13 and later.
• If the log is long, scroll down and take a second or third screenshot. Uploaded together, they are read as one log.
• Do not photograph the screen with another phone. Reflections and tilt cause letters to be misread. Take a real screenshot instead.

From a computer

If you want several logs or want to keep the files, a computer is easier.

1. Connect the phone with a cable and trust the computer.
2. Open the Crash Logs section in a tool such as 3uTools or iMazing.
3. Export the reports beginning with panic-full.

On a Mac you need nothing extra: select the phone in the Console app to reach the same reports.

Does it contain personal information?

A panic log holds technical lines about the hardware and the software running at the time. It says nothing about your messages, photos or contacts. It does contain identifiers for the device. When you analyse a log on this site, the file and any images never leave your device; only the lines describing the fault are sent, with identifiers stripped out.

Once you have the log, paste it on the analysis page to see the result.