iPhone 18 Pro Freezes and Reboots Due to Face ID Bug – Apple Prepares a Fix

Some owners of the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max have run into a Face ID software bug that can cause the phone to stop responding to touch entirely and then crash and reboot. Apple confirmed to 9to5Mac that a fix is already in the works and should arrive within days.

The problem began surfacing almost immediately after the new models went on sale on September 18. Based on user reports, it most often occurs not during a normal iPhone unlock but during biometric authentication inside protected apps and system sections.

In particular, the bug could be triggered when opening Passwords, locked Safari tabs and other apps protected by Face ID.

After a Failed Face ID Scan, the System Crashes and Reboots

9to5Mac was able to reproduce the problem on an iPhone 18 Pro.

During the first authentication attempt, the journalist deliberately covered his face with his hand. After tapping the retry button for Face ID, the phone stopped responding to touch input and rebooted on its own a few seconds later.

After the device restarted, a panic log appeared in the iOS analytics section – a system log generated during a critical operating system failure. This confirms that it is not just a single app freezing.

The problem does not occur on every iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max, and its real scale is still unknown. Still, there were enough reports for Apple to prepare a software fix.

Some users have already contacted service centers and even replaced their phones, assuming a hardware fault. Now Apple has made it clear that most affected devices do not need a replacement, since the problem can be resolved with a software update.

The Cause May Be Tied to the New Face ID System

In the iPhone 18 Pro, Apple redesigned the Face ID hardware. The infrared camera now sits under the display in the upper left part of the screen, which makes the visible part of the Dynamic Island about a quarter smaller.

Apple has not officially linked this hardware design to the current bug. So it is too early to say the under-display camera is the cause.

On the official page for the new iPhones, the company only confirms the updated, smaller Dynamic Island and that Face ID still works fully.

The Fix Will Likely Ship in iOS 27.0.1

Apple told 9to5Mac that the software update with the fix should arrive early next week.

The company did not give a version number, but both 9to5Mac and MacRumors have already spotted devices running iOS 27.0.1 in their web analytics. That makes this version the most likely candidate for the patch.

At the same time, there are reports of a separate issue in which the iPhone 18 Pro touchscreen sometimes stops responding to taps with no obvious connection to Face ID. It is not yet clear whether these cases are part of the same software bug.

Apple confirmed a fix specifically for freezes and reboots after a failed Face ID authentication, so it is premature to lump the two types of complaints together.