The Bug That Freezes Brand-New iPhones
Apple’s iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max went on sale September 18, starting at $1,199 and $1,299 in the US. Within days, some early adopters were reporting a nasty surprise: their brand-new phone freezes solid and restarts on its own after a failed Face ID scan.
The trigger is specific. According to 9to5Mac, the crash happens when Face ID fails while unlocking a protected app — the Passwords app, a private tab in Safari, or any app locked behind biometric protection. Tap “Try Face ID Again” after that first failed scan, and an affected phone stops responding to all touch input. A few seconds later, it panics and reboots back to the lock screen.
Notably, the regular lock screen does not seem to trigger it. 9to5Mac says it reproduced the bug itself on at least one European iPhone 18 Pro, but the outlet also notes the scope is unclear: it does not affect every device.
A New Camera Design Under Scrutiny
This year’s Pro models carry a redesigned, smaller Face ID system, with the infrared camera tucked behind the display near the top-left corner of the screen — the change that let Apple shrink the Dynamic Island. As MacRumors reports, it is not yet confirmed whether that hardware change is related to the crashes, and both outlets suspect a software glitch in the shipping release of iOS 27 rather than a hardware defect.
MacRumors also spotted adjacent Face ID complaints: some owners see a “Face ID is Not Available” error during setup, and others say the “Require Attention for Face ID” setting is not being respected consistently. One affected Reddit user said Apple Support recommended a hardware swap — which 9to5Mac calls a likely misdiagnosis, arguing the problem should be fixable through a software update.
Apple’s own support documentation already warns that screen protectors near the new TrueDepth camera position can interfere with Face ID, and reviewers have flagged that matte and privacy screen protectors in particular can disrupt the under-display camera. Apple has not publicly confirmed a root cause for the reboot bug.
Why This Matters
Launch-week bugs are not new for Apple — the iPhone 16 series had early stability hiccups that were patched through follow-up releases. But this one is jarring because it touches the phone’s core security feature, and it arrives during the first month of a launch cycle that is drawing heavy early demand.
For owners hitting the bug, the practical workaround is simple: after a failed Face ID scan inside an app, do not immediately tap “Try Face ID Again.” Wait for the prompt to dismiss, or use the app’s passcode option instead. Removing any privacy screen protector may also help. Affected users still sit inside Apple’s standard 14-day return window, and history suggests an iOS 27 point release should land before long.
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