Apple confirms iPhone 18 Pro Face ID freeze/reboot software fix early next week
Apple told 9to5Mac a software update fixing the iPhone 18 Pro Face ID freeze-and-reboot bug should arrive early next week. Hardware swaps are unnecessary for this issue.
Apple has confirmed to 9to5Mac that a software update to fix the iPhone 18 Pro / Pro Max Face ID freeze-and-reboot bug is in the works and should be available early next week.
That is a clear step beyond the September 21 reports we covered in our Face ID freeze/reboot bug roundup: Apple is treating the issue as a software problem, not a hardware defect that requires a device swap.
What Apple confirmed
Benjamin Mayo at 9to5Mac says Apple confirmed a software update addressing the problem is coming, with availability expected early next week. Apple has not publicly named the build in that confirmation.
Separately, 9to5Mac and MacRumors have seen signs that iOS 27.0.1 is in testing. Chance Miller notes it is likely, but not confirmed, that 27.0.1 will carry this Face ID fix — along with other early iOS 27 / iPhone 18 Pro bug patches.
The bug, briefly
On affected units, a failed Face ID attempt when unlocking a protected app (for example Passwords), followed by Try Face ID Again, can freeze the phone and hard-reboot after a few seconds. 9to5Mac previously reproduced the path on a European iPhone 18 Pro; the glitch does not appear to hit every owner.
iPhone 18 Pro models use a redesigned Face ID layout with the infrared camera under the display and a smaller Dynamic Island. Outlets still frame the reboot as a software glitch with that new arrangement in shipping iOS 27 — Apple’s confirmation aligns with that view.
What owners should do
- Wait for the software update if you only see freezes after failed protected-app Face ID.
- Do not rush a hardware replacement solely for this symptom — 9to5Mac says some customers had already swapped devices thinking it was hardware; Apple’s statement makes that unnecessary for this bug once the patch ships.
- If Face ID never enrolls or shows Face ID is Not Available during setup, that may be a different issue — contact Apple Support as needed.
If your iPhone 18 Pro hit the Face ID freeze/reboot, what will you do now that Apple confirmed a fix?
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Bottom line: Apple has confirmed a software fix for the iPhone 18 Pro Face ID freeze/reboot bug, expected early next week. Whether it arrives as iOS 27.0.1 specifically remains unconfirmed, but owners should treat this as a software patch, not a manufacturing defect.
Sources: 9to5Mac — Benjamin Mayo (September 23–24, 2026); 9to5Mac — Chance Miller; MacRumors — iOS 27.0.1 coming soon.