An unfortunate bug has been discovered in iOS 18, affecting the Messages app and causing repeated crashes, sometimes forcing users to delete their entire conversation to fix the issue, risking losing important data.
A bug that prevents the use of iMessage
This bug manifests itself when someone shares a watch face from an Apple Watch, and the user replies to that specific message in a thread. Once triggered, the bug crashes the Messages app every time the user tries to open the conversation, preventing both users from continuing to communicate normally. For now, the workaround is to delete the thread entirely, which of course erases all conversation history, including unsaved photos and videos.
iOS 18.1 beta is not affected, but you may want to wait for the next iOS 18 patch update before attempting to share or reply to watch face messages again, as Apple is already working on a fix.
The main new features of iOS 18
This bug has tarnished the near-perfect launch of iOS 18 earlier this week. If you missed our (numerous) articles on the subject, here is what you need to know about Apple’s new mobile operating system.
iOS 18 brings many improvements with a home screen customizationallowing free movement of apps and widgets, as well as tinted or dark effects on icons. The Control center is fully reorganizable, including the ability to add third-party apps. The app Photos gets a redesign with Moment carousels, themed collections, and improved smart search. In Messagesyou can now schedule SMS sending, use effects and emojis as reactions, and take advantage of RCS support for better communication with Android (currently available with SFR).
iOS 18 also introduces new features of app security with Face ID/Touch ID, the ability to hide apps, and emergency communication via Satellite messages. THE AirPods Pro 2 gain gesture controls, and calls can be answered with a nod. Safari gets a improved reader modewhile a new app Passwords allows you to manage identifiers and be alerted of security breaches. Finally, theApple Intelligence offers advanced features like image generation, text generation, summarization and contextual responses via Siri, although these are expected later in Europe.
