Discussion
Just replaced my iphone 18 pro max at apple
What happened is that after I picked it up on the 18th of September , everything was going well and the phone performance was great, but after 2 days i opened Safari and went to private the app tell me to set a face ID , when i clicked yes the face ID emotion in the top of the screen freeze and 2-3 seconds after the phone shut down by itself , i reopen it and everything was running normal, but i asked AI and it tell me the phone may have a software/system issue , I booked an appointment the same day with a specialist at apple , and he tested it and confirm the issue , and got me the typical new phone .
It takes about 10-15 minutes there
And they where so friendly and professional .
If someone wondering I upgraded from iphone 11 to 18 pro max .
This was my story that i like to share with everyone to spare conscious .
It happened to me, too! I ordered and picked up the 18 Pro on 9/18/26 at the Apple Store. This morning, my device shut down and restarted on its own when I was using the Face ID to open an app. Strange. I called Apple support and explained the situation. She checked my hardware and said everything is fine. Then she verified that Apple is aware of this problem and working on a fix by releasing a software update. I can return/exchange my iPhone at the Apple Store but she said that because it is a software issue, the new phone may have the same problem. Makes sense. I hope the software update comes soon, at least before the 14 days.
No, it will release when they had the time to first find the issue and then fix it. Just because they are aware of the issue, doesn’t mean they know what causes it.
usually when it comes to major releases like this, especially on new hardware, I wouldn't be surprised to see this streamlined like in the past, like 27.0.1. Especially if it's out in the wild and known like this.
No that is how software works. You find something that doesn’t work right. You find out what causes it. You try to find a way to fix it with breaking other things. You test if it works and indeed did not break other things. Then you release it
Thanks I will tell the team tomorrow how to debug things as guy on Reddit told me. You seriously got no clue what you are talking about. They do not need to find anything, they have logs and kernel dumps. Whoever is looking at them will see answer where the issue is within minutes. And breaking other things with an update? Go and read https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3938178-debugging
Then once you got more knowledge come back as at the moment you are repeating myths.
I had the issue, I replaced the device, still got the issue..upgraded to beta 27.2, same issue still happened.
Even tried to restore and fully new install ios 27.0 , same issue appears still
No, but I did have an issue with needing to input a passcode more than normal. I disabled theft protection and then removed faceID and passcodes. Started from a clean slate and everything seems Hunky-dory
Will that was happening to me as will , in the old one , the face ID didn’t seems to work right, the phone got me to put a passcode almost every time i open the phone.
Question: did the store have the same configuration for sale or did they have some magical stock for replacements? Going through the same issue but no stock available by me.
Generally, during new product launches, they keep some units out of stock to handle potential DOAs, especially since repairs and replacements aren’t immediately available in every country.
Did you go to the store for the replacement? If so, did you have to have an appointment? They’re going to replace my 18 Pro but I was told I have to wait a week for an appointment, which is absurd.
I just walked in without an appointment. They first said I had to come back in a week but I'm leaving in the country in two days. They sorted me out there and then
The issue is am hearing that the replacement can lose value more then the new one because the mobile number start with N , which is a replacement phone , do i return it and get a new one later ?
Were you using a screen protector by chance? Leading theory is that it interferes with the new Face ID sensor that is now no longer located on the island.
I’ve had that issue as well, and Face ID was having serious trouble in the dark with my screen protector on. I had a privacy/matte one so it was doubly bad.
I just switched to a plain clear one now and it seems to work fine like before now(17pm), even in the dark.
It probably goes crazy and shorts itself when trying to find a face that’s all distorted by the protector and reboots itself.
The privacy screen protectors might make it harder for the FaceID to work. But the shutdown likely was triggered by any FaceID capture failure?(like sometimes you do FaceID and it didn’t work on the first try) and seemed to cause the restart. So privacy screen protector itself is not the root cause
Wait at least another week before returning, people are saying it may be software related and will be fixed soon. My 18 pro also did a random reboot, but haven’t had an issue since.
Never seen so many posts about iphones being replaced, if it is a software bug why they are doing it, might make it difficult to get a replacement for someone who actually needs one.
If an active known issue apple will be in rapid mode for that OS update! Agreed it’s SW and the Apple Store isn’t going to dive into all possibilities of an HW issue anyhow.
Is it occurring under the same circumstances as OP? What’s the “known” issue read as.
Please link something if you could.
Just curious, were you given a brand-new phone in the original retail box, or was it a replacement device supplied in the brown box that Apple specifically uses for replacement devices?
Am so confused rn , this make me feel i got a bad phone , it’s what it’s, the brown box phone is new , but at the same time the phone is a replacement, and will show that in the mobile/serial number , i still have tell oct 2 to return, what u think .
if you don’t care about it much, just keep it. But if it’s something that’ll bother you, just make a trip to the store and ask for a brand new unit exchange. Within 14 days, you have the option to return and buy a new one, so should have new phone than replacement.
im also planning to get a replacement, what did you tell the workers at the apple store? did you test your replacement as well? because what if the same thing happens to the replacement
Just book an appointment first
And tell them the issue, they will test the device if they see it , they will replace ur phone or fix it if they have parts, but now that am thinking about it ,I actually forgot to asked them to test the new one .
Same thing happened to me when unlocking my phone. Face ID stuck in loop then froze and phone restarted. Probably just a software glitch, and will be fixed in the next patch. Switching phones will not fix this issue.
I also have an iPhone 11 and I wanna switch to 18 pro or pro max? How does the pro max feel? I’m leaning towards a pro because I’m afraid the pro max will be too large.
My phone also crashed day 1 when I was trying to use Apple Pay. Nothing since. I think the phone was just stressed out from the data transfer and loading apps, etc
Had the shutdown issue as well. As for the privacy screen protector, I am using the Flolab Nanoarmour 8 and I had issues in the dark. I set up a second appearance in Face ID and it seems to be working much better now. Thanks!
I had my Pro Max restart randomly while I was in the messages app. Didn’t have the frozen screen though. I would imagine iOS 27 isn’t as stable as we assume…
Will i thought I was the only one but after this post , not anymore , some people say it’s just need a update and some say it’s a hardware issue , so just to be safe , it’s a billion dollar company. Go and replace it or check it with them .
You’re right!! Let me schedule an appointment and I might as well switch to the pro max while I’m at it! (All sold out at my location but you never know)
No I totally returned the pm for the pro this Saturday lol it was very heavy and my wrist was hurting but I have pm fomo 😢 I had the 11 pm and 13pm I’m rocking the black so maybe I can change the color or something
Plugged mine into a charger last night at 40% and the screen went black and the phone will not turn on! So upset and annoyed that I have no working phone because Apple can’t seem to put out a reliable product until it’s already on the market!
I’ve had similar issues with Apple wallet, when I open it quickly after opening my phone the Face ID screen pops up for a second, freezes, then phone restarts out of nowhere
It happened to me too. I wanted to check my bank account, and then my phone suddenly restarted. I also have an issue where I hear a faint popping or crackling sound while scrolling through videos.
My phone is having the same face id problem. Plus it intermittently freezes and intermittently turns off. Apple support did a Diagnostic test and said it was a hardware issue. Plus it takes a long time to download anything. I took it into the apple store and they are replacing it. Had to order it. They said they weren’t aware of any problems with the new 18 pro max🤔
Glad to hear of your success in dealing with Apple. It’s one reason I buy the Apple products is because it is so easy when you do run into problems to have them fixed.
You get an unaffected phone, Apple gets the “bad” phone off the streets. Even though it’s just a software issue and will be resolved through an update, this is a big launch so the experience needs to meet the expectation.
I’m glad you got the swap. If it starts on the new phone just know it’s likely getting a software fix sooner than later and they won’t swap it again.
We’ve had a few people come in and that’s the guidance given out. It’s definitely caught someone’s attention in big Apple lol
The replacement is fine , but the thing is they give me the brown box one , and everyone telling me they should give u a new one not the brown box one that they say will lose value more then the normal one , what u think do i return it and get a new one or just keep ?
It is so stupid. Every single time Apple releases something, they beta tested on the people who purchased the item, rather than doing a very thorough test prior to the release. Free labor! BS for Customer Service
What’s wild to me is that the phones are shrouded in such secrecy when their designed and then when they finally come out they’re loaded with issues. I want to upgrade to the 18 Pro from my 17 Pro just because I have an upgrade and want the black color and now I find I can’t use a certain screen protector matte or privacy, there’s a known issue with Face ID, there’s a scrolling issue that intermittently occurs- I cannot be without a phone and I can’t afford to pay $100 more for a phone to have to be in a position where the Face ID becomes defective and I have to schedule an appointment to maybe get it fixed at a store.
Not only that but the repeated aluminum design is still prone to scratches and scuffs especially on the darker colors and the phones absorb hand oils like crazy and then they don’t wipe off unless you use a certain cleaner.
And the phone costs $100 more….for real? Whoever is testing these things are clearly not doing it adequately because these types of issues should not be occurring on Day 1…so much for quality control…but I’ll end up buying it only because I upgrade once every year. I don’t think the Duo Fold phone is for me. As an IT guy it’s not for me…
Is anyone else’s Face ID like crazy sensitive like I’m not sure if it’s my privacy screen protector but it’s almost like you have to have it at a precise angle 😒
you can ask apple support on the app to run a remote diagnostics like what they did on mine. and they mentioned i need to go to apple store to get a new phone. “failed stability test”
Yeah I did this and I'm pretty sus. The guy said there was an issue with my face id sensor( after I told him about the panic log/face id failures). But couldn't provide any details or error code. When I ran the phones built in internal diagnostic mode (turn off phone, hold up and down volume buttons, plug in - is pretty cool btw) which has a dedicated face id check for the sensors etc, it found no issues. Pretty sure these guys just look at symptoms and infer issues then send you to the store as the "solution."
I did submit a bug report regarding this, haven’t heard anything back regarding it but I found a temporary workaround at least until they push out an update:
Go into your Face ID settings and disable it for everything except phone unlock. It does kind of defeat the convenience of Face ID but so far it’s been more stable for me, at least you can still unlock your phone with it which you’ll do primarily.
Both my partner and I have experienced a couple random power downs while using our 18 pros. Didn’t happen when faceID was being used but I was using safari and switching tabs last time.
Apple will be replacing my 18 Pro as well. There are several things not working right with it but the biggest issue is that video streaming (Sling app) has locked the phone down twice in 4 days. I could even force a reboot of the phone. It was just stuck on the screen where you can slide the toggle to shut down the phone. Couldn’t slide it and also couldn’t click the X to back out of this screen. Unfortunately, I was told that I have to wait until next Tuesday for an “appointment,” before I can get it replaced. Super frustrating
The issue is am hearing that the replacement can lose value more them the new one because the mobile number start with N , which is a replacement phone .
Believe me, you don’t need it , but if u really going for it go with the pro not the max it’s so big and uncomfortable, am still uesing the 11 tell now , i only ues the 18 for gaming , mind u its so expensive
I had the same experience
After getting the iPhone18promax 1TB on Friday and by the following Monday it was switching itself off and on. I realized something is wrong with it. I am returning it as I already ordered fold8 ultra. Praying I get better luck with better phone.
I’ve had the 14 pro max/15/and now using my 17pro max which I Love, I want to thank yall for all the updates I’ve been checking every day on what everyone has been saying, I actually placed my order for the 18 pro max but recently cancelled for now since it wouldn’t be in supposedly until around the 13th-,waiting for better updates and I’ve decided to just wait until I can get it in store,by then I should have made up my mind,but maybe I’ll just keep my 17 pro max it’s in great condition and just wait until next year to see I’m not really happy about the extra weight because I can tell difference because I could tell the difference between the 14 pro max
i have the same problem. apple store said my phone failed the stability test, so they replaced my phone with a new 18 pro. they said it’s a hardware issue, got a replacement last Wednesday, and today it’s started crashing again……..
I just got off the phone with them and they told me it was fine and not to worry about it. They won’t replace the phone and they said they’d only run a diagnosis if it keeps happening
I never understood why people voluntarily share and sign away their rights to their extremely valuable biometrics to tech companies for free. Even at the airport I step aside from the face camera at security and politely “opt out of their study”.
I’m failing to understand why you’re talking down on OP calling them impatient when they identified an issue and resolved it?
If my 18 pro or anything I just purchased has an issue, I’m not waiting a few days to see if Apple or another company is working on it. You have a limited warranty for a reason. Use it.
Well to be fair if it’s a reoccurring issue they are patching, is plausible to occur again- repeat exchanges… assures a patch is in rapid motion.
Oh and who you replied to sounds rude!
Just curious what version is 17 on? Standard public release- what did yours come out of the box with, and what did it update to? iE 17.01, etc
For me, I have a really complicated phone life with includes a lot of authenticator apps and other details that I simply cannot hand my mobile over to a tech and wait 20 minutes and walk out with a new one. Took me half a day to comfortably switch into my current 18PM and everything is working fine so I don't want to do that again if I can help it.
I feel like I got a good phone. It doesn't flake out on wifi, the esim switched over pretty easily (but it took 2 tries), the black is not fading around the camera and the my battery is not super draining fast like some being reported. I'm happy with *this* phone and if there is a fix for a small issue, I'd rather get that than take a chance on getting another different phone will possible issues.
Don't get me wrong, if my phone because unusable then it's got to go but like was mentioned if it's not that bad, you have time to get it fixed. I'd do everything I could to keep a good one. Again, if your phone is simple and the transfer takes a few minutes while you browse the store, go for it.
Sucks that so many people will accept a nonfunctional product, enabling billion dollar businesses to continue selling $2k phones with defective coatings and software
Exactly this! Was going to say. They don't swap phones for fun. Clearly the issue was immediately apparent or diagnostics was throwing error codes. Either way, nice outcome for the OP and glad they got a new device on the spot.
Possible they are being somewhat sensitive with it being within the first few weeks of launch, falling under their Early Field Failure Analysis (EFFA).
They don’t have the tools to fully break down an entire phone to each component that can result in this error in an Apple Store. It’s more efficient to fast swap and get a patch out assp.
They likely know what components can, at best sent a tool to check all those components to see if the SW issue triggered was by one of those components at best.
They will update these phones SW- be sold as Apple care replacements, etc.
I’ve had a phone that just occasionally rebooted. Too often. I couldn’t recreate it, they just hand me a new phone. No diagnostic they can do to isolate the issue in store.
He took it in back and I walked with him - he grabbed a new box and did some sort of marking I can’t recall on the old box.
C’est un bug iOS 27 qui sera corriger sous peu !! 🤣🤣🤣🤓🤓 sa te fera la même sur le nouveau test debile ou quoi c’est pas un défaut matériel sa paraît logique et c’est mentionner depuis la sortie les bugs des redémarrage Apple Watch et iPhone …
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u/Cute_Shake1790 23d ago
It happened to me, too! I ordered and picked up the 18 Pro on 9/18/26 at the Apple Store. This morning, my device shut down and restarted on its own when I was using the Face ID to open an app. Strange. I called Apple support and explained the situation. She checked my hardware and said everything is fine. Then she verified that Apple is aware of this problem and working on a fix by releasing a software update. I can return/exchange my iPhone at the Apple Store but she said that because it is a software issue, the new phone may have the same problem. Makes sense. I hope the software update comes soon, at least before the 14 days.