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Another iOS 9.3 Bug Causes Apps to Freeze Your iPhone

By
Don Reisinger
Don Reisinger
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March 28, 2016, 11:27 AM ET

Apple’s iOS 9.3 is off to a rough start.

The mobile operating system Apple launched last week is suffering from another glitch that causes iOS-based devices, including the iPhone and iPad, to freeze, according to reports on Apple’s Support Forums and tweets to the company’s Support team.

A forum post last week from one iPhone owner said that when attempting to click a link to Google (GOOG) from Apple’s (AAPL) built-in browser Safari or email app Mail, “the apps just freeze.” The person added that nothing fixed the issue, including restarting the phone. Soon after, several other Apple users reported suffering from the same problem.

“I’m having the same issue in every app that has a link to open Safari,” one poster wrote. “I was in the beta and this never happened; it was more stable then (sic) the public release.”

A video was also published over the weekend showcasing the issue in action.

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It’s unclear at this point exactly what is causing the issue. An earlier report in TechCrunch, which discovered the growing Apple Support thread, pointed to some complaints that the issue could have to do with an iOS 9 feature called “Universal Links.” The feature allows app developers to force links to open directly within their programs instead of Apple’s Safari browser.

Some users in the forums, however, have said that when they disable JavaScript, a computer language used by Apple’s apps, it fixed the problem.

Whatever the case, it’s just the latest glitch to affect Apple’s newest operating system launch.

Last Monday, Apple announced that it was launching iOS 9.3 to its iPhone and iPad users. The version was previously in beta for months, suggesting that Apple was working with developers to get the issues worked out. However, soon after, users started complaining about the latest version of Apple’s operating system. For instance, some users with older devices couldn’t even update to iOS 9.3 if they didn’t remember their passwords. Unless they tried a workaround, including changing their passwords through Apple’s iCloud.com, their devices would be rendered useless.

For more about iOS 9.3, check out:

For its part, Apple acknowledged that issue, saying that it was working on a fix to address the activation error. The company last week patched the problem on the iPad 2, but said it would launch a software update to other iOS devices in the near future.

The issue was a bit of a black mark on an otherwise notable upgrade that includes support for new Night Shift feature that automatically adjusts the screen’s brightness to make it easier on the eyes at night. The app also includes improvements to Notes, News, and other features.

Still, users aren’t happy with an operating system that had been in testing for so long. And they’re now hoping Apple will fix this latest issue that—at least for some people—has stopped links from working.

How to Fix the iOS Update That Broke Your iPad

Apple did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the glitch. However, a forum poster claims to have spoken to Apple Support, which said it was aware of the issue “and that their engineers are working on an update.”

The person added that Apple Support thought “the update should arrive within the next two days.”

About the Author
By Don Reisinger
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