Apple has released iOS 27.0.1 to address the iPhone 18 Pro rebooting fix that users have been waiting for since the handset launched, tackling a Face ID glitch that was freezing devices before forcing an unwanted restart. The update also sorts two other bugs that had been annoying early adopters of the new Pro line.
It is a fairly busy patch cycle for Apple right now. The iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max are not the only new devices causing headaches, with the Apple Watch Series 12 and Ultra 4 also affected by random restart issues. All told, a lot of people who spent serious money on new hardware this month have been rebooting through no fault of their own.
What the iPhone 18 Pro Rebooting Bug Actually Does
The issue, as reported by 9to5Mac, surfaces after a failed Face ID scan. Rather than simply prompting you to try again, the phone freezes entirely. The ‘Try Face ID Again’ button may appear on screen, but tapping it does nothing. After a few seconds, the iPhone reboots. As Engadget reported, Apple confirmed the devices may ‘restart unexpectedly’ when Face ID fails to authenticate. Not catastrophic, but not what you want from a phone that starts at $1,199.
The Apple Watch situation is a different flavour of the same headache. Series 12 and Ultra 4 owners were reporting reboots with no obvious trigger: mid-workout, while talking to Siri, or in the middle of Maps navigation. Some analyses pointed to the Neural Engine as the culprit, though Apple never confirmed that publicly.
iOS 27.0.1 addresses three separate problems for iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max users. Beyond the iPhone 18 Pro rebooting fix, the update patches a bug that could add a colour artefact to photos taken at 2x under certain lighting conditions at f/1.48 aperture, a quirk tied to the variable aperture system that is new to the iPhone 18 Pro line. There is also a fix for a glitch that would make the touchscreen unresponsive when Notification Center and Control Center were opened simultaneously.
When the Updates Dropped and What Else Apple Has Patched
Apple moved quickly once the problems became widespread. WatchOS 27.0.1, released exclusively for Series 12 and Ultra 4 on Wednesday 23 September, was the first fix out of the door. The iPhone 18 Pro rebooting fix via iOS 27.0.1 followed on 28 September 2026, according to Chasms Blog.
The patch cycle extended further than just the new devices. According to MacRumors, Apple simultaneously released iPadOS 27.0.1 and visionOS 27.0.1, and also pushed iOS 26.7.1 and iPadOS 26.7.1 for users who have not yet updated to iOS or iPadOS 27. So if you are holding off on the major update for now, there is still a patch available on the older branch.
The full release notes for iOS 27.0.1 cover the three issues: unexpected restarts when Face ID fails to authenticate; a colour artefact that may appear on photos captured at 2x under certain lighting conditions at f/1.48 on a small number of devices; and the touchscreen becoming unresponsive when Notification Center and Control Center are opened simultaneously.
Do You Need to Visit an Apple Store?
Short answer: almost certainly not. Some Apple Store employees have reportedly swapped out affected units for customers who came in, but the software update should resolve the issue without any hardware replacement needed. If your problem is the Face ID restart, the photo artefact, or the Control Center freeze, iOS 27.0.1 covers all three.
To install it, go to Settings, then General, then Software Update. Worth doing now rather than leaving it, particularly given that the iPhone 18 Pro rebooting fix addresses an issue that can strike without warning.
