iPhone 18 Pro Face ID Bug Triggers iOS 27 Reboots After Failed Unlocks

3 articles · Updated · 9to5Mac · Sep 21

9to5Mac reproduced a bug on at least one European iPhone 18 Pro in which a failed Face ID retry inside locked apps freezes the phone, then forces a reboot to the lock screen.
The issue appears tied to the new under-display infrared Face ID camera and is triggered when users tap “Try Face ID Again” after an authentication failure in apps like Passwords or private Safari tabs.
The scope is still unclear because not all iPhone 18 Pro or Pro Max users are affected, and the crash does not seem to occur from lock-screen Face ID attempts.
Apple support reportedly suggested at least one hardware swap, but the report says the fault is likely software-based and should be fixable in an iOS 27 update.
The glitch follows earlier complaints that some screen protectors disrupt Face ID on the new sensor design, and separate reports have linked iPhone 18 Pro restarts to broader 'panic-full' iOS crashes.