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Product Independently confirmed4 publishers 2 min read Published Updated

Apple's iOS 27.0.1 lists a fix for one of three Face ID complaints from iPhone 18 Pro owners

Apple's iOS 27.0.1 stops the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max restarting when Face ID fails, two weeks after iOS 27 shipped. The notes do not mention the setup error or the Require Attention trouble owners also reported, so those owners will only find out by installing it.

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Illustration accompanying Apple's iOS 27.0.1 lists a fix for one of three Face ID complaints from iPhone 18 Pro owners
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What happened

  • Apple also lists a fix for a color artifact on photos shot at 2x at f/1.48 in certain lighting, affecting a small number of iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max units.
  • The iPhone 18 Pro is the first with its infrared camera under the display, and MacRumors says it is unclear whether that hardware is behind the Face ID problems.
  • iPadOS 27.0.1 shipped alongside it with release notes that say only that the update provides bug fixes for your iPad.

Why it matters

  • Who has to decide decision Face ID stops being one ticket type on the 18 Pro. Reboot reports have a listed fix to retest against, while setup and Require Attention reports can only hope for an unlisted one.
  • What it limits constraint On every iPhone other than the 18 Pro, the documented case for pushing 27.0.1 quickly comes down to one touchscreen bug that only appears when both panels are opened at once.
  • Who's exposed exposure Apple has said software would handle the Face ID bugs. If faults persist after 27.0.1, Apple is left defending that claim while a hardware cause remains possible.

Next story · Product · Oct 6

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Confirmed2 publishers

An iPhone 18 Pro owner tries to open a locked app with Face ID. The scan fails, and in some cases the phone freezes and then reboots, according to complaints MacRumors collected [5]. Apple wrote its release note about the second half of that moment. It says the 18 Pro and Pro Max "may unexpectedly restart when Face ID fails to authenticate" [2]. Read literally, the fix covers the reboot after a failed scan.

The notes open with "This update provides bug fixes for your iPhone" [11]. Three items follow, and two of them apply only to the 18 Pro and Pro Max [12]. 9to5Mac expects older iPhones to get other, unmentioned fixes as well, because Apple's notes are not typically comprehensive [14]. Apple's list stops at three [11].

Here's what users actually do: they report a symptom. On the 18 Pro, the Face ID complaints MacRumors collected come in three forms, and only the reboot has a matching line in the notes [5][6][13]. Here's what teams tell themselves: the Face ID fix shipped, so the Face ID tickets can close. Both reports describe individual owners, and neither mentions managed fleets [5].

Two questions sort the queue. Is the phone an 18 Pro or Pro Max, and does the complaint match a line in the notes? An 18 Pro with a matched complaint, the reboot or the 2x color artifact, gets the update and a retest before its ticket closes [2][3]. An 18 Pro with an unmatched complaint, the setup message or the Require Attention trouble, gets the update and stays open until the owner confirms the fault is gone [6]. If those faults outlast 27.0.1, MacRumors' open question about the under-display infrared camera gets harder to set aside [9].

Any other iPhone with the touchscreen freeze gets the update, because that bug is the only listed fix that reaches every model [4][8]. The remaining phones have no listed reason to hurry. I'd keep that group on the normal update schedule. The tradeoff is putting up with the Notification Center and Control Center freeze until the normal cycle reaches those phones, and going without whatever unlisted fixes 9to5Mac expects for the same stretch [4][14].

What to watch

  • Whether iPhone 18 Pro owners still report the Face ID is Not Available setup message or Require Attention problems after installing 27.0.1.
  • Whether Apple ships a further update or support note that names the setup and Require Attention faults, or addresses the under-display infrared camera.
  • Whether the unlisted fixes 9to5Mac expects for older iPhones show up in owner reports or in later Apple notes.

Clarity's read

What the record supports and how the coverage leans. The claims behind it follow.

Reality

Evidence72
Adoption
Not scored
Hype gap+20
Incentives
Not scored
Confidence70

Perspective Coverage

4 publishers
Builder
Builder 19%
Operator
Operator 71%
Investor
Investor 10%
Why these scores

Claim ledger

Ranked by verification strength, evidence, and original report placement.

  1. [1]

    Apple released iOS 27.0.1, the first update to iOS 27, which came out two weeks earlier.

    Reported Supported Source: MacRumorsView cited source
  2. [2]

    Apple's release notes say iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max "may unexpectedly restart when Face ID fails to authenticate" and that iOS 27.0.1 fixes this.

    Reported Supported Source: Apple release notes, as published by 9to5MacView cited source
  3. [3]

    Apple's release notes list a fix for a color artifact that may appear on photos captured at 2x under certain lighting conditions at f/1.48 on a small number of iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max devices.

    Reported Supported Source: Apple release notes, as published by 9to5MacView cited source
  4. [4]

    Apple's release notes list a fix for an issue where opening Notification Center and Control Center simultaneously may cause the touchscreen to become unresponsive.

    Reported Supported Source: Apple release notes, as published by 9to5MacView cited source
  5. [5]

    Some iPhone 18 Pro users complained that Face ID authentication can fail for things like unlocking a locked app, and in some cases the device freezes and then reboots.

    Reported Supported Source: MacRumors, reporting user complaintsView cited source
  6. [6]

    Other iPhone 18 Pro users have seen a "Face ID is Not Available" message when attempting Face ID setup, and others have had issues with the Require Attention for Face ID setting.

    Reported Supported Source: MacRumors, reporting user complaintsView cited source
  7. [7]

    Apple said last week that it would be able to address the Face ID bugs with a software update.

    Reported Supported Source: MacRumors, citing AppleView cited source
  8. [8]

    Of the fixes listed in Apple's release notes, only the Notification Center and Control Center issue applies to all iPhone models.

    Reported Supported Source: 9to5MacView cited source
  9. [9]

    The iPhone 18 Pro models have an infrared camera under the display for the first time, and it is unclear whether the hardware has been causing a problem.

    Reported Supported Source: MacRumorsView cited source
  10. [10]

    Apple also released iPadOS 27.0.1, whose release notes say only: "This update provides bug fixes for your iPad."

    Reported Supported Source: 9to5MacView cited source
  11. [11]

    Apple's iOS 27.0.1 release notes open: "This update provides bug fixes for your iPhone, including fixes for the following issues," followed by three listed issues.

    Reported Supported Source: Apple release notes, as published by 9to5MacView cited source
  12. [12]

    Two of the three fixes listed in the iOS 27.0.1 release notes are limited to the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max.

    Derived Supported
  13. [13]

    Of the three kinds of Face ID complaint MacRumors described from iPhone 18 Pro owners, one (the restart after failed authentication) matches a line in Apple's release notes; the setup error and the Require Attention issue do not.

    Derived Supported
  14. [14]

    Apple's release notes are not typically comprehensive of all changes, so older iPhones will likely benefit from other, unmentioned bug fixes in iOS 27.0.1.

    Reported Insufficient Source: 9to5Mac's expectationView cited source

Sources

4 independent publishers whose own reporting we read for this story.

  1. 9to5mac.com

    1 article · September 28, 2026

    Apple releases iOS 27.0.1 for iPhone, here’s what’s new
  2. engadget.com

    1 article · September 29, 2026

    Apple's iOS 27.0.1 update arrives with fixes for Face ID and touchscreen issues
  3. macrumors.com

    1 article · September 28, 2026

    Apple Releases iOS 27.0.1 With Face ID Bug Fix
  4. zdnet.com

    1 article · September 28, 2026

    iOS 27.0.1 released: Apple fixes annoying iPhone 18 Pro restart and freezing issues

Topics and entities

Topics

  • iOS software updates

Entities