Earlier this week, Apple unleashed iOS 18 to the general public, introducing a suite of fresh features to the platform. However, not long after the update became available, users started reporting a troublesome bug that has been causing the Messages app to crash repeatedly on both iPhones and iPads. This glitch, while irritating, seems to be linked to the sharing of watch faces from the Apple Watch.
According to recent reports, this issue arises when a user sends or receives a customized watch face via the Messages app. The Apple Watch allows users to share customized watch faces seamlessly, but in the environment of iOS 18, replying to a shared watch face in a message thread triggers a crash. What makes this bug particularly pesky is that it crashes the Messages app not only for the sender but also for the receiver and even extends to those using Macs.
If you find yourself plagued by this problem, the best course of action is to avoid sharing your watch face for the time being. Additionally, if you receive a watch face, resist the urge to reply to the message thread, as this will undoubtedly activate the bug and cause repeated crashes.
There’s a workaround, albeit a costly one: deleting the entire conversation thread associated with the shared watch face. This might be easier said than done, given that the app crashes continually, complicating the deletion process. Furthermore, deleting the conversation means losing your entire chat history with that contact, and any attempt to restore the thread will reactivate the bug.
While this solution is far from ideal, it’s a temporary fix until Apple addresses the issue in a forthcoming iOS 18 update. It’s likely that a minor point update will be released soon, focusing on squashing this bug and enhancing stability across devices. We’ll be sure to update you once this fix is rolled out, so stay tuned for the latest developments.
For now, exercise caution with shared watch faces to keep your Messages app functional and crash-free.
