UPDATE: Apple has finally released iOS 11.2 to fix the date bug. Apple recommends turning off notifications first before installing the update. To do this, go to Settings > Notifications. Tap a specific app then turn off "Allow Notifications." Repeat this for each app. Then update to iOS 11.2. Afterward, turn the notifications back on. 

ORIGINAL STORY: An unusual bug within iOS 11.1.2 has caused phones to crash repeatedly once the clock hit 12:15 a.m. on Dec. 2.

It appears to be associated with third-party apps that send recurring notifications for things such as reminders, for instance.

Twitter engineer Yoshimasa Niwa first made the impending issue public through Twitter, saying apps that have local notifications with repeating settings will cause iOS SpringBoard to crash on Dec. 2.

But what exactly is a local notification? Well, it's just one of the notification options available to App Store apps. They differ from remote notifications because they're "local," which means they don't come from internet services.

Only apps from the App Store appear to cause iPhones to crash, and not native first-party apps such as Clock and others, according to iMore.

How To Fix iOS 11 Crash Loop

Fortunately for iOS users, there's an easy fix. Several, actually: Either users can turn off their notifications or set their date back to any point before Dec. 2. Alternatively, they can also use the public beta version of iOS 11.2, which seems to fix the issue.

Such measures above are drastic but serviceable workarounds at least until the official stable version of iOS 11.2 rolls around. It's also worth keeping in mind that reversing the internal clock probably isn't a good idea since it will affect a lot of apps that depend on time and date to function properly.

Here are some other things users can do, according to a Reddit thread:

• Changing your time zone to Honolulu, or changing your date and time to 1 week ago may temporarily fix the issue. It seems like the issue may be based on or linked to your system clock.

• Some people have reported that deleting the Headspace app (if you have it installed) will solve this issue. However, there are plenty of people that never had the app and are still facing the issue so this may not work. I have contacted Headspace support; I will update this post when I hear back.

• Disable Background App Refresh (Settings > General)

• Settings > About > Reset > Reset All Settings (use as last resort, or just wait for a fix and play outside)

Users who aren't affected by the crash bug should consider themselves lucky. But for those rattled by the annoying mishap, make sure to consider following the steps above as a temporary workaround.

Apple has yet to address the issue or offer an official fix.

Apple's Bug Problems

Apple has been thrust in the spotlight lately for its various software issues, particularly critical security flaws in macOS High Sierra. First there was the incredible exploit that basically allowed anyone to hack into a Mac by entering "root" as a username — no password needed. But before that there was a bug back in September that allowed hackers to steal macOS passwords.

ⓒ 2024 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
Join the Discussion