> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://www.techbetweenthelines.com/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # iPhone 18 Pro Problems So Far: What iOS 27.0.1 Fixed, What It Didn't, and When to Get a Replacement - URL: https://www.techbetweenthelines.com/iphone-18-pro-problems-so-far-what-ios-27-0-1-fixed-what-it-didnt-and-when-to-get-a-replacement/ - Published: 2026-10-07T18:00:00.000Z - Updated: 2026-10-07T18:00:00.000Z - Description: Face ID reboots, AT&T SOS on the Pro Max, and earpiece crackling: which iPhone 18 Pro problems iOS 27.0.1 fixed, which it didn't, and when to get a replacement. - Author: Justin - Tags: Apple, Apple OS 27 The iPhone 18 Pro has been on sale since September 18, and three weeks in, owners have hit more than the usual launch week grumbling. Some phones rebooted when Face ID failed. Some Pro Max units on AT&T dropped into SOS and never came back. A growing group of owners hear crackling from the earpiece speaker that no update has touched. The problems do not share a single fix. One was solved by software. One can be prevented by software but not reversed once it hits. One has no fix at all yet, and swapping the phone has not helped. Which group your phone falls into decides whether you update and move on, or head to an Apple Store. Here is where each issue stands as of October 7. ## Fixed: Face ID Reboots, Photo Artifacts, and a Gesture Freeze The most widespread complaint from launch week was phones freezing and rebooting when Face ID failed to recognize their owner. The iPhone 18 Pro models are the first to put Face ID's infrared camera under the display, and the bug showed up within about a day of the phones reaching customers. We traced it alongside a similar Apple Watch problem in [our look at the reboot bugs in Apple's newest devices](https://www.techbetweenthelines.com/the-reboot-bug-hiding-in-two-of-apples-newest-devices/). [iOS 27.0.1](https://www.techbetweenthelines.com/apple-releases-ios-27-0-1-with-iphone-18-pro-face-id-and-camera-fixes/), released September 28, fixes it. The same update fixed a color artifact some 18 Pro and Pro Max units produced in 2x photos shot at f/1.48, and a gesture bug on every iOS 27 iPhone that could lock the touchscreen if Notification Center and Control Center were opened at once. [Tom's Guide reports](https://www.tomsguide.com/phones/iphones/iphone-18-pro-problems-so-far-popping-noises-at-and-t-issues-and-more?ref=techbetweenthelines.com) that scattered complaints about Control Center freezing, app crashes, and camera color issues have also largely gone quiet since. If Face ID still misbehaves after updating, reset it under Settings → Face ID & Passcode and enroll your face again before assuming the hardware is at fault. ## Prevent It, but It Cannot Be Undone: AT&T SOS on the 18 Pro Max This is the serious one. Starting in mid September, iPhone 18 Pro Max owners on AT&T reported phones stuck showing SOS, unable to make calls, send texts, or use data, sometimes while showing a strong signal. AT&T sent customers a text on October 1 telling them to update, and Apple confirmed the problem in a statement: "We have identified an issue affecting a small number of iPhone 18 Pro Max users on the AT&T network that may cause a device to lose service and be unable to make calls." Apple and AT&T are fighting it on two fronts. iOS 27.0.1 is now required to set up a new 18 Pro Max, and on October 2 Apple pushed [AT&T carrier settings 72.1](https://www.macrumors.com/2026/10/02/att-and-apple-move-to-fix-iphone-18-pro-max-issues/?ref=techbetweenthelines.com). That update does not appear under Software Update. You find it under Settings → General → About, where a prompt appears if it is waiting for you. The catch is in what those updates do. [According to Macworld](https://www.macworld.com/article/3250214/apple-confirms-iphone-cellular-issue-admits-affected-units-cant-be-fixed.html?ref=techbetweenthelines.com), they are meant to keep the problem from starting, and they cannot repair a phone that is already affected. If your Pro Max on AT&T has been stuck in SOS, updating will not bring it back. Apple's path is a replacement through an Apple Store, Apple Support, or an AT&T store that has stock. If your phone is working fine on AT&T, install iOS 27.0.1 and the carrier update today. ## No Fix Yet: Earpiece Crackling and Popping The newest complaint is also the least understood. Owners of both the 18 Pro and 18 Pro Max describe crackling, ticks, and pops, mostly from the earpiece speaker. [MacTrast collected reports](https://www.mactrast.com/2026/09/aome-iphone-18-pro-owners-hearing-unusual-speaker-crackling-and-popping/amp/?ref=techbetweenthelines.com) of the sound appearing while switching apps, changing volume, using dictation, scrolling, receiving notifications, changing screen brightness, and toggling Airplane Mode. At high volume, some describe music as raspy. Two details make this one frustrating. iOS 27.0.1 did not mention it and owners say it did not help. And some people who got replacement phones heard the same sound on the new unit. Apple has not commented publicly, though Tom's Guide reports that some Apple and Best Buy staff told affected owners it is likely a software issue. That pattern, a problem that follows the owner to a new phone, matches what happened with the Face ID reboots before 27.0.1 fixed them. It does not prove this is software, but it is a reason not to burn through multiple exchanges. Contact Apple Support so the problem is logged under your serial number, keep a screen recording with the sound audible, and keep automatic updates on so you get the next fix as soon as it ships. ## Not a Defect: First Week Heat and Battery Drain If your new 18 Pro ran warm and drained quickly in its first few days, that is expected. A new iPhone restored from backup spends days downloading photos, rebuilding indexes, and setting up Siri AI on device. We explain that process, and how long it should take, in [our guide to the "Optimizing Search and Siri" banner](https://www.techbetweenthelines.com/ios-27s-indexing-in-progress-explained-why-its-happening-and-how-long-it-takes/). If heat and drain continue well after the banner disappears, then it is worth a conversation with Apple. ## The Short Version Update to iOS 27.0.1 if you have not. On AT&T, install the carrier update from Settings → General → About. If your Pro Max is already stuck in SOS, ask for a replacement, because software will not save it. If your earpiece crackles, log it with Apple and hold off on repeated swaps until Apple says more. The one problem with a known cause traces straight to what Apple changed this year. The Face ID camera moved under the display, and the reboots followed. That is the usual tax on a redesign, and the reason the first few point releases of a new iPhone matter more than the launch. The next one, [iOS 27.2, is expected the week of October 26](https://9to5mac.com/2026/10/07/ios-27-2-release-date-new-iphone-features-are-coming-soon/?ref=techbetweenthelines.com), and its release notes will tell us whether the crackling was ever a software problem. If you are keeping your phone ESR iPhone 18 Pro cases MagSafe cases with built in stands and Camera Control covers, made for the new 18 Pro and 18 Pro Max sizes. From **$29.99** at ESR [See ESR cases](https://waymeetlimited.sjv.io/c/4848307/2866148/33346?subId1=ip18problems&u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.esrtech.com%2Fcollections%2Fiphone-18-pro-cases&ref=techbetweenthelines.com) Our long term pick Nomad Modern Leather Case Horween leather that ages well. We used it for a year and [reviewed it here](https://www.techbetweenthelines.com/nomad-goods-modern-leather-case-for-iphone-17-pro-max-review/). From **$79** at Nomad [Shop Nomad](https://www.anrdoezrs.net/click-101000137-14535369?sid=ip18problems&url=https%3A%2F%2Fnomadgoods.com%2Fpages%2Fiphone-18-cases&ref=techbetweenthelines.com) We earn a commission if you buy through these links, at no extra cost to you. It never changes our verdict. See all of our picks in the [TBTL Gear Guide](https://www.techbetweenthelines.com/gear/). More iOS 27 explainers - [What the "Optimizing Search and Siri" banner means](https://www.techbetweenthelines.com/ios-27s-indexing-in-progress-explained-why-its-happening-and-how-long-it-takes/) - [The new notification gesture map](https://www.techbetweenthelines.com/ios-27-changed-how-you-open-notifications-here-is-the-new-gesture-map/) - [Which of the two dictation systems you have](https://www.techbetweenthelines.com/ios-27-has-two-dictation-systems-here-is-which-one-is-on-your-iphone/) - [Which iPhones actually get Siri AI](https://www.techbetweenthelines.com/which-iphones-actually-get-siri-ai-in-ios-27-and-what-you-will-see-on-each-one/) - [AirPods Custom EQ, explained](https://www.techbetweenthelines.com/ios-27s-airpods-custom-eq-explained-what-it-does-which-models-get-it-and-what-apple-left-out/) - [Inside the redesigned Health app](https://www.techbetweenthelines.com/inside-apples-redesigned-health-app-everything-we-found-in-the-ios-27-2-beta/)