This is why bug fixes occur.
A bug in the Messages app on Apple’s newly-released iOS 18 could create a scenario where the fix could require data loss. Per 9to5Mac reader Alex, the bug occurs when an Apple Watch face is shared to your iPhone via Messages or Mail directly from watchOS. The feature is meant to make it possible to share personalized watch face configurations.
The bug itself seems to be triggered when another user replies to the shared watch face in a thread on Messages in iOS 18. The threaded responses feature allows you to have an inline conversation about a specific message that may have been sent earlier in the chat. If this happens, the Messages app will repeatedly crash if a user tries to open the conversation in the app. Sending or responding to the conversation from other chats in Messages is also impossible as the app may repeatedly crash.
Once triggered, the bug can affect both users, although it appears to require responding to the shared watch face from iOS 18.
The immediate fix requires losing chat history, and once the bug has occurred, both users are unable to open the conversation in Messages until the conversation thread is deleted from each device. Deleting the conversation can be difficult if Messages repeatedly crash. This can include data such as photos and videos that may not have been saved outside of the Messages app. Restoring the deleted thread from the recently deleted location on Messages reintroduces the crashing bug.
Apple will likely need to patch this bug in updates to iOS 18, macOS 15, watchOS 11, and future beta versions of Apple’s pre-release software.
Apple has yet to publicly comment on the issue.
If you’ve seen this bug on your end, please let us know about your experience in the comments.
Via 9to5Mac