Apple Working on a Fix for iOS 9.3 Web Links Crashing Issue - MacRumors
Skip to Content

Apple Working on a Fix for iOS 9.3 Web Links Crashing Issue

by

Apple has confirmed that it is aware of an issue causing web links to crash in multiple iOS apps like Safari, Mail, and Messages, reports TechCrunch. Following multiple complaints about the bug over the past few days, Apple says it is working on a fix that will be released "soon" via a software update.

Shortly after the release of iOS 9.3, iPhone and iPad users began complaining about a bug that causes multiple built-in and third-party apps to crash or freeze after a web link is tapped or pressed using a long press. The issue does not affect all users, but based on threads in the MacRumors forums and the Apple Support Communities, it is impacting a wide range of iOS users and a long list of iOS devices including the iPhone 5, 5s, 6, 6 Plus, 6s, 6s Plus, iPad Air 2, and iPad mini.


The specific cause for the issue is still unconfirmed, but there is speculation that it is related to Apple's Universal Links feature. According to mobile specialist Ben Collier, the Shared Web Credentials daemon, which allows apps and websites to share login credentials for Universal Linking purposes, may be a factor.

Apps with large deep linking files for use with Universal Linking could also be causing the problem, as many users who had installed the Booking.com app have experienced crashing and freezing issues. The Booking.com app, though now fixed, was originally using an overly large 2.3MB deep linking file.

While there is no fix for the crashing issue, some users have had success turning off JavaScript in the Settings app by going to Safari --> Advanced, but this is a suboptimal option because it will degrade the web browsing experience. Force closing affected apps and restarting the iOS device does not solve the problem.

The web links fix may be bundled into iOS 9.3.1, which Apple is already working on. Over the last few days, we've seen an increasing number of visits from devices running iOS 9.3.1, suggesting Apple has sped up testing on the update.

ios_9_3_1_traffic
The web linking bug is the second major bug to affect iOS 9.3 users. The first rendered some older devices unusable due to a problem with Activation Lock, which required customers to enter the information originally used to set up their iPhone or iPad. Apple issued a new version of iOS 9.3 on Monday to fix the issue.

Tag: iOS 9.3
Related Forum: iOS 9

Popular Stories

Dynamic Island iPhone 18 Pro Feature

11 Reasons to Wait for the iPhone 18 Pro

Monday May 11, 2026 9:01 am PDT by
We're only four months out from the launch of Apple's premium next-generation smartphone lineup, and while we're not expecting a sea change in terms of functionality, there are still several enhancements rumored to be coming to the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max. One thing worth noting is that Apple is reportedly planning a major change to its iPhone release cycle this year, adopting a...
Read Full Article • 35 comments
iOS 26

iOS 26.5 Features: Everything New in iOS 26.5

Monday May 11, 2026 5:09 pm PDT by
Apple released iOS 26.5 after a few months of beta testing, and while it doesn't have the Siri features we were hoping for since those are being held until iOS 27, there are a handful of useful changes worth knowing about. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. End-to-End Encryption for RCS Support for end-to-end encryption (E2EE) for RCS messages between iPhone and...
Read Full Article • 63 comments
General Apps Reddit Feature

Reddit Starts Blocking Mobile Website, Pushing Users to App Instead

Monday May 11, 2026 6:10 am PDT by
Social network Reddit recently began blocking mobile visitors to its website while pushing them to download the official Reddit app, and it's fair to say that the move is not going down well with users. If you visit reddit.com on your iPhone today, you may see a new popup that can't be dismissed, asking you to "get the app to keep using Reddit." A Reddit spokesperson told Ars Technica...
Read Full Article • 125 comments

Top Rated Comments

Asarien Avatar
Asarien
132 months ago
Their quality continues to decrease. Apple is on the verge of becoming Microsoft; too big to do everything right.
Score: 39 Votes (Like | Disagree)
tbayrgs Avatar
tbayrgs
132 months ago
Give Apple some credit. It takes time to perfect code, and its not always easy to write in the first place.

Yes, they should have kept it in beta longer or worked on it more exclusively, but thats another story.
And yes, these things can appear after release rather than in the beta process.
Why? Writing code isn't new---Apples been doing it for a very long time. My issue is that these types of problems are becoming the norm vs. the exception. This release has been in beta for months yet we first see a bad version on 9.3 for older devices and now this.

Apple's reputation for polished software is getting a bit tarnished in my opinion.
Score: 14 Votes (Like | Disagree)
C
C DM
132 months ago
Give Apple some credit. It takes time to perfect code, and its not always easy to write in the first place.

Yes, they should have kept it in beta longer or worked on it more exclusively, but thats another story.
Might not have been found there either even with a longer beta. Some things just surface when they surface. Most people don't realize that about software or don't want to believe it, but that's the reality.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Sirious Avatar
Sirious
132 months ago
Give Apple some credit. It takes time to perfect code, and its not always easy to write in the first place.

Yes, they should have kept it in beta longer or worked on it more exclusively, but thats another story.
And yes, these things can appear after release rather than in the beta process.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
C
cjducasse
132 months ago
For as long as this has been in beta, it's really unacceptable. I'm not affected, I hardly use bookmarks because I can navigate manually faster than I can scroll through a list of links to identify the page I want… but geez.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
I
IPPlanMan
132 months ago
There were issues of all kinds in previous versions of iOS and iPhone OS as well. With the OS becoming more complex and larger and the list of supported devices growing and growing along with the apps and the number of users, all that will contribute to more potential issues being present and/or noticed. It's not to say that there isn't something in addition to that as far as Apple needing better/more development and quality control, but even that won't make it so that there aren't issues present, including some big ones sometimes, or that various people will still complain about this or that.
Apple needs to stop adding features and start adding reliability.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Read All Comments