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

iphone 17 models

No iPhone 18 Launch This Year, Reports Suggest

Thursday January 1, 2026 8:43 am PST by
Apple is not expected to release a standard iPhone 18 model this year, according to a growing number of reports that suggest the company is planning a significant change to its long-standing annual iPhone launch cycle. Despite the immense success of the iPhone 17 in 2025, the iPhone 18 is not expected to arrive until the spring of 2027, leaving the iPhone 17 in the lineup as the latest...
Read Full Article • 110 comments
duolingo ad live activity

Duolingo Used iPhone's Dynamic Island to Display Ads, Violating Apple Design Guidelines

Friday January 2, 2026 1:36 pm PST by
Language learning app Duolingo has apparently been using the iPhone's Live Activity feature to display ads on the Lock Screen and the Dynamic Island, which violates Apple's design guidelines. According to multiple reports on Reddit, the Duolingo app has been displaying an ad for a "Super offer," which is Duolingo's paid subscription option. Apple's guidelines for Live Activity state that...
Read Full Article • 58 comments
Clicks Communicator Feature

'Clicks Communicator' Unveiled — Will You Carry This With Your iPhone?

Friday January 2, 2026 6:35 am PST by
The company behind the BlackBerry-like Clicks Keyboard accessory for the iPhone today unveiled a new Android 16 smartphone called the Clicks Communicator. The purpose-built device is designed to be used as a second phone alongside your iPhone, with the intended focus being communication over content consumption. It runs a custom Android launcher that offers a curated selection of messaging...
Read Full Article • 144 comments
apple intelligence black

Report: Apple's AI Strategy Could Finally Pay Off in 2026

Tuesday December 30, 2025 9:01 am PST by
Apple's restrained artificial intelligence strategy may pay off in 2026 amid the arrival of a revamped Siri and concerns around the AI market "bubble" bursting, The Information argues. The speculative report notes that Apple has taken a restrained approach with AI innovations compared with peers such as OpenAI, Google, and Meta, which are investing hundreds of billions of dollars in data...
Read Full Article • 199 comments
apple fitness 2026 1

Apple Teases 'Something Big' Coming Soon to Apple Fitness+

Tuesday December 30, 2025 2:11 pm PST by
The Apple Fitness+ Instagram account today teased that the service has "big plans" for 2026. In a video, several Apple Fitness+ trainers are shown holding up newspapers with headlines related to Apple Fitness+. What's Apple Fitness+ Planning for the New Year? Something Big is Coming to Apple Fitness+ The Countdown Begins. Apple Fitness+ 2026 is Almost Here 2026 Plans Still Under ...
Read Full Article • 121 comments
Mac Pro Feature Blue

What's Happening With the Mac Pro?

Wednesday December 31, 2025 9:59 am PST by
Apple hasn't updated the Mac Pro since 2023, and according to recent rumors, there's no update coming in the near future. In fact, Apple might be finished with the Mac Pro. Bloomberg recently said that the Mac Pro is "on the back burner" and has been "largely written off" by Apple. Apple apparently views the more compact Mac Studio as the ideal high-end pro-level desktop, and it has almost...
Read Full Article • 249 comments
macbook air march 2020

Apple Says Final Intel MacBook Air and Apple Watch Series 5 Now 'Vintage'

Wednesday December 31, 2025 8:39 am PST by
Apple today added the final 13-inch MacBook Air powered by Intel processors, the Apple Watch Series 5, and additional products to its vintage products list. The iPhone 11 Pro was also added to the list after the iPhone 11 Pro Max was added back in September. The full list of products added to Apple's vintage and obsolete list today: MacBook Air (Retina, 13-inch, 2020) iPhone 8 Plus 128GB ...
Read Full Article • 83 comments
Apple Fitness Plus hero

Apple Announces New Fitness+ Workout Programs, Strava Challenge, and More

Friday January 2, 2026 6:43 am PST by
Apple today announced a number of updates to Apple Fitness+ and activity with the Apple Watch. The key announcements include: New Year limited-edition award: Users can win the award by closing all three Activity Rings for seven days in a row in January. "Quit Quitting" Strava challenge: Available in Strava throughout January, users who log 12 workouts anytime in the month will win an ...
Read Full Article • 55 comments

Top Rated Comments

Asarien Avatar
Asarien
128 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
128 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)
cjducasse Avatar
cjducasse
128 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)
Sirious Avatar
Sirious
128 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 DM Avatar
C DM
128 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)
IPPlanMan Avatar
IPPlanMan
128 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