back to article Is iOS 9.3 Apple's worst ever update? First it bricks iThings, now Safari is busted

Apple gave unlucky loyal fans more headaches this weekend when the latest version of iOS caused the Safari browser to crash. Lots of people say their iPhones are no longer able to open links in Safari or Mail without the browser freezing. "Never had any problems with my iPhone 6S. Just upgraded to iOS 9.3 without any issues …

  1. Daniel B.

    Yeah, the Safari bug is all over the Apple support forums since last week. Looks like they should've rolled back the update on the 6s as well!

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      I don't get it, I have a 6s plus and no Safari problem. I'll bet it is people using a certain ad blocker app that are affected, or some sort of non-default setting in Safari, because it certainly isn't universal or instead of being on the Apple support forums you'd see messages all over Facebook and Twitter about it.

  2. Thomas Wolf

    Worst update? Click bait

    Tens of Millions of downloads. A few people have problems. And it's the worst update ever. Whatever.

    1. Stevie

      Re: Worst update? Click bait

      "Apple. It just works."

      When you lock down something so tight it squeaks, then "upgrade" it so sadly, you deserve a figurative kick in the hurtybits.

      And #downloads != #installs. My device has been nagging me for days but luckily I saw the Reg article before I let it loose.

    2. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Worst update? Click bait

      Were you affected? Would you feel that way if you were? Doubt it.

    3. Bob Vistakin
      Facepalm

      Re: Worst update? Click bait

      Think different.

  3. allthecoolshortnamesweretaken

    "What's a web browser without working links?"

    Netscape?

    (My local radio station did an all-1990ies Easter weekend, haven't quite bounced back yet, sorry.)

  4. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    not a bug

    Just apple has yet to approve the links you are attempting to go to, or should that be, you are tapping it wrong. Either will work.

  5. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Closed

    If only they had a closed eco system... None of this should have....Oh wait

    1. Tony Paulazzo
      Mushroom

      Re: Closed

      Could you imagine if they wrote software for PCs? it would run like shi- oh snap!

  6. Sgt_Oddball
    Trollface

    Safari's busted?

    Colour me shocked....

    Oh wait, you weren't talking the windows version.

    1. This post has been deleted by its author

      1. 100113.1537

        Re: Safari's busted?

        Yes, Safari has got really slow (and crashes a lot now). I put it down to web pages being so full of crap these days, but maybe an iPad2 just can't run iOS9x.

        I wish I had not upgraded (from 7!), but you can't stop the nagging and one day I hit "Install now" instead of "Install later"..... Have managed to avoid doing that for 9.3 so far (and I think it has stopped nagging now while they fix it).

        1. This post has been deleted by its author

        2. Stevie

          Re: Safari's busted? I put it down to web pages etc

          Which would be right except that said web pages load just fine on my lappy.

          Safari over iOS on an iPad == pants to the power of pants.

        3. Whistlerspa

          Re: Safari's busted?

          Mine had a restore and works great now. Safari has been reborn. (iPad 2). I'm thinking it's cumulative bugs from all the updates I've done over the years that made it lose its mojo.

  7. redpawn

    Just Wow

    Do they make changes after final code approval or do they not own the different versions of their hardware to test on before release?

    1. Brewster's Angle Grinder Silver badge

      Re: Just Wow

      I wonder if the hardware is as locked down as Apple claim. Perhaps apparently identical versions of an iPhone end up with different components under the hood.

  8. Mark 85

    They release a new version of the OS. The FBI says it got into the Famous iPhone. Bad news week for Apple. Maybe next week they can say the FBI can't get into the new OS and it won't brick phones.

  9. Adam 1

    exaggeration much?

    Don't get me wrong, bricking a device is bad but it could be worse.

  10. Outcast !!!

    Apple...

    It just works.™

    1. jaffa99

      Re: Apple...

      no..........it only just works

  11. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    The one thing I wouldn't notice..

    I generally don't use websites from my phone, but as it so happens I had to look up a number of things over the last week. Not noticed any problems..

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: The one thing I wouldn't notice..

      Same here until I got a phone with a larger screen.

  12. Winkypop Silver badge
    Unhappy

    Apple updates

    I have found it best to stay one update behind, at least for a week or so.

    I'm looking at you too, iTunes.

  13. Harry the Bastard

    apple did release a range of plastic straps

    surely this took development resources away from the new version of ios

    otherwise the combined effort of these two activities, plus ejecting a new model of fondleslab, would be overwhelming

    apple should reign in its ambitions, it's just pushing too hard

    1. Bloodbeastterror

      "apple should reign in its ambitions"

      It already does in terms of cash and customer loyalty. It may well reign in terms of its ambitions as well, but I expect that Microsoft & Google also have great ambitions, so there's a lot of competition and it's not accurate to say that Apple reigns unless you have the evidence for it.

    2. Nadjau

      Re: apple did release a range of plastic straps

      "apple should REIGN in its ambitions, it's just pushing too hard"

      <pedantry>

      This may be a "loosing" battle, but you mean "rein", not "reign"

      "reign" = to possess or exercise sovereign power or authority e.g. The Queen reigns over her subjects.

      "rein" = to curb; restrain; control

      Ergo ...

      "rein in" - exercise tighter control or restraint

      </pedantry>

      1. Harry the Bastard

        Re: apple did release a range of plastic straps

        oh bugger, in my defence i was half asleep when i posted that

        1. Steve Crook

          Re: apple did release a range of plastic straps

          You forgot "rain". God bless English.

  14. gnufrontier

    Don't update

    Face it, most updates aren't that important. If your system is working, leave it alone. If there aren't a bunch of new features who needs it? If it isn't at least noticeably faster who needs it ?

    I haven't updated Windows 7 in years (I never go with X.0 of any version of software, it has be at least .1 or above). Haven't missed a thing. And spare me the security issues.

    Most security issues with users are because they are ignorant of what they clicking on or downloading.

    I don't use Apple but my wife does and I have turned off updates for her since an update from a year and a half ago messed up her email.

    These guys fix one bug and introduce two more. This is not news, it is an axiom in software development since the complexity far exceeds the ability of the human brain to contain all the interactions of all the components.

  15. R Soles

    It would be interesting to know

    ... How many of those having problems have jailbroken (jailbreaked?) their iphone / ipad

  16. Abacus

    Updated to 10.9.3 and haven't noticed any issues. Word through some of the forums is that the issues are only occurring on a very small number of phones that are running specific purchased apps that aren't playing nice.

    It's not the end of the world.

    1. 45RPM Silver badge

      Ditto. It's working fine for me too. Although it doesn't speak well of the sandbox and other security features of iOS if a badly written app can bork the whole OS. Of course, if the affected phones are jail broken then all bets are off.

      1. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        What are the specific apps? If they are ad blockers then it makes sense, because those obviously have to grub around in Safari to do their thing, and it is easy to imagine that could cause some breakage that makes links stop working.

        FWIW I updated my 6s plus the day 9.3 came out, and I'm using an ad bocker (of the dozens now available) and have no problems. Though I rarely use Safari on my phone so I had to check to see if it had broken!

  17. jaffa99

    Lies, lies, lies.........

    we all know Apple stuff "just works"

    or should that be "only just works" lol

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Lies, lies, lies.........

      Keep going,a third post with the same joke and you'll get the up votes eventually.

    2. jaffa99

      Re: Lies, lies, lies.........

      ok, how about this

      Apple - it just about works

      hahahahahaha hahahahahaha hahahahahahaha, honestly you couldn't make this up, it's hilarious after all the apple-fan nonsense over the years.

      1. 45RPM Silver badge

        Re: Lies, lies, lies.........

        @jaffa99

        ‘over the years’? Dude, you sound like you’re seventeen years old, and picking your zits in a PC World call centre. What do you know about ‘over the years’ in IT? Get some experience, and then make the jokes*

        The sad truth is that software updates sometimes go wrong - even updates from Microsoft. Linux isn’t perfect either, and Android has its fair share of bugs. And damn, if all software companies (like every other type of company) don’t claim to have invented everything from the wheel onward. It’s called marketing - you don’t have to believe it.

        The thing is though that Apple does have a certain amount of right to make claims of innovation in the field of personal computing. I do remember the PET, TRaSh 80 and the Apple II, and believe me - the Apple II is the only one really recognisable as a personal computer today. I remember the Lisa - and whatever the Xerox boys say, the Lisa was the first GUI which worked in the modern way you’d recognise now. Newton was innovative (if massively flawed), and you couldn’t buy a candy coloured device for love nor money before iMac - and then they were everywhere. Come to that, USB was scarce before iMac and then common as muck afterward. You might not like Apple, or want one (and you’d be a bit of dipstick to buy any device without considering whether its right for you), but you’re a colossal fucktard if you dismiss Apple completely out of hand. Where Apple goes, others tend to follow.

        *for bonus points, see if you can make them funny too.

        1. Anonymous Coward
          Anonymous Coward

          Re: Lies, lies, lies.........

          According to Wikipedia which is always right, the last Apple Works was in 2004.

  18. jaffa99

    apple fans

    Unless grindr stops working the Apple fans won't notice.

    1. The Quiet One

      Re: apple fans

      Wow - Homophobia, the epitome of good comedy

      Bellend

      1. jaffa99

        Re: apple fans

        A fool like you once called me a racist because I said "I don't like rap music".

        1. Paw Bokenfohr

          Re: apple fans

          Your intent was pretty clear from the comment. Apple = bad ∴ gay people must use it because gay people are bad and all gay people use Grindr. That's homophobia. And while some people may find it funny, those people are mistaken.

          1. Anonymous Coward
            Anonymous Coward

            Re: apple fans

            Homophobia? Perhaps not. Phobia implies having a fear of, but the motive could be hatred, humour or otherwise. OTOH perhaps jaffa99 is an honest, gay Apple fan giving it to us straight?

  19. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Whilst the average Reg reader can handle a borked device following a screwed updated from Apple/MS or whoever, your average punter will be well and truely buggered.

    Assuming they don't have a handy 5 year old to fix it for them, they'll most likely take it into their local PC shop for a fix. So, my question is, who pays for this? Shouldn't some financial redress (besides class action law suits) be availble as a dis-incentive to treat end users as beta testers?

  20. Anonymous Coward
    Gimp

    You're holding the internet wrong!

    Magical and game-changing

  21. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    and sync issues?

    yes latest ios9 stutters

    yes I got prompted for full security info on upgrade.

    more important is the sync issue with latest itunes on latest win10 - my photos on idevices are visible but nothing seen for itunes to sync (incl iphone3GS ! )

    so recovery of borked ipad would be impossible

    multiple issues will collude....

    I usually recommend apple stuff to people 'cause it just works' but now it doesn't....................

  22. Phrimmy

    Optional

    It looks like the issue is due bug in iOS that completely breaks the Universal Links if it gets served an app association file that's too large according to the following site : https://bencollier.net/2016/03/unable-to-open-links-in-safari-mail-or-messages-on-ios-9-3/

    The common thread appears to be people who have the app "Booking.com" installed. Unfortunately just uninstalling Booking.com doesn't fix it but you can fix it by following these instructions :

    https://infinitediaries.net/how-to-fix-ios-9-x-safarimail-link-bug/

  23. MikeyWilko
    Flame

    What about us devs?!

    It's all gone down the pan. We have to re-deploy apps now iOS9.3 is out but we can't. We have to upgrade Xcode to 7.3 (which is reporting build issues) but that wont work on anything but El Capitan, the latest OS that is super buggy and being avoided by our company. So I can't compile to a buggy iOS version with my buggy Xcode version because I need to upgrade to a whole new buggy OS! What the hell is going on in Cupertino??

  24. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Latest from Tim Cook ... "At Apple we take our customers interests very seriously. We realized that if customers have working iPhones then they may start storing private information on it. Some users may store information that the FBI woudl like to see so they will want to have a backdoor into those iPhones. It would only be a small step from here for them to demand access to all iPhones and if this was possible these would undoubtably also become accessible to criminals. As a result we concluded that allowing people to have working iPhones would inevitably result in their data becoming available to criminals and as that might included data about children we decided we had to act now to stop iPhones from working as SOMEONE HAS TO THINK ABOUT THE CHILDREN"

  25. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    I was playing with an ipad mini 2 belonging to a relative over the holidays and had multiple browser crashes when looking at a UK newspaper website from a link on google news, can't recall if it was the Guardian or Telegraph. I would have thought at least one of those would be 'Apple compatible' It was updated to Version 9.3 a few weeks back but might have been just as rubbish before then :)

  26. Jeffrey Nonken

    Well, unable to use Safari>unable to use your device. So, progress of a sort, I suppose.

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