---
title: "iPhone 18 Pro: first owners report complete touchscreen failure and freezing during Face ID"
description: "First owners of the iPhone 18 Pro are massively reporting a complete touchscreen failure and emergency reboots when using Face ID. Apple has already approved the replacement of some devices, acknowledging a factory defect."
date: 2026-09-22T11:20:00.000Z
lang: en
url: https://xab.info/en/posts/iphone-18-pro-face-id-and-touchscreen-failures
tags: [iphone-18-pro, apple, face-id, touchscreen-bug, ios-27, smartphone-defects]
publisher: "XAB.info"
---

# iPhone 18 Pro: first owners report complete touchscreen failure and freezing during Face ID

![iPhone 18 Pro with triple camera module and Apple logo on a dark background — the smartphone whose early owners report a dead touchscreen and Face ID freezes](https://xab.info/media/2026/09/22/iphone-18-pro-sboi-face-id-i-sensornogo-ekrana/iphone-18-pro-sboi-face-id-i-sensornogo-ekrana-1.webp)

## 🎯 Key Points

- iPhone 18 Pro and 18 Pro Max are massively freezing with the touchscreen completely disabled, especially when opening the Notification Center
- An unsuccessful Face ID attempt triggers an emergency reboot with a critical kernel error in the system log
- Experts debate the cause: the hardware relocation of the Face ID sensor under the screen or a software failure of iOS 27
- Apple, through service centers, has already approved device replacement or refunds, classifying the cases as a factory defect

Immediately after the launch of the flagship iPhone 18 Pro line, users around the world began reporting critical malfunctions in their devices. On the X and Reddit platforms, videos and screenshots are being posted en masse, demonstrating two main types of failures: a complete loss of display sensitivity and emergency reboots when activating the Face ID scanner. As of September 22, 2026, dozens of owners of the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max models have confirmed the presence of both bugs, turning the discussion into one of the most talked-about tech threads of the week.

### First mass failure: complete touchscreen shutdown

The first and, perhaps, most demonstrative problem concerns the total unresponsiveness of the display. Users report that the iPhone 18 Pro screen suddenly stops reacting to any gestures, swipes, or taps — the device turns into a "brick" with a working but useless display. According to owners, the failure most often occurs at the moment of opening the Notification Center or Control Center. In such a state, the standard shutdown via the slider becomes impossible, and the only way to bring the smartphone back to life is a forced reboot using a combination of physical buttons. Video recordings circulating on social networks clearly show a finger sliding across the glass without triggering any interface response.

### Face ID becomes a trigger for emergency reboots

The second critical bug is related to the biometric authentication subsystem. When attempting to unlock the device or make a purchase via Apple Wallet, the smartphone tries to recognize the owner's face. If Face ID does not work within the allotted time, the iPhone 18 Pro completely freezes and initiates an emergency reboot. The system log, which users export and publish in specialized communities, records an entry about a critical operating system kernel error. The error reproduces on both the iPhone 18 Pro and the iPhone 18 Pro Max, indicating a systemic nature of the defect rather than isolated cases.

### Hardware or software: the debate over root causes

Among experts and in user discussions, the debate over what exactly triggered the failures does not subside. One group of analysts points to a change in the hardware architecture: in the iPhone 18 Pro generation, the Face ID sensor was, according to their data, reduced in size and moved under the display layer. This decision was probably made for a more compact front-panel design; however, according to critics, it led to a degradation in the stability of the subsystem's operation. Another version links the problems to the software — specifically, to the iOS 27 update, which is preinstalled on the devices from the factory or was released simultaneously with the start of sales.

### Contradictory data

It is important to note a discrepancy in assessments here. The main body of user reports and a number of specialized publications (including RBC-Ukraine, UNIAN, and "Moskovsky Komsomolets") emphasize that the failures are of a hardware nature and manifest regardless of the firmware version. Experts citing the relocation of the Face ID sensor under the screen believe that the problem is inherent at the hardware level. At the same time, the publication Zamin.uz directly links the identified malfunctions to the operation of iOS 27, pointing to the software nature of the defects. As of the time of publication, Apple has not released an official technical report that would unambiguously name the root cause. Thus, the question of "hardware or software" remains open, and users continue to gather data for statistics.

### Response from Apple service centers

Despite the absence of a public press release, some buyers who contacted authorized Apple service centers have already received approval for device replacement or a full refund. In internal documents cited by owners, the cases are classified as a factory defect. This indirectly confirms that the company acknowledges the presence of a systemic defect in the first batch of iPhone 18 Pro, although it does not disclose the scale of the problem. It is expected that in the coming days Apple will release either a firmware update with a fix or announce an extended warranty for the affected serial numbers.

## 🔍 Fact-Check Verification

- [Black screen and Face ID failures: users complain about bugs in the iPhone 18 Pro](https://www.rbc.ua/ukr/news/chorniy-ekran-ta-zboyi-face-id-koristuvachi-1790068423.html) - Подтверждает оба типа сбоев: потерю отклика дисплея и зависания при Face ID. Указывает на массовый характер жалоб.
- [Media report that new iPhone users are no longer being recognized](https://www.mk.ru/social/2026/09/22/smi-pishut-o-tom-chto-polzovateley-novykh-iphone-perestali-uznavat.html) - Подтверждает проблемы с распознаванием лица через Face ID у владельцев новых iPhone.
- [Problems identified in the operation of the iPhone 18 Pro due to iOS 27](https://zamin.uz/ru/tekhnologii/222021-v-rabote-iphone-18-pro-vyyavleny-problemy-iz-za-ios-27.html) - Связывает сбои с программным обновлением iOS 27, что противоречит версии об аппаратной причине. Использовано в разделе противоречивых данных.
- [Just released and already problems: first iPhone 18 Pro owners complain about Face ID failures](https://www.unian.net/techno/gadgets/pervye-vladelcy-iphone-18-pro-stolknulis-s-neozhidannym-sboem-face-id-13506552.html) - Подтверждает, что сбои Face ID зафиксированы у первых владельцев сразу после старта продаж.

## ❓ FAQ

### Q: What specific problems have been identified in the iPhone 18 Pro?
**A:** Users report two critical failures: a complete loss of touchscreen sensitivity (especially when opening the Notification Center) and emergency device reboots during an unsuccessful face recognition attempt via Face ID.

### Q: What to do if the iPhone 18 Pro screen stopped responding to touches?
**A:** According to owners, the only working solution at the moment of failure is a forced reboot using a combination of physical buttons. The standard shutdown via the slider is unavailable in the frozen state.

### Q: Has Apple officially acknowledged the problem?
**A:** As of September 22, 2026, Apple has not issued a public press release. However, some buyers have already received approval for device replacement or a refund through service centers, with the cases classified as a factory defect.

### Q: What is the cause of the failures — the hardware or iOS 27?
**A:** There is no single answer. A number of experts point to the reduction and relocation of the Face ID sensor under the screen as the hardware cause. The publication Zamin.uz, on the contrary, links the problems to the iOS 27 software update. The question remains open until Apple's official report.