Apple Confirms iPhone 18 Pro Face ID Fix Is Coming This Week: What's Verified and What To Do
Apple has confirmed to 9to5Mac that a software update fixing the Face ID issue affecting some iPhone 18 Pro units arrives early this week. Here's exactly what's confirmed, what update to expect, and what to do while you wait.
Image: Property of Apple.
Less than a month after launch, the iPhone 18 Pro has picked up its first real software headache: a Face ID issue affecting some users. The good news arrived on September 24, when Apple confirmed to 9to5Mac's Benjamin Mayo that a fix is coming in a software update early this week. If your new phone has been intermittently refusing to recognize your face, this is the story, and the fix, in plain terms.
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What Apple Has Actually Confirmed
Two things are confirmed, straight from Apple's own statement to 9to5Mac:
- A software update with a Face ID fix is planned for early this week.
- The fix addresses a Face ID issue affecting some iPhone 18 Pro users.
That's the full extent of the official word so far. Everything else around this story — symptom reports, speculation about causes — is user experience and rumour until Apple says more. That's worth keeping straight as coverage spreads this week.
iOS 27.0.1: The Likely Fix
On September 23, MacRumors reported that Apple is testing iOS 27.0.1, which is expected to be the update carrying the Face ID fix. Apple released iOS 27 broadly on September 14 alongside its big iPhone event lineup, so 27.0.1 would be the first bug-fix release of the cycle.
When the update lands, it will appear the usual way: Settings → General → Software Update. If you're affected, install it the day it shows up.
Are You Affected?
By Apple's own wording, this hits some iPhone 18 Pro users — not all of them. If your Face ID unlocks instantly every time, nothing here applies to you. If it's been failing intermittently, unlocking only after multiple attempts or falling back to your passcode, you're in the affected group and this week's update is for you.
It's also been a slightly rocky launch month for the 18 Pro Max otherwise: MacRumors separately reported on September 25 that some iPhone 18 Pro Max users are experiencing AT&T cellular issues. No fix has been announced for that one yet, and it's worth watching whether it's carrier-side or software-side.
What To Do While You Wait
Don't reset Face ID repeatedly. One reset is reasonable while you wait: Settings → Face ID & Passcode → Reset Face ID, then set it up again in good lighting. If it keeps failing after that, stop resetting — the fix is software, not your setup.
Check for the update daily this week. Software updates roll out in waves, but Apple's point releases appear for everyone at once. When iOS 27.0.1 shows up, that's very likely your fix.
Keep your passcode convenient but private. Annoying for a few days, but the fallback exists so a flaky Face ID never locks you out of your own phone.
And if you're still deciding between the 18 Pro and the iPhone Duo: this is the kind of first-month software wobble that almost every flagship launch ships with, and it's on track to be resolved within two weeks of the phone's release. The Duo, meanwhile, hits pre-orders October 16 and launches October 23 according to MacRumors' product calendar — so early adopters of the foldable will want to watch how Apple's software quality holds up on a first-generation form factor.
Why This Matters Beyond the 18 Pro
A Face ID problem on a phone barely two weeks from launch would once have taken weeks of quiet denial before any official word. Apple confirming a fix to a reporter within days of the issue surfacing in coverage is a faster, more direct playbook, and it's worth noting because it's how launch-month bugs are probably going to be handled from here on.
It also sets up an interesting stretch for Apple. The iPhone Duo — the first foldable — hits pre-orders October 16 and launches October 23, per MacRumors' product calendar. A brand-new form factor on brand-new software is exactly the kind of combination where launch-month fixes matter most, so how cleanly iOS 27.0.1 lands this week is a small preview of what Duo buyers should watch for.
