iOS 9.3 - Safari/Mail freezes after clicking links on iPhone 6S

Had an Apple Store appt. today, they had NO fix. Advised apple working on update for Monday/Tuesday.

LOTS of people having same issue affecting various iOS device.

DO NOT WASTE YOUR TIME trying to get a resolution. Only another Apple update will fix this.

Here's what I got

1. Clicking on any link in any apple stock app, does nothing, a long press freezes the app and you have to force close it. For some people disabling javascript makes the browser usable. It doesn't fix link in other apps.

2. Erasing everything and setting the phone up as a new iPhone fixes stuff (some people are reporting that installing and using some apps cause this behaviour even on not affected phones)

3. Besides starting from scratch nothing helps.

4. Apple support advised me to wait for an update in the coming days.

This is a *********** ... how this passed trough Apple's QA after 6 betas (for a minor version that's a lot) I have no idea.

So there's nothing we can do besides start from scratch or wait. GGGGreeeeat!

Spoke with Apple Support from Australia a few hours ago - they advised the problem is server-related, not specific to the iOS 9.3 update, though it seems to be mostly affecting devices that have upgraded. They are working on a fix, but there is no specific timeframe 😟. They tried to walk me through all the various options people have been suggesting as temporary measures (disabling Javascript, turning off Safari options, hard resets etc etc), all to no avail. Like others, I am able to web browse with Mozilla Firefox by opening a new tab, but all Messenger, Mail etc hyperlinks are inoperable and will remain so until they get the Safari issue sorted.

I have got the same problem. As someone suggested i just disabled the javascript features under settings->safari->advanced->javascript. Now the hyperlink under safari are working back. I am waiting for a solution.

--

paolo

Iphone 6 plus

Ios 9.3

I'm having the same issue in ios 9.x on my 6s. It started when I first got the phone a few weeks ago. Can't use links in Mail. Messages, Safari, but can long-hold in Chrome and "open in another tab". After talking to apple, I rest/erased the phone and tried a clean install--the links worked then, but when I restored my backup, they stopped again. I hope Apple can get this fixed ASAP so I don't have to wipe it and then reinstall/configure the hundreds of apps I have.

Just come off a chat with apple support, after being talked through the java script and clear web site date and hard reboot. Was told to try firefox and hold down links to open in new tab that does work.. This doesn't fix the mail or notes and any other issues i've yet to find. The person did acknowledge that they are aware of the issue and that engineering are working on a fix "We have had several reports of this issue coming in. I was told this morning that the engineering team is working on a fix to get this resolved for cx.". When pressed for an ETA I was told "I am told it is expected by the end of this week how ever that is an estimated time frame."

Same problem. Spent time on the phone with Apple support and finally she said a lot of people were having this problem with 9.3 and they were working on it. I cannot understand how Apple can do something like this and then "downplay" it. I asked if I could use Chrome and she didn't know but I downloaded it and it's better than nothing. Works like other's have said... hold down hyperlink and open a new page. Come on Apple... lets get this thing fixed!

A TEMPORARY SOLUTION TO THE iOS 9.3 EMAIL AND SEARCH LINK ISSUES:

MAIL ISSUES

1. IF you use Gmail exclusively, download the Gmail app and access you mail through it. Links work.
2. IF you dont use Gmail, set up a Gmail account, then route your other mail through it as explained here: http://www.radiantd.com/how-to-route-domain-email-through-gmail/. Then download the Gmail app and access email and links through it.

SEARCH/SAFARI ISSUES

DOwnload the Google Search app, do your searching through this portal. Links work.

NEither of these is perfect but it gets around the current paralysis. Issues:

• There are no Search Tools in the Google search app, so you cannot filter by date, etc.
• I haven't figured out how to access recently deleted trash in the Gmail app

I hope this helps some of you to survive this mess.

I don't have this problem, but third party apps can hijack Safari web pages. You can see this by opening a web page in Safari, triggering Siri and saying "remind me of this later". If Siri creates a reminder for a third party app, then that app is hijacking Safari. You can try deleting that app and repeating this until the reminder is not created for a third party app.

This link issue has been happening since before the 9.3 update for me. I updated to 9.3 because I thought it might *resolve* my issue. I called on Sunday night, spoke to a Senior Advisor, who suggested I open up settings, Safari, Java, turn off java. This worked for the Safari links (though it's just a workaround for now, I can at least look at safari links currently). However, I noticed today that I still can not open links in my email (and I suspect anywhere else). I called Apple again around 4:45pm (3 hrs ago). Spoke to a rep, who did not ask me my phone number for call backs. I got disconnected. I tried calling back, and then in the meantime, got several emails that Apple was trying to call me back, however, they were calling an incorrect number. I went into my support profile to change that, and the number they were trying to call wasn't even in there. I tried signing into the case to update them, to no avail. So I waited 35 min to talk to a rep, told her my issues and made sure she changed my call back number in the support case, and asked for a senior advisor. She transferred me to a senior advisor. Mid convo with that advisor, the call dropped me back into the support queue with the automated attendant. FURIOUS!!! 1hr 30 min into this second call I finally got someone, and 2hrs into it I finally hung up with Senior Tech.

Senior Tech confirmed that Apple is aware of this issue (duh we know that already), and that they are working on an update to fix it. He could not give me any indication of when the update would happen, but is supposed to check in with me tomorrow evening or wed afternoon either way. I really hope they get this fixed in the next 12 hrs or I am going to FLIP OUT!

PS - while on my 2nd call hold today, I tried reaching out via twitter, hoping for a quicker response. STILL Havent gotten a response to ANY of my tweets or direct message. Severely disappointed. @applesupport. 😟

Restoring to an older* backup via iTunes (Mac) AND disabling auto-update for Apps (iTunes & App store settings) appears - at present - to resolve this issue for iPad Air.

*1/20/16

The first restoration attempt was initially successful - but then Safari/Email URLs again stopped working after about 30 minutes (I'm assuming this occurred once the offending app(s) auto-updated in the background.)

Auto downloads/updates HAVE BEEN DISABLED for the second restoration attempt - and at 1.5 hrs, Safari/email remain functional. (JS and iCloud enabled.)

Same problem here, any web page link in mail thats calls on Safari freezes Mail. All links clicked from the FB page (in Safari, not the App) freezes Safari also. Most other links, but not all, clicked from a web page in Safari works (70%?). That is on my iPhone 6S (9,3) and on iPad (also 9,3). Other iOS devices are on 9,2,1 and have no problem. Level 1 Apple support gave me generalities and false advice. Level 2 expert give me more pertinent, but useless, advice and finally gave up after 2 hours on the phone to tell me that Apple is investigating... Workaround : Chrome for IOS for web and TypeApp which is in fact quite interesting and a possible long terme replacement for Mail IOS... But waiting for a new version.

I hope this brings someone some solice. I've been plagued by this since the 9.3 update too. I've managed to get my iPhone working again by deleting the booking.com app, closing all of my apps and resetting my network settings in Settings -> General -> Reset -> Reset Network Settings.

After that, Chrome, Safari, iMessages and Mail links work again.

Then there was a note on being able to revert successfully:

"make sure you have a back-up of your data made on a 9.2.1 system. Do not back-up after having updated to 9.3 (like I did!) you won't be able to recover any data to a fresh install of 9.2.1."

That's great, I thought to myself: I backed up at least twice on 9.2.1 via iTunes. Then I backed up again once I had apparently successfully upgraded to 9.3...to the same "trusted" laptop. if backups overwrite each other, I will have no way of restoring to 9.2.1. (Never had to use a restore...just don't know if backups are timestamped in iOS and kept separate.)

Related post: "...reverted to 9.2.1 using this process ***** be aware, you have to press the option/Alt button to get to where you have downloaded the ipsw."

And a reaffirmation 3/27: "Google the Ipsw link for 9.2.1 and restore from the zip file. That's what I did. Problem solved"

<Link Edited by Host>

Elevation status? (Apple, this is how you looked to us. Unfortunately it seems that the only way to be heard is to be persistent, pile on in numbers with "me, too, gosh darn it, and it's costing me..." and brainstorm workarounds.)

This is a collection of comments by many different participants here (much appreciated ones 🙂) --

3/26: Apple Support seems to be a first level; then there is a Senior Advisor

...re: Apple Support - " I just had a phone call from apple support and I do have say I didn't expect much but still they seem to be unfamiliar with the problem. Although the guys was quite nice he didn't have any knowledge of the iOS system. at the point where he was asking me if I already tried to uninstall Safari the conversation was done for."

...re: Senior advisor: "contacted apple via twitter and exchanged direct message with them for last couple of hours. I received this message 20 minutes ago:

'Thank you for providing us with those details. We’ve heard reports of the issue and it’s currently under review. We don’t have a solution at this time, but we’d like to get your case to a Senior Advisor so they can collect some data to assist with the investigation.'"

"What is worse: the problem exists and is known since January.

People have been complaining about this for a long time. And still they decided to role out the 9.3 update, even when they obviously didn't fix it for 9.2.1 users having this problem already."

3/26 "Had an Apple Store appt. today, they had NO fix. Advised apple working on update for Monday/Tuesday."

3/27 "answer from Apple right now: "We know how important it is to have your links working. We’ve heard reports of the issue and it’s currently under review. In the meantime, we have two workaround options. Restarting the phone may allow links to work, but only temporarily. You can also go into Settings > Safari > Advanced and turn off "Javascript.” That should allow links to work, but some websites may not function properly without Javascript.""

3/28 "Spoke with Apple Support from Australia a few hours ago - they advised the problem is server-related, not specific to the iOS 9.3 update, though it seems to be mostly affecting devices that have upgraded. They are working on a fix, but there is no specific timeframe . They tried to walk me through all the various options people have been suggesting as temporary measures (disabling Javascript, turning off Safari options, hard resets etc etc), all to no avail. Like others, I am able to web browse with Mozilla Firefox by opening a new tab, but all Messenger, Mail etc hyperlinks are inoperable and will remain so until they get the Safari issue sorted."

"It has NOTHING to do with iOS9.3! This problem existed on my iphone 6s 128gb first starting on Saturday 26th in the morning under 9.2.1. This is an Apple safari server problem and nothing to do with our iOS. Also happened briefly on my iPad Air with 9.2.1 and now i simply use Chrome and Gmail apps to replace Safari and Apple Mail. So far no problems with them. So there is some incompatibility between Safari and Apple Mail and the Apple Server."

Reply: "IDK who you spoke with, BUT it is not a server related. DOT.

If they told you that is for 2 possible reasons:

1) they told you that just as saying, its a problem that must be fixed by us, not on your phone, so be patient.

2) they don't know yet whats the problem

Look at my previous post. The more I follow the situation online, the more I am sure about what I said."

"a server-related would affect everybody."

3/28 "At 3:29 am on march 28 I did check for update again in settings. Settings is now hung with 'checking for update'

UPDATEL After about a minute I received the "your software is up to date" message and the app became responsive."

3/28 ""We do not have a fix in the moment. We know about the problem and are working on a fix. It will not take very long. In the meantime installing Chrome, Opera, Firefox... will solve the Safari Issue, but not the Mail issue. Thank you for your patients, we are working on it."

3/28: "Just come off a chat with apple support, after being talked through the java script and clear web site date and hard reboot. Was told to try firefox and hold down links to open in new tab that does work.. This doesn't fix the mail or notes and any other issues i've yet to find. The person did acknowledge that they are aware of the issue and that engineering are working on a fix 'We have had several reports of this issue coming in. I was told this morning that the engineering team is working on a fix to get this resolved for cx.'. When pressed for an ETA I was told "I am told it is expected by the end of this week how ever that is an estimated time frame."