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

Hi, i have the exact same problem as us, i have already disabled Java-Script, Because is the only provisional solution. But that generates a disgusting user experience.

Apple please Solve this issue immediately

We are thousands of affected users.

I'm pretty sure Apple are doing all they can on the knowledge they currently have and will release an update/patch/fix as soon as they have one. It would be unwise of them to release a statement until such time as they actually know what the problem is. The problem may well be something out of their control in which case they could be waiting for outside help, they may well be in a similar position to us but at a higher level, none of us know. All of the major phone/software companies have had faults/problems at some point over the years...unfortunately, it happens and causes a lot of frustration/inconvenience to a lot of people at the time.

There are workarounds and alternatives that can be used as a temporary measure until the problem is fixed, not ideal though I agree...I have found that the Firefox app is working fine so far and have managed to at least check mail through the iPhone mail app, I just avoid clicking any links, if I need to though, I have used webmail through Firefox where I can by logging onto the web client direct i.e. Outlook.com, Gmail.com or direct to your isp homepage and use the mail option provided, all through the Firefox app.

I understand and appreciate that a lot of people depend on their iPhones for work and that this is a serious problem for them but it will get sorted, in the meantime please try the alternatives as I have rather than keep deleting or resetting your phones, you could be making things worse.

Hmm, I don't see how it could be server problem. i restored my phone back to factory 9.3 and links worked just fine in Mail and Safari. It failed as soon as I restored it to a backup from iTunes on my Macbook Pro.

Same problem, but the workaround is to change your email to something else...I am using cloud magic, and the links now All work. With the browser I just installed the Google app. And everything works with that application. The only way Apple is going to get this fixed is when the markets realize this is causing a HUGE problem. Up until then they are in denial. If the stock markets start selling ..this will be fixed quickly.

Hi there.

Just had a chat with the German Apple Support Team.

They told me it was an iOS issue and that their engineers are working hard on releasing an update very soon. They even were working on the bank holidays (Easter).

I asked if the sentence "It simply works" not counts any more.

They replied: "It still does. Do you know the saying of sitting on one`s high horse? This time we fell. And I apologize for that very much."

Okay. It shouldn't happen but it happened. Lets give them a chance to fix it soon.

HI,

not sure if this is by chance or design but I just reset the wife's Data Roaming

and it's working fine now. Not sure if it is a permanent fix, fluke or what but worth a go.

I'm in her good books now

Good Luck.

We have a new Booking.com update released today!!!

I did a factory reset on my phone. Installed every app I had before except Booking.com and the phone works perfect. I don't dare to install the newly updated Booking.com app again, especially when they never write anything meaningful in their update log. What have they done now? Is it a fix for the problem or why did they release an update today?

I have the same problem. I have tried turn off JavaScript which helps but it leaves some web pages not displaying properly. I've found a solution using the Google Ap which allows searches and search links to work ok; when touching a hyperlink it gives the option to 'open' which works okay. I have full search facility restored this way but is not as convenient as using the safari header bar.

Restore from backup to pre 3/24/16 backup file (along with turning off auto update apps) seems to fix the problems so far for me. .

( i also Deleted booking.com app even before the phone try to down load )

SO far so good.

crossing my fingers ... Hoping for a real fix soon !

Same problem here with my iPhone 6.

cannot open links on Safari and on third party browsers. (clearing the cache is not fixing the problem, after deactivating JavaScript tapping on links works again) i can only open links on chrome in separate windows. BUT tapping on links is ALSO not working in the Mail App and in third party apps. very frustrating ...

Any case I have the problem, but iPhone never freezes, only Mail when trying to open a link. In this case just double click home button and close Mail. All other functions in iPhone are still working. So it's not a fatal error in IOS but a link error.

Finally it seems there is some reactions from Apple:

<Link Edited by Host>

I tried all the suggested work-arounds, no luck. However, I am finding that opening all my gmails in the gmail app works, then I follow links automatically to Google, which works. I really think there is a big conflict between Gmail and the native Apple mail app--when I went out of the country native mail app would not get any Gmail, so had to install the Gmail app to get email. Still happens, especially since the update, where, when I am out of wifi iPhone 6s plus will not send or receive Gmail--have to use their app. Found this article from someone else with the problem, and might try this elaborate work-around:

Seems prevailing opinions are that it is not only Booking.com app, but all apps that use universal links, which overload Safari. Oddly, I restored a very old iPad to factory condition, then installed the 9.3 update without accepting the iCloud sign-in. It works fine, and no issues. Supposedly, this is the only update that requires the iCloud sign-in? I actually don't remember, but know I did have to do it for the update on my iPhone 6s plus last week. All was working until yesterday.

<Link Edited by Host>

Then Panda1988 started looking at documentation. I put these comments under the heading, "Incorrect implementation of the openURL method?"

Pande1988, quoted the docs for the canOpenURL: method -

"Returns a Boolean value indicating whether or not the URL’s scheme can be handled by some app installed on the device.

Declaration

SWIFT

func canOpenURL(_ url: NSURL) -> Bool

OBJECTIVE-C

- (BOOL)canOpenURL:(NSURL *)url

Parameters

url

A URL (Universal Resource Locator). At runtime, the system tests the URL’s scheme to determine if there is an installed app that is registered to handle the scheme. More than one app can be registered to handle a scheme.

The URL you pass to this method can have a common scheme or a custom scheme.

Return Value

NO if there is no app installed on the device that is registered to handle the URL’s scheme, or if you have not declared the URL’s scheme in your Info.plist file; otherwise, YES.

Read the Discussion section for more information on conditions that affect the return value.

Discussion

If this method returns YES for a given URL, iOS guarantees that that if the openURL: method is subsequently called using the same URL, an app registered to handle the URL’s scheme will launch to handle it. This method’s return value does not indicate whether or not the full URL is valid or if the specified resource exists.

If your app is linked against an earlier version of iOS but is running in iOS 9.0 or later, you can call this method on 50 distinct URL schemes. After hitting this limit, subsequent calls to this method return NO. If a user reinstalls or upgrades the app, iOS resets the limit.

Unlike this method, the openURL: method is not constrained by the LSApplicationQueriesSchemesrequirement: If an app that handles a scheme is installed on the device, the openURL: method works, whether or not you have declared the scheme."

A reply: "PANDA1988 has a point. To me it appears as if the makers of "canOpenURL" have made a huge mistake in hardcoding the number of times the function can be used system wide. Obviously this has been implemented/changed starting from IOS 9.0 so there must exist a working solution that the developers can revert back to.

Dear developers, trust me, the whole community will give you a cheer once this is fixed.

Dear application developers, please follow the instructions and link your application against the latest version of IOS if you use this function."

Another comment: "It seems to allow you to open links within the same domain, but not across domains.

Go to a website, open an internal page, it works from safari.

Try to open external links, it crashes."

More thought: " I did a check with my old 3GS with IOS 6.1.6. Working perfectly, "

Then someone had been looking and offered this: "apparently it has to do with Universal links and the way apps like Booking register them in iOS: http://techcrunch.com/2016/03/28/its-not-just-you-clicking-on-links-in-ios-9-3-c an-crash-your-iphone/"

Spoke with them last night. As a temporary fix I had to turn off Java script and do a soft shut down. The links now work in safari only and no where else such as in email. They told me to hang tight for now.

Just wanted to add my experience, iPhone 6 with iOS 9.3. After update, noticed this issue (no links working, long press causes crash), been a week now and have tried the various options, disable javascript (breaks other parts of the web), disable safari suggestions (only made the google homepage work again - i have a feeling that bookmarked links or links already listed in the history will be able to load but I deleted my history in trying to fix the issue so only google works. Tried deleting the booking.com app in case that app caused the issue (didn't help, probably too late if its the culprit).

I just spoke to support to lodge my experience and was told like others here, that an update is coming and expected soon, he said a day or two but was not concrete on a timeline. Fingers crossed it lands soon, don't fancy having to go full restore process on it to fix such as seemingly small issues from an apparently long-lived security issue within iOS.