Apple has been deluged with
complaints from users who say the latest version of its mobile operating
system is breaking links and crashing apps.
"Following iOS 9.3 on iPhone 6splus update links in safari no longer
open, then safari crashes -- any ideas how to fix? Same problem in
Chrome," user John MacDonald posted Monday on Apple's support page on
Twitter.
Another user, Armando Couri Filho, had similar problems. "My IPhone 6
is not opening links from Safari, Mail and WhatsApp. What should I do?"
he asked Apple support.
"Clicking on links in the new iOS update causes safari to freeze.
I've had to switch to using @googlechrome and @firefox," noted Ohanes
Kalayjian.
What's causing the problem with links in iOS 9.3? So far, Apple has
been mum on the subject, but according to one news report, the issue
could be with Universal Links, which Apple introduced in iOS 9.0.
Universal Headache?
Universal Links allow Web links to be opened directly from within apps
running under iOS without first opening Apple's Web browser, Safari.
The Universal Links are stored in a database in iOS, and if an app
contains too many, they will crash not only the app, but Safari too,
according to TechCrunch.
However, that doesn't explain why apps without any Universal Links
are crashing, nor does it explain other problems, such as iOS refusing
to verify updates because it says a device is not connected to the
Internet when clearly it is.
For users who have installed the new version of iOS, there doesn't
seem to be a quick fix. Turning off JavaScript in Safari has helped some
users, but not all, BGR reported. Others have avoided the problem by
using Google's Chrome browser, but that too seems to be an inconsistent
fix.
Of course, unlike with some desktop operating systems that allow an
update to be rolled back to a previous version that worked fine, once
most users commit to a new version of iOS, there's no turning back.
There are good reasons for that no-rollback policy, noted Patrick Moorhead, principal analyst at
Moor Insights & Strategy.
"Many more times than not, the latest software is safer and better," he told TechNewsWorld.
What's more, "backgrades are very complex and if not done precisely,
the backgrade could break all functionality," Moorhead added.
More Regression Testing Needed
Kevin Krewell, an analyst with
Tirias Research, has the new iOS running on his iPhone and hasn't experienced any problems with it yet, he said.
However, "any time there's a major change in an operating system, there's always the risk of problems," he told TechNewsWorld
"I would be concerned that Apple is not doing enough regression
testing on applications to catch these things before they ship new
software," Krewell said.
Although Apple always has touted its commitment to software
excellence, the latest iOS fumble may be a sign it's succumbing to the
pressures plaguing all software makers, according to Moorhead.
"Apple should take a look at their development process as insiders
are starting to question their commitment to software quality," he said.
"Apple is racing top speed across many different, complex platforms,
and every software developer, including Microsoft and Google, are
issuing software with bugs," Moorhead continued.
"The whole software industry has taken a fast-fail approach to get
code out and let users find fixes," he said. "This is particularly
happening in consumer environments."
Too Many Apps
Given the size of Apple's app ecosystem, the problem of getting
everything to work right is a mighty one for the company, which released
seven beta versions of iOS 9.3 before sending it to users.
"It's hard when your ecosystem is so large, but they should have
stats on which apps are most popular and test for those," Krewell said.
"Part of the problem is the amplification of software. There are so
many different apps, it's getting harder and harder for Apple to keep
track of the a
