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iOS users report apps crashing on opening after syncing iPhone or iPad with M1 Macs

Some iOS users have been reporting that they can no longer open any third-party app on the iPhone or iPad after syncing the devices with the new M1 Macs. The apps crash right after opening them, which makes it impossible to use any installed app.

The first reports of this problem were shared by users as of December 2020, a month after the launch of the new Macs with M1 chip. Similar reports were published on the Apple Support community and also on Reddit.

According to users, third-party apps installed from the App Store simply stopped working after syncing the iPhone or iPad with an M1 Mac using Finder. As shown in a video shared on Reddit, any of these apps close as soon as the user tap to open them. It seems that the bug also prevents the apps from being updated or even new apps from being installed from the App Store.

tl;dr after I sync my iPhone X (on 14.3) with my M1 MBP (on 11.1), no third-party apps will open. Can’t install or update from App Store either; the progress circle will fill up and then immediately turn into the “cloud” download icon.

Another user said in a comment that he was able to make the installed apps work again on the iPhone after connecting and syncing the device with an old Mac running macOS Catalina. However, what causes the bug is still unknown since even Apple Support couldn’t explain it.

On Accident I connected iPhone and MBP M1 via WLAN and synced…. Apps stoped working immediatly. Then connected to my old MBP (2012, latest Calatina) and synced. Apps are all working again.

If you have an M1 Mac, the best thing you can do now is to avoid syncing your iOS device with the Mac until Apple fixes the bug with future software updates.

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Avatar for Filipe Espósito Filipe Espósito

Filipe Espósito is a Brazilian tech Journalist who started covering Apple news on iHelp BR with some exclusive scoops — including the reveal of the new Apple Watch Series 5 models in titanium and ceramic. He joined 9to5Mac to share even more tech news around the world.

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