How to report bugs on iOS: send a bug report to Apple

Something on your iPhone is not working the way it should. It could be a crash, a feature that vanished after an update, or a setting that does not stick. If you want Apple to know about it, there is a proper way to report it, and a clear report is far more useful than a vague one. This guide explains which channel to use, how to write a report that helps, and what to expect after you send it. Apple changes app names and menus between iOS versions, so use the closest match on your phone.

Where should you report an iOS bug?

• Feedback Assistant: Apple’s bug reporting tool. It is on iPhones that are enrolled in an iOS beta program and is also available on the web for developers. It is the best place for software bugs.
• apple.com/feedback: Apple’s web page for suggestions about products and services. Use it for ideas and general problems.
• Apple Support: use the Support app, the website or a phone call when you need help fixing a problem, not just to report it.
• The app’s developer: if the bug is in an app you installed, report it to the developer from the App Store page or the app’s settings.

How do you use Feedback Assistant on an iPhone?

What should you write in a bug report?

A good report lets someone at Apple repeat the problem. Include the iOS version (Settings › General › About) and your iPhone model. Then answer four questions: what you did, what you expected to happen, what really happened, and how often it happens. Use plain sentences and short steps, such as: open Messages, tap the new message button, type a name, the keyboard disappears. If the problem only happens in one situation, say so, for example only on cellular data or only after a restart.

How do you capture a screenshot or screen recording of the bug?

A screenshot shows the problem. A short screen recording shows how it happens. To record, add Screen Recording to Control Center and tap it, then repeat the steps and stop the recording. Our guides to taking a screenshot on iPhone and how to screen record on iPhone show how. Trim the video so it only shows the problem, and do not include private information such as passwords or messages.

What if the Feedback Assistant app is missing?

Most iPhones do not have it, because it comes with the beta software program. You can still report problems. Use apple.com/feedback for suggestions and general reports, or contact Apple Support when you need a fix. If you want to join the beta to report earlier, know that beta software can be unstable and can cause new problems. Only try it on a spare device.

What happens after you send a bug report?

Apple does not promise to answer each report. In Feedback Assistant you can see whether the report is open and whether other people reported something similar, and Apple may ask you for more information. Bug fixes usually arrive in a later iOS update, so keep your phone updated. Our guide to getting the latest iOS shows how, and iPhone problems after an update covers fixes you can try now.

Is it a bug, or is something else wrong?

Before you report, rule out the common causes. Restart the iPhone, update iOS and the app, and check whether the problem happens on Wi-Fi and on cellular data. Check that Low Power Mode and a VPN are not the cause. If the issue happens on a new software version only and you can repeat it, it is more likely a real bug. You may find that others have noticed the same problem, as with iOS 27 indexing in progress or the iPhone 18 Pro Face ID bug.

Is it safe to send diagnostic data to Apple?

Feedback Assistant can attach diagnostic files from your phone, and these can contain technical details and sometimes personal information. Apple explains what it collects in the app before you submit. Review the list, and remove or decline anything you are not comfortable sharing. Never include passwords or financial details in the text of a report.

Quick checklist

How do you report a problem in an app, not in iOS?

App problems go to the app’s developer, not Apple. Open the App Store page for the app and scroll to App Support, or look in the app’s own Settings or Help menu for a contact option. Include the app version, your iOS version and the steps that trigger the problem. If the app is from a big company, its website usually has a support form.

How do you report a security problem or a scam message?

Security issues are handled separately from normal bugs. Apple has a page for security researchers, and you should not post details of a security flaw in public. To report a phishing email that pretends to be from Apple, forward it to reportphishing@apple.com. For scam texts, do not tap links, use Report Junk or Report Spam in Messages if you see it, and read how to tell if a text is a scam.

How do you check whether the bug is fixed?

After each iOS update, read the release notes under Settings › General › Software Update › the update name, and try the steps from your report again. If the problem is gone, you can close your report in Feedback Assistant. If it is still there, add a note to the same report rather than opening a new one. Our tracker, iOS and Android updates, keeps a record of recent versions and fixes.

Can you ask Apple for a new feature?

Yes. A feature request is not a bug, but Apple still reads feedback. Use apple.com/feedback and explain what you want to do and why the current options do not work for you. Be specific, for example that you want to schedule a text or choose a default maps app. Short, clear requests from many people are more useful than a long complaint, and you can upvote similar ideas if the tool you use shows them.

What should you not report as a bug?

A few things look like bugs but are normal. A phone that gets warm while charging, a battery that drains faster on a new update for a day or two, and Photos or Siri working hard after an update are common. Search for the exact message you see before you report. Often another guide covers it, such as iOS 27 indexing in progress.

• You picked the right channel: Feedback Assistant, the feedback website or Apple Support.
• You noted your iOS version and iPhone model.
• You wrote the steps to repeat the bug.
• You added a screenshot or a short screen recording.
• You did not include passwords or private details.