Fixed in 26.0.1: Help! How to workaround this Phone and Contacts bug?

[MareLuce]

Totally like the feel of the new UI and a lot of iOS 26 features.

However, it is definitely the buggiest major iOS release I've experienced in years.
I hope the devs in Apple are scrambling day and night on the first bug fix release. Soon please!

I'm intermittently experiencing this showstopper problem with Contacts and Phone app.
(see pic - that's all I see upon launch)

Workaround: Force Reset. I'm getting fast at this:
1 - Press left volume UP once
2 - Press left volume DOWN once,
3 - Hold the right side power button until power off option appears.
4 - Wait 1 one thousand, 2 one thousand 3... Press right side power button until Apple logo appears.

Then Phone and Contacts work as expected. But... I need to repeat 2 hours later.
Is there someone at Apple I could beg to fix this?

iPhone 16 Pro Max, 1 TB, iOS 26.0

 

[ventmore]

It doesn't solve your problem but, to force restart, you should just keep holding the power button in step 3...don't let go when the power options appear.

Force restart iPhone

If iPhone isn’t responding, try forcing it to restart.

support.apple.com

 

[MareLuce]

Wow, @ventmore thank you for the detailed answer!

 

[ventmore]

Wow, @ventmore thank you for the detailed answer!

No problem...good luck finding a fix.

 

[MareLuce]

seeing this on Message app also

No one else?

 

[ventmore]

seeing this on Message app also

No one else?

It looks like you're not alone:

iOS 26 | I updated last night to ios 26 , after that I cant access phone app to make any calls it convert to white empty screen and freeze for 30 seconds and g... | Facebook

I updated last night to ios 26 , after that I cant access phone app to make any calls it convert to white empty screen and freeze for 30 seconds and go out automatically to home screen and any saved...

www.facebook.com

Here's a post where someone fixed a similar issue back in 2018:

My phone app gives me a blank white scree… - Apple Community

discussions.apple.com

 

[MareLuce]

Thank you! If I have to suffer, everyone should suffer! 😭

OK just kidding. Mostly kidding. Kinda kidding. Not at all kidding.

 

[MareLuce]

Wow that discussion on apple.com you @ventmore linked was interesting.

>> mugurpe
"I went looking for help on this myself and found this thread. It didn't help but I later figured it out.

I had an iphone 6s, fresh OS install (totally wiped) and the latest software as of 1.9.18 and I was having this problem with the phone app.

I went to contacts in the settings app.

turned off all the siri stuff, find contacts in other apps, and show app,
then set the default account to my GMail instead of "from my mac" and everything started working correctly.
I don't know which specific setting did it but it's working now.

good luck. "

 

[I7guy]

seeing this on Message app also

No one else?

I haven’t seen this behavior for what it’s worth.

 

[MareLuce]

after 1 week of torture (Not being able to open Contacts, Phone, Messages...) 🤯🤯🤯

follow-up: Fixed in 26.0.1