Apple’s freshly released iOS 18.5 update, which dropped on May 13th, was supposed to tighten security and squash bugs. Instead, it introduced a new and frustrating issue for many users – the native Mail app has been freezing or failing to load entirely.
The problem isn’t isolated to beta testers either – it’s happening on the stable build.
Users began reporting the issue as early as June 4th. Reddit threads and Apple’s community forums quickly filled with posts from frustrated iPhone owners. “My Mail app is completely frozen,” wrote one user, noting that their iPhone 13 Pro and their partner’s iPhone 13 Pro Max were both affected after the update. It wasn’t long before similar reports flooded in from users with other iPhone models too, confirming this isn’t device-specific.
Apple has not officially acknowledged the bug as of writing, but community members and support reps have suggested several temporary fixes. Here’s what might help if you’re affected:
- Simple Restart: Power off your iPhone and turn it back on. For some, this unfreezes the Mail app – though only temporarily.
- Force Restart: Press Volume Up, then Volume Down, and hold the Power button until you see the Apple logo.
- Reset Network Settings: Go to Settings → General → Transfer or Reset → Reset → Reset Network Settings.
- Reinstall Mail App: Delete the Mail app and reinstall it from the App Store.
Some users noted that uninstalling and reinstalling the Mail app restored normal function. But for a core app like Mail to break so widely, it raises serious questions about Apple’s QA process for iOS updates. While iOS is usually seen as the more stable platform compared to Android, this bug has shown that even native apps aren’t immune to update hiccups.
With WWDC on the horizon and iOS 26 betas incoming, the timing of this bug couldn’t be worse. For now, we recommend holding off on installing 18.5 if you haven’t yet, or using an alternative mail app if you’re affected. Let’s hope Apple delivers a hotfix (iOS 18.5.1, perhaps?) sooner rather than later.
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