UPDATE: Apple has confirmed an issue affecting AT&T’s iPhone 18 Pro Max.
“We have identified an issue affecting a small number of iPhone 18 Pro Max users on the AT&T network that may result in a device losing service and being unable to make calls,” Apple told PCMag. “We released iOS 27.0.1 earlier this week and strongly encourage all iPhone 18 Pro Max users to update now, and are also releasing a carrier settings update today. These updates are intended to prevent this issue from occurring.”
The update is intended to prevent this from happening to other phones, so if your iPhone has already lost service, you’ll need to replace it. The carrier settings update is expected in the next two weeks, but you can force it via Settings > General > About.
At this point, this only affects the iPhone 18 Pro Max at AT&T.
Original story:
Since the iPhone 18 Pro Max launched last month, AT&T customers have been complaining about not being able to make calls, send texts, or use cellular data. According to MacRumors, the carrier acknowledged the issue in a text message to customers this week and recommended an immediate software upgrade to resolve the problem.
“Hello, this is AT&T. Action Needed: An important software update from Apple for your iPhone 18 Pro Max is available. Some phones may not be able to make calls/texts/data, including to 911. Update to iOS 27.0.1 immediately,” AT&T’s message to customers read.
Apple’s iOS 27.0.1 began rolling out to iPhone users on Monday. The release notes mention fixes for a Face ID bug and camera zoom issues on iPhone 18 Pro models, as well as a fix for an unresponsive screen issue. No mention of AT&T’s problems, though.
Even after updating to iOS 27.0.1, cellphone issues persist for some AT&T customers. “I can’t make or receive phone calls on the brand new phone I installed this morning,” Brooklyn-based writer and editor Lindsay Robertson told PCMag. “I can’t create or receive them on my old phone either. AT&T, you have ONE JOB!”
Robertson now plans to go to the AT&T store this weekend to reactivate his old phone before heading to the Apple Store to get a replacement iPhone 18 Pro Max. “I’ll just have to pray that all this work will make things right,” she says. “I spent over two hours talking to AT&T tech support this morning, with each minute becoming more and more exasperating.”
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It’s unclear if the problem is with the carrier or the iPhone’s hardware. Neither Apple nor AT&T have explained the cause. If you want to try your luck, you can update your iPhone’s software by going to Settings > General > Software update.
An AT&T spokesperson tells us the Apple update should “address an issue that may impact talk, data, text and 911 calls on a small number of Apple iPhone 18 Pro Max phones,” adding, “Our top priority is ensuring customers can stay connected when they need it most, and we’re working with Apple to fix it.”
On the Apple Community forum, we spotted a few customers saying they visited an Apple Store, where staff ordered replacement units for them. Some have already received their new phones and say the AT&T connectivity issue has been resolved. Most of these comments were posted before Monday’s iOS 27.0.1 update, so we’ve reached out to Apple for more details.
Editor’s note: This story has been updated with comments from AT&T and Robertson.
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Jibin is a technology news writer based in Ahmedabad, India. Previously, he served as editor-in-chief of iGeeksBlog and is a self-proclaimed technology enthusiast who enjoys breaking down complex information for a broader audience.
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