10 Tips to Fix Messages App Keeps Crashing on iPhone in iOS 18

User Concern

“My Messages app started crashing about an hour ago; I can't send or receive messages. When I load the app, it shows me a black screen. How can I fix this?”

The Messages app received many updates in the latest iOS 18 version. However, some users complain that the Messages app keeps crashing or freezing while using it.

It is really inconvenient when the Messages app keeps crashing on the iPhone. But don't worry; it is not a big deal, and there are a few tips to fix this issue with ease. Try these solutions one by one and see which one works for you.

Why Does My iPhone Message App Keep Crashing?

Usually, there are two circumstances for the Messages app crashing issue. One case is when you open the app, it crashes immediately. Another case is that the app continues closing on your iPhone.

There can be a number of factors that can cause the Messages app to crash on your iPhone, such as incorrect settings, poor internet connection, insufficient space, outdated iOS version, iOS system errors, etc.

How to Fix Messages App Keeps Crashing on iPhone?

Tip 1. Force Quit and Restart Messages App

If the Messages app keeps crashing on your iPhone, try force quitting it and restarting it. To do this,

• Swipe up from the bottom of the screen to open the app switcher (For iPhones with the home button, just double-press the home button).
• Find the Messages app and drag it up to close it.
• Wait for a few seconds, then restart the Messages app.

Tip 2. Restart Your iPhone

You can also fix the Messages app crashing error by restarting your iPhone.

• For iPhone X and newer models: Press the side button and either volume+/volume- button. Drag the slider from left to right to turn it off. After that, keep holding the side button to turn on the device.
• For old iPhone models: Keep holding the side or top button until you see the slider button. Then, drag the slider until the device goes off. When it does, keep holding the side/top button again to turn it on.

Tip 3. Delete Old Messages on iPhone

The Messages app may keep closing if there are many conversions on your iPhone. In this case, you can delete old messages to fix the problem. Also, you can enable auto-deleting of messages after 30 days or 1 year. To do this,

• Go to Settings, scroll down to tap on Messages > Keep Messages.
• You can choose to save the message history for 30 days, 1 Year, or forever as you want.

Tip 4. Disable and Re-enable iMessage

Another attempt you can try is to disable and re-enable iMessage on your iPhone.

• Open the Settings app and tap Messages.
• Then tap the switch for iMessage to turn it off.
• Wait for a few seconds, tap the switch again to turn it on.

Tip 5. Use 3D Touch

If the Messages app keeps crashing when you are in a conversation, you can try to send the messages using the 3D Touch.

• Hold the Messages app icon until the recent contacts appear.
• Then, click on your desired contact and choose the Reply option to send messages.

Note

If the 3D Touch doesn't appear, go to Settings > General > Accessibility and scroll down to verify that 3D Touch is enabled.

Tip 6. Send Messages via Siri

If your Message App crashes after receiving malicious messages, it's wise to reply to the person who sent the strange messages via Siri.

• Say "Hey Siri" or "Siri" to activate Siri on your iPhone.
• Ask Siri to read unread text messages and reply to the messages.
• After that, the Message app will be normal.

Tip 7. Update iOS on iPhone

As we know, Apple always releases new iOS versions to fix old bugs existing on iPhones. You can try to update your iPhone to the latest iOS version to fix the Messages app crashing issue.

• Go to Settings > General > Software Update.
• If an update is available, click Install Now.

Tip 8. Reset All Settings

It is reported that the iPhone Messages app crashing issue can be fixed by resetting all settings. If all the above methods fail to work, you can:

• Go to Settings > General > Transfer or Reset iPhone > Reset.
• Choose Reset All Settings from the list.
• Then, enter your iPhone's passcode and confirm the reset.

Tip 9. Fix Messages App Crashing with iOS Repair Tool

In case iOS system bugs and errors often cause the problem, you'd better try a third-party iOS repair tool. FoneGeek iOS System Recovery is highly recommended. It can always come in handy when your iPhone runs into various issues that are hard to settle, such as restart loop, apps crashing or freezing, black screen, etc.

FoneGeek iOS System Recovery is powerful because you will not suffer from any data loss during or after the repair process. And your device will be normal in a few clicks.

Step 1. Firstly, install the right version of this program on your Mac or Windows computer. Open it up and select the "Standard Mode" option.

Step 2. Use a USB cable to connect your abnormal iPhone to the computer and wait for the program to detect it. If not, you can follow the instructions to put the device in Recovery/DFU mode.

Step 3. Check the information for your iPhone and select the matching firmware version, then tap on "Download" to download the firmware package.

Step 4. After downloading, click on "Fix Now," and the program will start to fix your iPhone. Your iPhone will restart, and the Messages app crashing issue should disappear.

Tip 10. Check Messages App Server Status

The Messages app won't work if there is an issue with the Apple Server. If none of the solutions above helps, you'd better check Apple's System Status page and see if the dot next to Messages and iMessage is orange or green.

Bottom Line

That's all. After following the above methods, I hope you've fixed the Messages app crashing issue on your iPhone. Let us know which trick has offered help in the comment below. If nothing helps, you can contact Apple Support for further assistance.

Meanwhile, suppose you accidentally deleted some important text messages on your iPhone, and there is no backup. In that case, you can also rely on a third-party tool like FoneGeek iPhone Data Recovery to retrieve deleted text messages from iPhone without backup.