Multiple unrelated apps hang at launch in NSURLBackgroundSession and are killed by iOS watchdog

App & System Services Networking
rasakhodavirdilou OP
Created 1w
Replies 4
Boosts 3
Views 360
Participants 4

Feedback ID: FB24937933

I’m seeing a persistent launch failure across multiple unrelated apps on an iPhone 15 Pro Max.

Affected apps include Telegram, Box, LinkedIn, Amazon, Apple Podcasts, Shazam, and others.

The behavior is consistent:

  1. I launch the app.
  2. The app stays on a black or frozen launch screen.
  3. After approximately 19–20 seconds, iOS terminates the app.
  4. Retrying may occasionally work temporarily, but the problem returns.

Crash reports from multiple unrelated apps show essentially the same termination:

EXC_CRASH / SIGKILL 0x8BADF00D scene-create watchdog transgression

More importantly, the main thread repeatedly shows this pattern:

xpc_connection_send_message_with_reply_sync NSXPCCONNECTION_IS_WAITING_FOR_A_SYNCHRONOUS_REPLY -[__NSURLBackgroundSession setupBackgroundSession] -[__NSURLBackgroundSession initWithConfiguration:delegate:delegateQueue:delegateDispatchQueue:]

This appears to indicate that the app’s main thread is synchronously waiting for an XPC-backed system service while creating a background NSURLSession, and the response does not arrive before the scene-create watchdog timeout.

I first reproduced this on iOS 26.6.2 and the problem still occurs after updating to iOS 27.0 (24A437).

Troubleshooting already performed:

• Force restart • Network Settings Reset • Background App Refresh disabled • VPN/proxy disabled • Affected apps deleted and reinstalled • iOS updated from 26.6.2 to 27.0

Because the same stack pattern is occurring across multiple unrelated third-party apps, as well as Apple apps such as Podcasts and Shazam, this does not appear to be isolated to a single application.

Apple Support has also told me that similar cases have been reported and that the issue may be addressed in a future software update.

Has anyone seen a system-level NSURLBackgroundSession / XPC service enter this kind of stuck state across multiple applications?

Is there a known issue involving the background URLSession service or related networking daemon that could cause synchronous XPC calls during app launch to block until the watchdog terminates the process?

I have submitted the full crash reports through Feedback Assistant under FB24937933.

Answered by DTS Engineer in 907161022
I have submitted the full crash reports … under FB24937933.

Thanks. That’s the right path forward for issues like this.

Share and Enjoy
—
Quinn “The Eskimo!” @ Developer Technical Support @ Apple
let myEmail = "eskimo" + "1" + "@" + "apple.com"

Replies  4
Boosts  3
Views  360
Participants  4
DTS Engineer OP
Apple
1w
Recommended
I have submitted the full crash reports … under FB24937933.

Thanks. That’s the right path forward for issues like this.

Share and Enjoy
—
Quinn “The Eskimo!” @ Developer Technical Support @ Apple
let myEmail = "eskimo" + "1" + "@" + "apple.com"
YufanZZZ OP
1d

Hi, I met the same problem in Canvas, Linkedin, Robinhood Banking... All analytical files show the same bugs: EXC_CRASH / SIGKILL 0x8BADF00D scene-create watchdog transgression.
JaredMeager OP
1d

I’m seeing what appears to be the same issue described in FB24937933, affecting multiple unrelated apps on my iPhone.

Device / software

  • iPhone 12 Pro Max
  • iOS 27.0.1
  • Robinhood Banking 2.23.1
  • Duolingo 7.142.0

Timeline

  • I was on a Caribbean cruise Sept. 27–Oct. 2, including Jamaica and the Bahamas.
  • I used ship Wi-Fi and different networks while in port.
  • Robinhood Banking was still working while I was in the Bahamas.
  • The problems started the day I returned, Oct. 2.
  • Initially, App Store updates were also hanging.
  • Most apps now work normally, but Robinhood Banking and Duolingo continue to fail.

Behavior

  • The app opens to the launch/logo screen.
  • It remains frozen for roughly 20 seconds.
  • iOS eventually terminates the app.
  • Robinhood Banking briefly worked after I forced a sign-out and reauthenticated, but the problem returned.

Troubleshooting already performed

  • Restarted and force restarted multiple times
  • Airplane Mode on/off
  • Tested Wi-Fi only and cellular only
  • Tested multiple Wi-Fi networks and a separate hotspot
  • Changed DNS and returned it to Automatic
  • Confirmed no VPN
  • Disabled Private Relay and Limit IP Address Tracking
  • Checked app/location permissions
  • Freed iPhone storage
  • Fully deleted and reinstalled affected apps
  • Signed out/in where possible
  • Reset network settings
  • Tried an OTA iOS update, which became stuck on “Update Requested”
  • Successfully updated to iOS 27.0.1 through a Windows PC
  • Contacted Robinhood and confirmed there is no account restriction
  • Removed old Robinhood trusted devices and fully reauthenticated
  • Regular Robinhood works normally and my Robinhood card still works

Crash logs are what make this look system-level.

Robinhood Banking repeatedly shows an EXC_CRASH / SIGKILL with a 0x8BADF00D scene-create watchdog timeout after about 20 seconds.

More importantly, its main thread is getting stuck while iOS is trying to create a background NSURLSession and waiting for a synchronous XPC response.

Duolingo is showing essentially the same thing: an EXC_CRASH / SIGKILL with 0x8BADF00D, and its main thread is also getting stuck in the same background NSURLSession/XPC system call.

The watchdog event is slightly different between the two apps, but both unrelated apps are hanging while waiting on the same iOS background networking service.

Because this persists across different networks, app reinstalls, network resets, reauthentication, and even an iOS update through a computer, it doesn’t appear isolated to Robinhood, Duolingo, Wi-Fi, cellular, or DNS.

The cruise may be unrelated, but it is the only major change immediately before this started, involving ship Wi-Fi, roaming, and multiple international networks.

Has anyone found a way to restart or reset the underlying NSURLSession/XPC background networking service without erasing the entire device?
YufanZZZ OP
1d

I’ve experienced exactly the same issue as the new reporter. I returned from China on August 27, landed in Chicago, and then drove to Maryland.

While I was driving and using CarPlay, it worked at first, but Apple Maps suddenly stopped working. The GPS could no longer determine my location, and I had the same problem with Google Maps. I tried several different troubleshooting methods at the time, and resetting the network settings eventually fixed the GPS/navigation issue.

However, after that, I started experiencing the issue mentioned above, where certain apps would no longer open and would crash shortly after launching.

I’m not sure whether these two issues are related, but I wanted to share my experience in case it provides a useful clue for identifying the cause.

Multiple unrelated apps hang at launch in NSURLBackgroundSession and are killed by iOS watchdog
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