Crash on older OS version: pre-release and first 30 minutes checklists

A release crashes on an OS version still in the support matrix.

The pre-release checklist maps each item to a test class from the incident page. The first-30-minutes checklist covers detection, containment, the rollback decision and customer communication.

6 pre-release items · 8 first-30-minutes items · verified 2026-10-21

Pre-release checklist

PR-01Launch the exact binary submitted to the store on a device running iOS 16 and confirm the app reaches its first screen. compatibility
PR-02Launch the same submitted binary on iPadOS 16.7 and on iOS 17 and confirm the app stays open past the logo. compatibility
PR-03Read the minimum OS version from the release build settings and confirm the device matrix includes a device on that version. compatibility
PR-04After any update to the build tooling, rerun the launch test on the oldest supported OS before the build is submitted. compatibility
PR-05Start the phased store rollout with a cohort that includes devices on iOS 16 and iOS 17. canary
PR-06Pause the phased rollout automatically when the launch crash rate on any OS major version exceeds the previous app version's rate. canary

First 30 minutes

FM-01Group new crash reports and bug reports by OS version and app version to confirm the launch crash is limited to older OS versions.
FM-02Assign an owner to read the public issue tracker and support inbox for launch crash reports until the fixed build ships.
FM-03Pause the phased rollout of the crashing app version in the store.
FM-04Compare the build tooling version used for the crashing app version with the one used for the last good version.
FM-05Decide between a rebuild with the previous tooling and a code fix, and ship the result as the next patch version.
FM-06Tell users on affected OS versions to use the web version until the fixed build ships.
FM-07Publish a notice that names the crashing app version and the affected OS versions and states that reboot or reinstall does not help.
FM-08Close the incident only after the fixed version is live and new launch crash reports from older OS versions stop.

Download the checklist

Pre-release checklist (Markdown)1.2 KB · v1.0.0
First 30 minutes checklist (Markdown)1.2 KB · v1.0.0

Only in this checklist

PR-01 is the only item among 6 published checklists in this group that relies on compatibility tests: Launch the exact binary submitted to the store on a device running iOS 16 and confirm the app reaches its first screen.

Questions

What should be checked before a release to prevent Crash on older OS version?

6 pre-release items, PR-01 to PR-06. PR-01: Launch the exact binary submitted to the store on a device running iOS 16 and confirm the app reaches its first screen.

Is there a rollback plan for Crash on older OS version?

The first-30-minutes checklist has 8 items. FM-01: Group new crash reports and bug reports by OS version and app version to confirm the launch crash is limited to older OS versions.

What should a team do in the first 30 minutes after Crash on older OS version is detected?

The first-30-minutes checklist has 8 items. FM-01: Group new crash reports and bug reports by OS version and app version to confirm the launch crash is limited to older OS versions.

Is a Crash on older OS version checklist still needed if deployment is automated?

Yes. Automation runs the steps; the checklist names what the tests must cover: compatibility tests and canary and progressive delivery checks.

Which pipeline stages does the Crash on older OS version checklist cover?

The pre-release items map to the pre-deploy and post-deploy stages.

In what formats can the Crash on older OS version checklist be downloaded?

Both checklists download as Markdown files: /downloads/crash-on-older-os-version-pre-release.md and /downloads/crash-on-older-os-version-first-30-minutes.md, licensed CC BY 4.0.