Spotify, Tiktok, and many other apps stop working on iOS because of Facebook
Dozens of popular apps, including TikTok, Spotify or Tinder, have ceased to function in much of the world at any moment. The bug affects iOS device users such as iPhones and iPads, and Android versions and applications for these platforms continue to operate with apparent normality. The origin of the problem, as explained in The Verge, is a Facebook SDK for iOS failedas an recognized the company at the origin of the social network via its engineering portal.
The main social networks and platforms such as DownDetector have been inundated with user reports warning about the problems of these applications these last minutes. Moreover, #iPhone is one of the most popular hashtags on Twitter at the time of this article's publication.
Some popular apps have stopped working on iOS
Spotify not working on your iPhone? Calm down, you are not alone
This is not the first time the Facebook SDK is causing problems in popular apps. Already in May, many other apps stopped working altogether due to an issue with the social network's SDK, which companies use to manage user login through their Facebook account. However, the issue also affects all users of the app whether or not they are using their Facebook account to log in.
The problem in question manifests itself in the form of forced shutdowns of applications in most cases, such as in apps like Spotify or Waze, although in others it is possible to open the apps and use them after multiple attempts. The latter case is that of public services such as Booking or VSCO.
Something is wrong. We're currently investigating, and we'll keep you posted here!
- Spotify Status (@SpotifyStatus) July 10, 2020
At around 16 p.m. Spanish time, Facebook marked the error as "corrected", and therefore the applications should work as usual again.
How to fix the problem temporarily
As this is not the first time that we have faced such an issue due to the Facebook SDK, The Verge offers temporary solution which allows you to reuse apps in case this happens again.
To do this, you just need to use the Lockdown Apps application available on the App Store, which allows you to create a secure environment in which to run apps through a VPN that blocks third-party trackers - like the Facebook SDK. Once installed, all you need to do is activate the "Firewall" option and accept the necessary permissions to configure a VPN profile on the device. So the apps should run smoothly again.
Related subjects: TikTok
