UPDATE MARCH 25: Apple has released iOS12.2 which has significantly improved performance with Aware360 app on iPhones. Please make sure to update to the latest version of iOS.
We have received a number of iPhone customer support requests that have led to the discovery of a new bug with the iOS 12 update.
What is the issue? With the release of iOS 12, a bug was introduced that will cause iOS to close apps running in the background. This seems to occur when the phone requires additional resources and iOS randomly ends apps running in the background to free up these resources. This bug is not unique to our apps and occurs with any iPhone apps that run processes in the background. For Aware360 customers, this means anyone using an iPhone updated to iOS 12 may have the Safetylink or the Aware360 app close without any notification it has done so. This bug also can affect automated check-ins while driving.
What will app users see? If employees are using the SafetyLink app and iOS forces a shutdown, they will be forced to log into the app again. During the time between when iOS has shut down and the user logs in again there will be no location data sent. For Aware360 app users, if iOS shuts down the app they will remain logged in and may not notice any changes have occurred, but their location information and automated check-ins may not be sent to the monitor center.
What are we doing to fix this? Aware360 has reached out to Apple development teams to find out when a new patch will be released to solve this problem. We will send you an email as soon as we have this information.
What can you do to help mitigate the problem?
Tell employees to not update to iOS 12 if they haven’t done so already. We will let you know when Apple has fixed the bug.
For those that have updated already, free up as much memory as possible and only run apps that are necessary while using Safetylink or the Aware360 app. Also, keep the app running in the foreground (first app you see) before locking the phone or letting it sleep.
Note: these steps are meant to help alleviate the issue, but we can not guarantee it will stop the problem completely.
Thank you for your continued patience with this matter. We are working diligently to push Apple to solve this bug in their system and will update you as we gain more information. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact your system administrator.