Apple randomly closes bug reports unless you 'verify' the bug remains unfixed

Source: Hacker News

March 25 2026

Background

Why do I file bug reports with Apple Feedback Assistant? I plead insanity—or perhaps addiction. I swing between phases of abstinence and falling off the wagon. I even tried organizing a public boycott of Feedback Assistant with a list of demands to improve the experience for users, but the boycott never caught on with other developers.

Regardless, an incentive still exists to file bug reports, because Apple actually fixes some of my bugs. My main complaint about the bug‑reporting process is not the unfixed bugs but the disrespect for bug reports and the people who file them. Apple intentionally wastes our time with no regrets, as if our time had no value, as if we had some kind of duty to serve Apple.

Recent Experience with FB12088655

In March 2023, I filed FB12088655 “Privacy: Network filter extension TCP connection and IP address leak.” I mentioned this bug report at the time in a blog post, which included the same steps to reproduce and example Xcode project that I provided to Apple.

For three years I received no response whatsoever—until a couple of weeks ago, when Apple asked me to “verify” the issue with macOS 26.4 beta 4 and update my bug report.

I install the WWDC betas every year in June but stop running OS betas after September when the major OS updates are released. I don’t have enough time or Apple devices to be an unpaid tester year‑round, so verifying issues in betas is a hassle. I’ve been burned by such requests in the past: Apple asked me to verify issues in betas that were not fixed. When I asked Apple directly whether beta 4 fixed the bug—since they already have my steps to reproduce—their response was evasive and never directly answered my question. Moreover, they threatened to close my bug report and assume the bug was fixed if I didn’t verify within two weeks, after silently sitting on my report for three years.

Although I didn’t install the beta myself, I spoke to the developers of Little Snitch, who do run the macOS betas. They informed me that in their testing they could still reproduce my issue with macOS 26.4 beta 4. Unsurprisingly, when I updated to macOS 26.4 (released to the public yesterday), I could still reproduce the bug with my instructions and example project. It appears Apple knowingly sent me on a wild‑goose chase, demanding that I “verify” a bug they did nothing to fix, perhaps hoping the bug would magically disappear on its own.

Other Bug Report: FB22057274

A few weeks ago I published a blog post about another bug, FB22057274 “Pinned tabs: slow‑loading target="_blank" links appear in the wrong tab,” which is 100 % reproducible but was marked by Apple with the resolution “Investigation complete – Unable to diagnose with current information.” On March 9 I updated the bug report, asking what additional information Apple needs from me—though they never asked for more—but I have yet to receive a response.

Observations on Apple’s Bug‑Tracking Process

I can only assume that some leaders at Apple incentivize underlings to close bug reports, regardless of whether the bugs are fixed. Out of sight, out of mind. Apple’s internal metrics probably tell them they have no software‑quality problem, because the number of open bug reports is kept artificially low.

Ironically, the iPadOS 26.4 betas introduced a Safari‑crashing bug that I reported a month ago, but Apple failed to fix the bug before the public release. What’s the purpose of betas? As far as I can tell, the purpose is just to annoy people who file bugs, without doing anything useful.