Downloaded Fortnite Mobile but the game keeps on crashing on your iPhone 6 or 6S? Find out what's causing the problem, here.
Fortnite Mobile download links started trickling out to mobile gamers' inboxes Thursday afternoon, but despite receiving an official invite code, some players are experiencing a serious issue with the game crashing or not opening -- namely on their iPhone 6 and 6s. Though the game servers experienced downtime Thursday evening and Friday afternoon, due to the surge of traffic from mobile downloaders, the issues aren't entirely related to server problems.
Why Doesn't Fortnite Mobile Work On iPhone 6?
If you are using an iPhone 6, the main reason it is not working is that it is not part of Fortnite Mobile's official compatibility list. This list includes iPhone 6S/SE, iPad Mini 4, iPad Pro, iPad Air 2 and iPad 2017 devices or later. Since iPhone 6 is not on the list, users who downloaded the game to their iPhone 6 will probably notice the game won't open or crashes soon after loading.
If iPhone 6 Isn't Compatible With Fortnite Mobile, Why Can I Download It?
The answer isn't clear, but it seems it may have to do with an incorrect listing on the Apple App store. When visiting the App store, we noticed the compatibility list states that devices as low as iPhone 5S can run Fortnite Mobile. We aren't sure if this is an error on Apple's part or if Epic Games is considering making the game compatible with older devices at a later time. For now, though, if you own an iPhone 5S or iPhone 6, you will not be able to play Fortnite Mobile on it.
What About iPhone 6S? Is There a Fix For the Crashing?
Though iPhone 6S does appear on the Fortnite Mobile compatibility list, it is the oldest device in the listing and is equipped with the A9 chip. Newer devices like the iPhone 8 and iPhone X are running an A11 chip, two iterations higher than iPhone 6S. It hasn't been confirmed as to why iPhone 6S users are experiencing crashes, but it may be due to the age of the chip. Two other possibilities, which users can remedy, are as follows:
- iPhone 6S Is Running Old Software - according to Epic Games, players need to be on the latest iOS 11 software to run Fortnite Mobile. The latest version of that software is iOS 11.3. You can check what version your device is running by going into the Settings app > General > Software. If you don't have the latest OS, you can download it there.
- You Are Running iOS 11 Beta Software - this is an unconfirmed theory, but I've tested iOS beta software quite a bit over the years, and know the ways it can wreak havoc on certain apps -- particularly those still in the beta phase, like Fortnite Mobile. If you are part of Apple's iOS Beta testing program, you may need to uninstall the beta to get Fortnite Mobile working.
Fortnite Mobile Is Still Not Working. What Now?
It's important to remember Fortnite Mobile is still in beta so bugs, glitches, and crashes are somewhat parred for the course. In the time leading up to the global release, Epic Games will continue to update the game and apply various fixes. The best thing to do is be patient and keep the app as up to date as possible. As more is learned about the issues with iPhone 6S, we'll be sure to update this post.
UPDATE 03/16/18 3:44 pm ET - Epic Games' website and related services are, once again, experiencing issues. Here is the website's latest status post:
"Investigating - We are experiencing service issues. You may encounter failed login attempts, failed matchmaking, or get kicked from a match. We are investigating."
Keep checking the Epic Games status page for updates on site issues.
