Hi! I see you're having trouble with the Session app not opening on your iPhone 7 Plus and iPod Touch. Let's get this sorted out.

To start, could you tell me:
- What exactly happens when you try to open the app? (Does it crash immediately, stay on a loading screen, or something else?)
- Have you tried any troubleshooting steps so far?

Meanwhile, here’s a general step-by-step approach that often resolves app launch issues on iOS devices:

1. Close and Reopen the App
Double-click the Home button and swipe up on the Session app to close it fully. Then, try reopening it.

2. Restart Your Devices
Hold down the power button, slide to power off, then turn the devices back on. Sometimes this clears minor glitches.

3. Check for App Updates
Open the App Store, tap your profile icon, and scroll to check if there’s an update available for Session. Running the latest version is important for compatibility and bug fixes.

4. Delete and Reinstall the App
If the above didn’t help, delete Session by pressing and holding its icon until it wiggles, then tap the "X." Afterwards, reinstall it from the App Store.

5. Check Your iOS Version
On the iPhone 7 Plus or iPod Touch, go to Settings > General > About to see the iOS version. Make sure it’s up to date, as older iOS versions might cause app issues. If needed, update via Settings > General > Software Update.

If you’ve tried any of these, let me know which steps you’ve done and the results. If the problem persists, I can guide you through more advanced options.

Are you comfortable trying those steps now?

It immediately crashes, won't even let me see my messages. I've tried everything I could think of and seen online and nothing seems to work

Thanks for sharing that the Session app crashes immediately on startup and you’ve tried various fixes already. Since the usual steps like reinstalling and restarting didn’t solve it, let’s dig a bit deeper.

On iOS devices like your iPhone 7 Plus and iPod Touch, app crashes at launch can sometimes be caused by:

1. Compatibility issues with the iOS version: Older devices might be running outdated iOS versions that a newer app version doesn’t support properly.
2. Corrupted app data or cache beyond simple reinstall.
3. Conflict with other apps or background processes.

Here are some focused steps tailored for your iOS devices:

### Step 1: Confirm your iOS version and update if possible
- Go to Settings > General > Software Update and see if an update is available.
- Session might require a more recent iOS version to run smoothly.

### Step 2: Clear device storage and memory
- Check your storage in Settings > General > iPhone Storage. If your storage is nearly full, try deleting some unused apps or files.
- A device low on storage or memory can cause apps to crash immediately.

### Step 3: Perform a full uninstall and reboot before reinstalling the app
- Delete the app again.
- Restart the device.
- Then download and install Session fresh from the App Store.

### Step 4: Ensure no VPN or security settings are blocking the app
- If you use a VPN or custom security profiles, try disabling them temporarily.
- Sometimes VPNs or firewalls interfere with app connections leading to crashes.

### Step 5: Check for known issues or patches
- According to the official Session FAQ, ensuring you have the latest version is critical since many crash issues are resolved in updates4.
- Since your app crashes immediately, it may help to contact the support team directly via [email protected] if none of these steps resolve the crash.

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If these steps don’t help, there might be a deeper compatibility or account-related issue. Would you be comfortable sharing the iOS version you're on for each device? That can help me narrow down the cause further.

Are you able to try these steps? Please let me know how it goes or if you want me to walk you through any.

Yes, both are running iOS 15.8.4

Thanks for letting me know that both devices are running iOS 15.8.4. Based on what I found, this iOS version mainly includes important security fixes and general system improvements, with no widespread reports specifically linking it to crashes of the Session app1 4. It seems Apple is still supporting older devices like your iPhone 7 Plus with these security updates2.

There are no known major compatibility issues reported between iOS 15.8.4 and the Session app. However, iOS app crashes can sometimes be caused by cached settings or data corruption that standard reinstalls don't fix, or conflicts with other system settings.

Since you already tried common fixes without success, one more thing you might try is resetting your network settings, which has helped with some app startup issues on iOS 15 versions:

- Go to Settings > General > Transfer or Reset iPhone > Reset > Reset Network Settings.

- This will clear saved Wi-Fi passwords and network-related caches but won't delete your personal data.

- After the reset, restart the device, then try opening Session again.

Also, please ensure no VPN, firewall, or security profile is active that could block the app from connecting properly at launch.

If the crash continues despite that, it might be an issue best handled by the Session support team, since it could be a device-specific or account-related bug they can check on their end.

Would you like me to help you draft a support request to [email protected] with these details? Or do you want to try the network reset now and see if it improves things?

Tried the network settings reset and it did not work

Thank you for trying the network settings reset and letting me know it didn’t help. Since the app crashes immediately and resetting network settings wasn’t effective, here are some additional focused steps we can try:

1. Check App Permissions:
Even though the app crashes at launch, sometimes missing permissions can cause startup issues. Go to Settings > Privacy > Files and Folders (or relevant permissions) and make sure Session has all necessary permissions enabled.

2. Check for Regional or Connectivity Restrictions:
Some users experience problems if their region has restrictions affecting Session's connectivity. Verify if network restrictions or firewall rules might be blocking the app. If you use VPNs or proxy settings, try disabling them temporarily.4

3. Verify Latest App Version:
Ensure you're running the latest Session update from the App Store. Sometimes crashes are fixed in recent app releases.1

4. Possible Account or Device-Specific Issue:
If none of the above work, this might be a bug or account-related issue that requires investigation by Session’s support team. I recommend reaching out to the developers at [email protected] with the details you have provided so far.

Would you like me to assist you in drafting a detailed support request? Or do you want to try the app permissions check and disabling VPNs next? Let me know how you’d like to proceed!

Checked the files and folders section and it doesn't show up as an option on either device

Thank you for checking that and letting me know the Files and Folders permission option is missing on your devices. That actually makes sense because the Session app does not require or request access to files and folders on iOS devices, so it won’t appear as an option in the Privacy settings.

Session is designed to handle all message data internally and securely without needing file-level access outside the app2.

Given that, the missing "Files and Folders" permission entry is normal and not the cause of the app crashing at launch.

Since permissions are likely not the issue here, and you've already tried network resets and reinstalling, the best next step is to contact Session support directly at [email protected]. They can investigate if there’s an underlying bug or account/device-specific problem causing the immediate crash on your iOS 15.8.4 devices.

Would you like me to help you compose a detailed message to support including what you've tried so far? I’m here to assist with that or any other questions you may have!

I don't think it's an account bug because I am currently using the same account I have on my iPhone 7 Plus on an iPhone 11 running iOS 26 Public Beta 4. I use a different account on the iPod Touch

Thanks for sharing that detail—it’s really helpful to narrow things down. Since you’re using the same Session account on your iPhone 7 Plus running iOS 15.8.4 (where it crashes immediately) and on your iPhone 11 with iOS 26 Public Beta 4 (where it works fine), it does suggest the problem isn’t specifically tied to your Session account.

From what I’ve gathered, running apps on iOS public betas like iOS 26 can be a bit unpredictable, but in your case, the newer iOS beta device works well, which indicates the app itself supports those newer betas pretty robustly1.

This raises the likelihood that the crash on your iPhone 7 Plus and iPod Touch with iOS 15.8.4 might be related to device-specific issues or how the app interacts with the older iOS version and hardware. Sometimes older devices—even with supported iOS versions—can struggle with newer app updates that have higher resource demands or dependencies on newer system libraries.

Here’s what I recommend next:

1. Try a Fresh Start on iOS 15.8.4 Devices:
- Backup your iPhone 7 Plus and iPod Touch via iCloud or iTunes.
- Perform a full factory reset (Settings > General > Transfer or Reset iPhone > Erase All Content and Settings).
- After the reset, without restoring apps or settings yet, try installing Session and launching it to see if the clean state resolves the crash.

2. If the Crash Persists Post-Reset:
- This would confirm an incompatibility or device-related problem with iOS 15.8.4 and Session’s current app version on your hardware.
- In this case, contacting Session’s support at [email protected] for a bug report would be best, mentioning the contrast between iOS 15.8.4 and iOS 26 beta performance.

3. For Your iPod Touch Account:
- Since you use a different account there, after any reset, try logging in fresh and see if that helps isolate account vs device issues.

I understand a factory reset is a bigger step, so feel free to ask if you want detailed guidance on backing up and resetting safely. Would you like to proceed with that? Or, if you prefer, I can assist with drafting a clear support request to Session including this info.

What do you think?

I have tried backing up my data on the iPhone 7 Plus but it runs out of space rather quickly

Thanks for sharing that your iPhone 7 Plus backup runs out of space quickly. This often happens when the device's storage is nearly full, making it hard to complete a full backup. Here are some tips to help free up storage space before backing up:

1. Check Storage Usage:
Go to Settings > General > iPhone Storage to see what's taking up space and identify large apps or files you might delete or offload.

2. Offload Unused Apps:
In the same iPhone Storage menu, you can enable Offload Unused Apps. This removes the app but keeps its data, freeing up space without losing important info.

3. Delete Large or Unnecessary Files:
Consider deleting old photos, videos, or messages, especially large attachments. You can also clear browser caches and app caches where possible.

4. Optimize Photos:
Enable Settings > Photos > Optimize iPhone Storage to store smaller image versions on your device while keeping full-resolution versions in iCloud.

5. Clear Old Backups:
If you use iCloud backup, go to Settings > [your name] > iCloud > Manage Storage > Backups and delete old device backups you no longer need to free iCloud space.

6. Try Backing up to a Computer:
If iCloud space or device storage is insufficient, consider backing up your iPhone 7 Plus via iTunes or Finder on a computer, which can handle larger backups.

If you’d like, I can guide you step-by-step through freeing up space or backing up to a computer securely. Would you prefer to try clearing storage on the device first or try the computer backup method? Let me know!

Here's a useful Apple Support video on freeing iPhone storage for more ideas: 3

Let's try the computer backup method

Great choice! Backing up your iPhone 7 Plus to a computer is a solid way to secure your data, especially when storage space is tight on the device itself. Here's a straightforward guide for doing this on a Windows PC (since you're on Windows 10):

### Step 1: Install iTunes on Your Computer
- If you haven't already, download and install the latest version of iTunes from the official Apple website: Apple iTunes Download.
- After installing, launch iTunes.

### Step 2: Connect Your iPhone 7 Plus
- Use your Lightning cable to connect your iPhone 7 Plus to the computer.
- If prompted on your iPhone, tap Trust This Computer and enter your device passcode.

### Step 3: Start the Backup
- In iTunes, click the small iPhone icon near the top-left corner.
- Under the Summary tab, you’ll see Backups.
- Choose This computer for the backup location.
- (Optional) Check Encrypt local backup if you want to protect sensitive data like saved passwords, health data, etc. Just remember the password you set.
- Click Back Up Now.

### Step 4: Monitor and Verify
- Wait for the backup process to complete. It may take some time depending on data size.
- After completion, check under Latest Backup to verify the date and time.

### Step 5: Proceed with Factory Reset (Optional)
- After your data is safely backed up, you can proceed with resetting your iPhone 7 Plus if you choose.
- To reset, go to Settings > General > Transfer or Reset iPhone > Erase All Content and Settings.

### Notes:
- If you want, you can also backup via Finder instead of iTunes if using macOS Catalina or later, but since you’re on Windows, iTunes is the tool.
- Remember, backups made on this computer can be restored back later to recover your data.

If you want, I can guide you step-by-step during the process or help with restoring after reset. Just let me know! Would you like to proceed?

I currently have 27.1 GB of storage left on my computer, my iPhone 7 Plus has 256 GB of storage, would it be possible to make a backup that doesn't take up too much space on my computer?

Thanks for asking about backing up your iPhone 7 Plus without using too much storage on your computer. Since your iPhone has 256 GB of storage but your computer only has about 27.1 GB free, a traditional full backup via iTunes could indeed use more space than you have available.

Here are some options to minimize computer storage use during backup:

1. Use iCloud Backup Instead of Computer Backup
iCloud backups don't use your computer’s storage since data is stored in the cloud. By going to Settings > [your name] > iCloud > iCloud Backup on your iPhone, you can enable automatic backups. Keep in mind that the free iCloud storage is limited to 5 GB, so you might need to upgrade your iCloud storage plan for larger backups1.

2. Exclude Large Media from Computer Backup
When backing up via iTunes, the backup generally includes app data but not the actual media files like photos and videos if you sync them separately (e.g., via iCloud Photos or manually). However, iTunes backups can still be large if you have lots of app data.

3. Backup to an External Drive
Another approach is to move your iTunes backup folder to an external hard drive to save space on your computer’s internal drive. This involves some technical steps but can free up your computer storage while keeping the backup accessible9 10.

Given your current storage, the most straightforward way might be to back up using iCloud if your data size fits or to upgrade iCloud storage temporarily. Otherwise, backing up to an external drive using iTunes would help avoid space issues on your PC.

Would you like me to guide you through setting up iCloud backup, or help with backing up via iTunes to an external drive?

Is there anything else I can try?

Thanks for checking in! Given what you've tried so far, here are a couple more things we can do to troubleshoot the Session app crashing immediately on your iPhone 7 Plus and iPod Touch:

1. Generate a Debug Log from the Session App (if possible):
Sometimes the app can create a debug log that captures what happens internally at launch. If you can access the Session app’s settings menu—on any device where it opens—you can generate this log. It’s useful to share with Session support as it might reveal the cause of the crash1.

2. Try Logging Out on iPod Touch (since it uses a different account):
If you can open Session briefly on the iPod Touch before it crashes, try logging out and logging back in to see if that resets any corrupted session data.

3. Check for Background App Conflicts:
Although rare on iOS, sometimes background apps or system processes can interfere. Try closing all background apps on your devices before opening Session.

4. Confirm No Beta OS Conflicts on iPod Touch:
You mentioned the iPhone 11 is on iOS 26 beta, but confirm your iPod Touch is on a stable iOS version since beta OS versions can sometimes cause instability.

5. Contact Session Support with Details and Include Logs:
Since the crash persists despite all common fixes, the developers can investigate deeper. You can reach out at [email protected] and include:
- Your device models and iOS versions
- The fact the same account works on iPhone 11 but not iPhone 7 Plus or iPod Touch
- What troubleshooting steps you’ve already tried
- A debug log if you can get it from any working Session installation3

If you want, I can help you draft this detailed support request. Would you like me to assist with that or guide you through any of the above steps?