Photon, a service that links AI agents to iMessage, uncovered a flaw that throttles every Mac’s networking after 49 days, 17 hours, 2 minutes, and 47 seconds of continuous uptime. The bug forces the XNU kernel’s 32‑bit timestamp to wrap, causing macOS to fail in closing stale TCP connections. In the end, all network interfaces grind to a halt today.

The issue spans every model—from the new MacBook Neo to the high‑end Mac Studio—because the kernel logic is shared across macOS releases. Photon confirmed the problem by running targeted tests on its own server fleet, noting that no new TCP connections could be established once the 32‑bit counter resets. Users who keep machines online for weeks will feel the impact most today.

A quick reboot resets the kernel clock and restores connectivity, so most users can avoid the glitch by restarting more often than every week. Photon is working on a permanent fix, but until then, regular restarts are the simplest mitigation. This bug underscores how low‑level timing quirks can ripple into everyday usability on Apple’s flagship platform.