iOS Bug Crashes iPhone With A Text Message

A new bug has been crashing iPhones via text message and the Messages app, and Apple says they are currently working to fix the problem.

iOS Bug Shuts Down iPhone With Unicode Text

According to online reports, users have discovered a specific string of Unicode characters – including some Arabic – that can effectively shut down a person’s phone. According to reports, the code triggers an automatic shut down because the phone is trying to abbreviate the text: “When the text message is displayed by a banner alert or notification on the lockscreen, the system attempts to abbreviate the text with an ellipsis. If the ellipsis is placed in the middle of a set of non-Latin script characters, including Arabic, Marathi and Chinese, it causes the system to crash and the phone to reboot,” wrote The Guardian.

The message causes an automatic reboot of a recipient’s phone when received on the home lock screen. If the code is still in the message, users who receive the code, go through the reboot and attempt to re-open the Messages app will find their Messages app impossible to open.

The bug affects several iOS versions though it’s not clear exactly which iOS systems are affected. Apple released a statement on the bug, saying they are working on a fix, but did not offer any solutions on how to fix the problem once an iPhone is infected. “We are aware of an iMessage issue caused by a specific series of Unicode characters and we will make a fix available in a software update,” said an Apple spokesperson.

While pranksters are using the code to remotely shut down their friends’ phones, a handful of fixes have emerged on the internet. Infected users can try sending themselves a message via Siri, or some other device, to re-open the Message app safely, or have a friend send them another message to open which will somehow override the original malicious code. If users receive the code from a friendly prankster, they can also simply have their friend delete the message from the message history.