Earlier this week, it was discovered that a specific string of characters could crash an iPhone and cause problems for the user’s Messages app. Apple has said that it’s working on a software update to fix the problem, but until then, it’s published a temporary fix for anyone affected.
Apple has launched a support page to solve the issue “If Messages quits unexpectedly after you get a text with a specific string of characters,” instructing users to ask Siri to “read unread messages” and then dictate a reply using Siri. You’ll then be able to open Messages, at which point Apple suggests you delete the offending message or the entire thread. The Cupertino firm goes on to reiterate that it plans to offer a more permanent fix for this issue in a software update.
This Messages bug is definitely a strange one, and while it doesn’t really cause any harm to your device, it can be pretty annoying if your buddies keep sending it to you to mess with you. It’s unclear when Apple will put an end to the bug with a permanent fix, but hopefully we’ll see one sometime in the next week or so. Until then, this temporary fix of using Siri to reply to the message will have to do.
It’s also worth noting that it’s been discovered that this bug can affect some apps other than Messages. The Guardian found that it also caused crashes for them when the same string of characters was sent over a Snapchat text or through a Twitter DM or public mention.
Have any of you been affected by this iPhone bug?
