It appears anyone can crash an iPhone just by sending an iMessage
or SMS, no thanks to an iOS glitch.
According to The Guardian, an iOS bug - first discovered by several
Reddit users - has been causing the Messages app to crash and
iPhones to reboot when a certain iMessage is received.
This happens as long as the recipient is not viewing the message
history at the time.
The message contains the words "effective power" followed by a
string of non-English symbols.
It was reported that the problem arises from the way the iPhone
tries to display the message in notifications.
The non-English symbols cause the system to crash while attempting
to show the message, before rebooting the phone in an attempt to
fix it, according to The Guardian.
Tech Radar reported that some users experienced reboot when they
received the message via SMS, suggesting that the issue is not
exclusive to iMessage.
According to tech website 9to5mac, the problem is not limited to
iPhone-to-iPhone communication as there are instances of iPhone
crashing upon receiving the message sent from an Android phone.
Reddit users have commented on the community forum that the bug is
crashing Apple Watches as well as apps like Instagram and WhatsApp,
Cosmopolitan US reported.
MacRumours, an Apple news blog, said that the bug is affecting all
versions of iOS.
This has become a prank especially for those with mischievous
friends. Users have also taken to Twitter to vent their
frustrations.
According to Mashable, Apple said in a statement that it is aware
of the issue and is working on a fix in a software update.
While it appears there is no way to avoid falling prey to the
glitch until Apple sends out an update, AppleByte have reported on
some fixes:
Open Notes app and create a new note with any text. Tap Share
button and send it to the affected party. After the affected party
receives it, relaunch Message, delete the conversation and the
problem should be resolved.
The Independent UK has also suggested sending a photo to the
affected party via the Photos app. It is said to allow users to
access the message history and delete the conversation.
If nothing works, it is probably time for some real time catch up
with your contacts.
ST
