Apple is apparently facing another iOS bug that crashes iPhones and blocks access to a number of popular apps including Facebook Messenger, WhatsApp, Gmail, and Outlook for iOS.
This severe bug wreaks havoc without requiring any complex action, as a simple character can crash iPhones and disable the aforementioned apps. This is not the first time that Apple users have encountered such iOS bugs that brick devices.
New iOS Bug Crashing iPhones
As Italian publication Mobile World first reported, the bug affects devices running iOS 11 and it entails sending an Indian (Telugu) language character to an iOS device.
Once this message with the special character reaches its destination, it crashes the iOS Springboard and the device will no longer open messages. The Verge tested this bug on devices running iOS 11.2.5 and notes that the only way to get rid of this crashing loop is to get someone to send another message, then delete the entire thread. Otherwise, the app will just remain stuck trying (and failing) to open the troublesome message containing the special character.
The bug reportedly doesn't affect the new iOS 11.3 public beta, which indicates that Apple will patch this bug with its next iOS update.
iOS Bug Blocks Access To Apps
The bug also seems to be affecting third-party apps, as the message disables access to the aforementioned applications. While the message crash might be somewhat easier to fix, regaining access to these third-party applications is more complicated. Those who have enabled web access can delete the bad message from the web.
Again, the bug does not affect the iOS 11.3 public beta, so once the update is ready for public release it should also fix this issue. On the downside, no specific timeline is available as to when the update will officially roll out, but it's expected to hit devices this spring.
Apple has been facing several such cases when bugs caused messages to crash iPhones, the Safari browser, freeze devices, or trigger a reboot. Just recently another iOS 11 bug crashed iPhones and the issue was so widespread that Apple released an iOS update within hours.
The good news is that the company typically solves such issues quickly, so it shouldn't take too long before this new iOS bug gets a patch. The company has yet to offer a statement on this matter, or note when it will fix the issue, but it's expected to take action soon.
