Update your iPhone now! Apple finally releases a fix for the devastating 'text bomb' bug that disables messaging apps and causes your handset to crash
- Bug forces iPhone, iPad and Mac apps to crash if a character is displayed
- The character is from Telugu, a Dravidian language spoken in India
- Apple gadgets running iOS 11.2.5 or macOS are susceptible to the bug
- The firm has released new versions of iOS, macOS and watchOS to fix the issue
Apple users are being urged to update their devices after the firm finally issued a software fix for a new 'text bomb' bug.
The bug, uncovered last week, crashes apps that display a letter from the south Indian language Telugu.
Typing or receiving a message that contains the letter causes messaging apps, such as Whatsapp and Gmail, to crash.
If the symbol appears in a notification, handsets can get stuck in a 'bootloop', endlessly restarting without booting up.
After several days without a fix, Apple has now released new versions of iOS, macOS and watchOS to resolve the issue.
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Apple has fixed a bug that causes apps to suddenly crash. The devastating 'text bomb' forces iPhone, iPad and Mac applications to shut down if they display a single character from a language used in India (stock image)
Until today's update, the affected all of Apple's devices and almost all versions of its current iOS operating systems.
Previously the only way to escape the 'bootloop' cycle was to get someone else to message you and delete the thread containing the malicious message.
To resolve the issue by updating your iPhone or iPad, go to Settings, General and then Software Update.
Alternatively, wait for a notification asking for you to update to appear on your phone and then accept it.
The bug was discovered last Thursday after users began sending the crash-inducing character in texts and messages to unsuspecting iPhone users. The character (pictured) is from the Telugu language, a Dravidian language spoken in India by about 70 million people
Users can choose to receive the update overnight, so long as their mobiles are connected to power and WiFi.
Apple gadgets running iOS 11.2.5 or macOS, are still susceptible to the bug, which disables access to iMessages.
Other popular messaging apps like Twitter, WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, Outlook for iOS, and Gmail, are also cut off without the new update.
Since the glitch was publicised by Italian blog Mobile World last week it has been used to troll unsuspecting iPhone, iPad and Mac users.
Yesterday it was revealed Twitter users were inserting the character into their usernames in the hope it will show up on people's timelines and crash their app.
Users of the social media site tweeted their frustrations over the new trend.
@PumpMyBags tweeted: 'my crypto twitter feed keeps crashing the app so obviosuly ppl r just spamming that indian character that crashes ios apps ; touché crypto twitter'.
Some tweeted out advice to help those hit by the attacks to help them avoid further crashes.
@TristenHeath wrote: 'You need to log into Twitter on a non Apple product, and find whoever posted it and then block them. That will stop the crashing'.
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