Baffling iOS bug will crash your phone instantly if you type four characters in the wrong place – how to avoid it
A BIZARRE bug that causes people’s iPhones to randomly crash has been uncovered.
The strange flaw strikes when users type four specific characters in two specific areas of their device.
Fortunately the error doesn’t damage your iPhone or trigger any major problems.
Instead, it briefly crashes the system before reloading.
The characters of doom are: “”::
But it only happens if you type them in the search bar within the Settings app.
Or, if you type them in the search bar of the app library search which you can access by swiping all the way to the right of your screen.
The latter causes the screen to go black, showing a loading wheel before finally showing your lock screen.
Experts have told users not to be worried that the bug could be something serious.
They told TechCrunch that they don’t believe it’s a security issue.
The Sun has tested the odd anomaly and found it does indeed cause a crash.
Even typing “”: followed by a number has the same strange result.
It’s not the first time devices have been found to crash for weird reasons.
Back in 2015, Apple users realised that a random string of text could cause chaos for the Messages app.
It led to a number of tricksters sending the line to unsuspecting victims.
The only way it could be unlocked was if the sender sent a follow-up message.
In 2018 another crashing bug did the rounds.
It involved sending an Indian language (Telugu) character.
iPhone tricks to try today
Here are some of the best...
- Typing cursor – When typing, hold down the space bar to turn your keyboard into a trackpad, letting you move around words and sentences more easily
- Close all Safari tabs – To do this in one go, simply hold the overlapped squares in the bottom right-hand corner, and press close all tabs
- Delete lots of photos quickly – Hold down on a photo and then drag your finger diagonally in Photos to select lots of images at once, then hit delete
- Convert currency quickly – Swipe down from the top of your Home screen (or swipe left to right on an iPhone X or later model), then tap in the bar and type a currency (like $200) and it will automatically covert to your local currency
- Check if you’re due a battery upgrade – Batteries inside smartphones degrade over time. Just go to Settings > Battery > Battery Health, and check out the Maximum Capacity reading. Generally a battery is considered worn when you’re down to 80% capacity. If you’re below, you can buy a battery swap from Apple
- Move apps around faster – Hold an app until it starts wiggling, then (while still holding) tap other apps, causing them to stack so you can move them around easier