Update: Apple said it'll fix this iOS 11 glitch, so prepare for another software update between now and iOS 11.3. We've added some tips below so you don't have to wait.
There's a new iPhone-crashing bug to add to Apple's list of iOS 11 problems, one affecting messaging apps like Messages, WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger.
All it takes to trigger today's iOS 11 flaw is to send someone a single character in the Indian language Telugu, according to the Italian blog Mobile World.
It appears as if the latest version of the Apple's beset mobile operating system can't process the character, causing the popular messaging apps to fail to load. Gmail and Outlook are also affected, while Telegram and Skype are not.
While the iPhone does a quick soft reset, the app remains inaccessible. The best solution is to find an alternate way to launch the app, according to The Verge, like accessing it from a text notification and deleting the glitchy conversation.
Here's the good news
Apple is already aware of the problem and will be fixing this iOS 11 glitch ahead of its iOS 11.3 launch. In other words, get ready for iOS 11.2.6 soon.
But you can fix the iOS 11 problem right now. iOS 11.3 is currently in public beta and is receiving weekly updates. It doesn't appear to affect us in iOS 11.3 beta 2.
Of course, this isn't the first (and it probably isn't the last) software problem for Apple. The chaiOS flaw crashed iOS devices with a single link last year, and we experienced much the same from the December 2 date glitch. And who could forget that annoying '[ i ]' typo anomaly every time you wanted to type 'a'.
This may be why Apple is reportedly putting many iOS 12 features on the back burner and instead focusing on quality assurance and bug fixes. Your iPhone X (and by the time iOS 12 launches, iPhone X2) deserves stable software.
- That Samsung Galaxy S9 release date sounds intriguing right now, right?!
