Typing a certain combination of regular characters may cause your iPhone to crash

In a nutshell: Apple’s upcoming public firmware update will likely mention the bug involving specific character combinations in its changelog. While the issue seems mostly benign for now, similar exploits have been used in the past to freeze devices and create new security holes.

Apple device users recently discovered a minor bug that causes the Settings and Home screens to crash. While no major issues have been reported so far, it wouldn’t be surprising to see a fix in a future firmware update.

Swiping right on the iOS home screen until the app library appears, then typing “::” into the search bar causes Springboard, the software that powers the home menu, to crash. A black screen with a loading icon briefly appears before the device returns to the lock screen.

Additionally, typing the same characters into the search bar at the top of the Settings menu causes the app to crash, returning users to the home screen immediately. However, variations of this character combination can also cause the bug.

Security researchers found that almost any combination of two quotes, one colon, and any other character can cause the same effect. For example, typing “X”:X also causes the problem. TechSpot confirmed that the bug affects iPhones and iPads with firmware version 17.6.1, but does not affect Macs.

Researchers told TechCrunch that the issue does not pose a security risk. However, the bug may raise some concerns because it resembles more serious incidents from the past.

In 2015, a text string caused a stir when users discovered it could lock them out of the Messages app and even restart their iPhone. In 2017, users discovered they could remotely crash their iPhone or iPad by sending a specific combination of emojis through iMessage, iCloud, and the Notes app. Another notification-related crash occurred in 2020.

Similar remote attacks have allowed hackers to deliver spyware via zero-click attacks. Programs like Pegasus have forced Apple to implement security measures to protect sensitive targets like journalists and diplomats.

Google Pixel phones were recently hit by a dangerous firmware flaw that allowed a hidden app to access unsecure servers, leaving the devices vulnerable to man-in-the-middle attacks.

Fortunately, the latest iOS bug can only be triggered by physically handling the device, so the potential risk remains limited.