Apple Offers Quick Fix For iPhone Messaging Crash Bug
What to do if messages app unexpectedly quits.
— -- Apple is offering a workaround for users affected by an iMessage bug that causes some iPhones to crash after receiving a specific string of characters via text message.
While the company said it is working on a software update to fix the issue, it advised users locked out of their messages on a temporary fix for the problem.
Users who are hit by the annoying text should ask Siri to "read unread messages" and then use Siri to reply to the malicious message.
After a replying, users should be able to open the messages app. Once inside, Apple advises them to swipe left to delete to entire thread or to simply delete the offending message from the thread.
An Apple spokesperson told ABC News on Wednesday the company is "aware of an iMessage issue caused by a specific series of unicode characters and we will make a fix available in a software update."