Apple releases an iOS update to fix infamous Telegu text bug

By Steven Winkelman and Kevin Parrish Updated September 19, 2018

Little more than a week after the infamous Telegu text bug was discovered on Apple devices, the company has released updates for all of its operating systems. Now, iPhone and iPad users can download the latest iOS update, version 11.2.6, to fix the issue.

The bug, first discovered by the Italian blog Mobile World, caused a continuous reboot loop on Apple devices running iOS 11.2.5 if a certain Indian Telegu character was sent via Messages or other third-party messaging apps. The bug, however, did not just affect iPhones and iPads; it affected nearly every Apple consumer device running the latest iOS, MacOS, or WatchOS update.

Recommended Videos

According to the report, the iOS Springboard crashes when it receives a message containing a Telegu character. Once it’s received, Messages fails to load because it’s trying to load a character iOS simply can’t render. Until Apple issued the update, the only way to fix the issue was to have someone join the instant message thread and delete the offensive character entry.

The same Telegu character was also responsible for crashing third-party apps such as Facebook Messenger, WhatsApp, and Gmail. Until the update, any users who received the character would have to go online and delete the offending message from the web-based version of the app.

Apple was first made aware of the issue on or around February 12, according to a community bug report found by OpenRadar. When notified of the issue via the community bug report, Apple replied that “this [report] is a duplicate and the original bug was closed.”

Although Apple generates solid, dependable hardware, the company’s devices aren’t entirely immune from software glitches. Just last month, Apple patched a problem with the Messages app that froze or restarted the device after receiving a specific website link. Discovered by software developer Abraham Masri, iPhone owners didn’t even need to click the link to see their device crash: Messages automatically generates a preview of linked websites.

In his proof-of-concept bug report, Masri took advantage of Apple’s software guidelines, which allow website developers to inject characters into the webpage code, specifically the metadata section, to tailor the site for previewing within Messages. But Masri injected the metadata with more text characters than iOS could handle, causing Messages to crash.

The problem with the Telugu character stemmed from the iOS system text renderer, which is why third-party apps also suffered the same Messages fate. But as previously stated, the issue didn’t just affect iOS: it affected all of Apple’s consumer operating systems, indictating all three system text renderers were incompatible with the Telugu character.

Updated February 20: Added iOS 11.2.6 update information.

Steven Winkelman

Former Staff Writer, Mobile

Steven writes about technology, social practice, and books. At Digital Trends, he focuses primarily on mobile and wearables…

Topics

Phones

I went hands-on with Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra. It’s peak foldable in an old garb.

It may not look like a fresh start, but underneath the familiar chassis, there's plenty of thoughtful engineering tweaks.

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra

Samsung just wrapped up its glitzy Unpacked event, revealing three new foldable phones and a pair of smartwatches. While my heart flutters for the pocketable Galaxy Z Fold 8, it’s the Ultra variant that truly feels like a refinement. Interestingly, when you look at the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra for the first time, you might mistake it for the Galaxy Z Fold 7.

Both of them look identical, and Samsung has not made any visible changes on the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra for it to stand out from its predecessor. Color options, obviously, are fresh this time around, but there are a few changes that have been made under the hood, and they make this phone feel like a practically rewarding iteration.

Phones

Fold 8 Ultra vs. Fold 7: Upgrades across the board, but is the Ultra really worth the upgrade?

From battery capacity to camera hardware, here's a full comparison between the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra and Galaxy Z Fold 7, and whether upgrading actually makes sense.

Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra vs. Fold 7

Foldables age differently than regular smartphones or flagships. But why do I say this? It's the hinge and the foldable aspect that wins buyers over in the first place, not the specifications that get outdated every single year. That's precisely why anyone still carrying last year's Galaxy Z Fold 7 is asking a fair question today: does Samsung's freshly unveiled Z Fold 8 Ultra genuinely earn an upgrade, or does the Fold 7 still hold its ground?

And for shoppers who skipped last year's model entirely and are weighing their first foldable purchase, the calculus is totally different. A now-discounted Fold 7 might undercut the Ultra by a considerable sum, and that could matter to those looking to spend on the form factor, not the latest specifications.

Phones

Samsung makes it easier to run multiple apps on Galaxy Z Flip 8’s cover screen

Samsung's Galaxy Z Flip 8 now runs 16 apps on its cover screen.

Galaxy Z Flip 8 cover display

Samsung is finally making the Galaxy Z Flip's cover screen much more useful. With the new Galaxy Z Flip 8, you no longer have to rely on workarounds to access more apps without unfolding the phone. Instead, Samsung has expanded native support on the FlexWindow, allowing 16 apps to run directly on the outer display and also making it much easier to launch virtually any other app.

The update addresses one of the biggest complaints Flip users have had for years and brings Samsung up to the level of rivals like Motorola, whose Razr series has long offered a more flexible cover screen experience.