Skip to content
Sunday 16 August 2026London --:--Frankfurt --:--Zurich --:--
NewslettersSearchEN · DE
MorningWire

European business, markets and politics

FTSE 100
10,750.11
-0.21%
DAX
26,440.31
+0.53%
CAC 40
8,636.80
-0.16%
STOXX 50
6,539.59
-0.09%
  • Europe
  • Markets
  • Business
  • Economy
  • Technology
  • Politics
  • Opinion
More
GermanyFranceBankingAIEnergyFintechPropertyCapital Markets
  • Germany
  • France
  • Europe
  • Markets
  • Business
  • Economy
  • Technology
  • Politics
  • Opinion
  • DE
Wednesday 27 May 2015 9:08 am

Apple iPhones being automatically turned off and iMessage crashing after receiving mysterious text

By: Catherine Neilan

Add as a preferred source on Google

A random combination of words and characters are automatically shutting down iPhone users' devices. 
 
This is the combo: effective.  Power لُلُصّبُلُلصّبُررً ॣ ॣh ॣ ॣ 冗 
 
If a message containing these words and characters is sent via iMessage or SMS it will crash the iPhone, and causes iMessages to crash after being opened. 
 
People are complaining of the problem across social media, prompting widespread reports, but so far no one from Apple has commented on the record. 
 
According to Reddit posters, it is the unicode within the text message. 
 
One poster said: “The unicode in that text goes on indefinitely without stopping. Similar to a badly coded, indefinitely counting counter in JavaScript that causes your browser to crash, this causes messages to take up a lot more memory than normal, leading to iOS killing the largest process, the springboard.”
 
Another Reddit user warned: "Don't test this on your iPhone 6! I sent it to myself and now my messaging app crashes when I try to open it." 
 
It supposedly affects all iPhones. MacRumors tested the bug on iPhones running iOS 8.3, but said it may also be affecting other versions of iOS. 
 
No one from Apple was available for comment at the time of publication. TechRadar reports that the response it received “suggested Apple can't see the problem on their end”. 
 
One Twitter user said “senior engineers” were aware of the problem. 
 
https://twitter.com/iGadgets__/status/603404524146073602
 
However there appear to be some fixes available – the below video claims to offer a fix. But quite frankly, we're not taking the risk… 
 

Share this article

  • Facebook
  • X
  • LinkedIn
  • WhatsApp
  • Email

Similarly tagged content:

Sections

  • News

Categories

  • Tech

Related Topics

  • Apple

Trending Articles

  • Grandparents fund university degrees to avoid inheritance tax net

  • Revolut chatbot goes rogue by charging users to cancel subscription

  • Brompton Bicycle sues former adviser for ‘professional negligence’

  • Revolut takes flight with launch of new airport lounges

  • Is the Zeekr 9X Super Hybrid the new luxury SUV to beat?

More from Morning Wire

  • Apple sues Open AI accusing them of stealing ‘trade secrets’

    Tech
  • Cleansed is still the most harrowing play you’ll ever see

    Life&Style
    A man and woman in an intimate embrace, surrounded by a field of orange and yellow flowers on a dark stage
  • Trainspotting the Musical: A bad, bad trip down memory lane

    Life&Style
    Three actors in distressed clothing on a stage, portraying characters from Trainspotting The Musical.
  • HoneyBook Expands Platform with New Features for Photographers

    Business Wire
  • Google backs publisher model as Apple considers price tag for news

    Media
    AI copyright laws
  • Apple gears up for fresh legal fight with government

    Lawsuit
    Apple unveils new products at recent event showcasing innovative technology and sleek design to global audience
  • BetVictor New Customer Offer 2026: Bet £10 Get £30 in Free Bets

    Betting
    BetVictor Sports Welcome Offer text on a dark background, blue and white lettering
  • Claude to watermark AI ‘slop’ – including edited human writing

    Tech
    Smartphone displaying the Claude by Anthropic AI assistant app, showing the app icon and interface.
MorningWire

Independent European business, markets and political news for decision-makers.

Morning Briefing

Europe

  • Germany
  • France
  • Europe
  • UK & Ireland

Business

  • Markets
  • Banking
  • Technology
  • Energy
  • Property
  • Fintech

Editorial

  • Opinion
  • Editorial Policy
  • Corrections
  • Contact

Company

  • About Morning Wire
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Use
  • Cookie Policy
© 2026 Morning Wire Ltd · Published by Morning Wire Media, Bahnhofstrasse 65, 8001 Zürich, Switzerland
Privacy · Terms · Cookies · Facebook