iOS bug crashes iPhones with simple character input: What you need to know

Newly discovered bug in iOS devices causes Springboard crashes when typing specific characters into Spotlight Search. The issue affects iOS 17 through iOS 18.1 and is not considered a security threat

A recently discovered bug can crash a user’s iPhone when a specific set of characters is typed. A security researcher has found that typing “”:: can cause the Apple mobile user interface, known as Springboard, to crash, reports TechCrunch. The device either reloads the lock screen or the screen briefly goes blank. According to 9to5Mac, the issue affects typing in Spotlight Search from the iPhone Home Screen or App Library search bar.

Typing these characters into Spotlight Search from the Home Screen or App Library search bar will crash the phone. The bug cannot be triggered by anyone except the iOS device owner typing the characters and is reportedly not a security issue. 9to5Mac tested the bug on iOS 17, iOS 18, and iOS 18.1. On iOS 17, typing these characters causes Springboard to crash and the device to soft reboot. On iOS 18 and iOS 18.1, it causes Spotlight Search to freeze briefly, but Springboard does not crash entirely. The bug appears to affect the iOS process for certain text strings within Spotlight Search and App Library.

There has been no official comment from Apple. In 2015, a similar bug caused Messages to crash and iPhones to reboot when a specific text was received.

In related news, the Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-In) recently issued a "severe" warning to Apple users, highlighting several vulnerabilities in products such as iPhones, iPads, Macs, and more. These vulnerabilities pose risks including data breaches, service disruptions, and spoofing attacks. CERT-In has given these vulnerabilities a severity rating of "High."