These days there always seems to be some bug or glitch that threatens to brick your iPhone doing the rounds, and this week has introduced a new one in the form of a malicious video.
Yes, now simply watching a video can crash your iPhone, and this particular clip comes from the Sina Weibo-backed video app Miaopai, and has been detailed by EverythingApplePro.
The short .mp4 clip shows someone standing by a bed with the words “Honey” displayed across the screen. Once the video has finished playing, iPhones remain usable for a minute or two before slowing down and eventually crashing.
A forced reboot is then needed to sort the issue, which affects versions of iOS as far back as iOS 5, and phones ranging from the iPhone 4 to the iPhone 7.
Related: iPhone 7 review
Thankfully, once the phone has crashed, a reboot seems to fix the issue, so this latest ‘prank’ won’t actually brick your iPhone.
So, how do you ensure you get around the problem if you’ve been duped into watching this needlessly irritating clip?
Well, if you’re using an iPhone 7 or iPhone 7 Plus and the handset has locked up, hold down the power and down volume buttons until the phone resets and the Apple logo appears.
Those on the iPhone 6S, iPhone 6S Plus, or any older iPhone should hold down the power and home buttons to bring up the Apple logo and force a reboot. After rebooting, your phone should function as normal.
Just how the video manages to have such an effect on Apple handsets is unclear at this point, and even if you play just part of the clip it will still cause the iPhone in question to lock up.
Of course, it should go without saying that if you get a link to a video that you don’t recognise, it’s probably not a good idea to click on it.
WATCH: iPhone 7 review
Let us know if you’ve watched the video in the comments.
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Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
