It’s that time of year again! A ‘new’ bug has been discovered in iOS that can cause the Messages application to malfunction, forcing it to freeze and respring – throttling the performance of the affected iPhone (or iPad) in the interim.
The flaw itself is triggered when a link pointing to a specific Github page is received on an iPhone. You don’t even need to open it: the pressure put on the unit to render the preview shown in Messages is apparently enough to force the application to crash.
Related: MWC 2018
Image: Twitter
From what we can tell, the only way to remedy the glitch after receiving the aforementioned link is to quit the Messages client, then delete the entire offending conversation thread – using either the iPhone itself, an iMac or a MacBook.
This isn’t the first time a rogue link has terrorised iOS. A similar bug emerged this time last year. Apple was quick to patch it back then, but it may not be so fast this time around given it’s also got patching the Spectre flaw on its hands.
Last week, the firm issued an important iOS update to build on an earlier release – which mitigated against the effects of Spectre on the iPad and iPhone – by introducing protection from browser-based Javascript attacks.
Related: Galaxy S9
Have you fallen victim to the iPhone Messages bug? Let us know on Facebook or Twitter @TrustedReviews.
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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.