


to search only messages sent from a particular person.“to:me” to search only direct messages sent to you.to search only your direct messages with a particular person.“in:” to search only for messages and files in a specific channel.
#I messenger for mac weird symbols text message software
“We are aware of an iMessage issue caused by a specific series of unicode characters and we will make a fix available in a software update,” said an Apple spokesman. This is not the first bug causing similar issues on Apple devices, including apps on Macs, to be exposed.īugs within third-party apps have also caused similar problems for iPhone users, including Snapchat, which allowed attackers to flood devices with information causing them to crash. As with any glitch like this, it is that possible hackers could turn the bug into a method of attack beyond simple pranks.
The bug is being used as a prank, with users taking to Twitter to vent their frustration after crashes. Others have reported that sending a photo to the contact via the Photos app can allow them to access the message history and delete the conversation, clearing the source of the crash. Some users falling victim to the attack have reported that they can no longer access messages. Getting notifications on an Apple Watch also protects the iPhone from the bug. Those worried about being attacked can protect their iPhone from the bug by disabling notification banners. The text string is very specific and is therefore highly unlikely to be replicated by accident.

In attempting to confirm the bug, the Guardian went through 50 variations of the text string before replicating the crash. The bug requires a very specific string of text to be sent within an iMessage or SMS. If the ellipsis is placed in the middle of a set of non-Latin script characters, including Arabic, Marathi and Chinese, it causes the system to crash and the phone to reboot. When the text message is displayed by a banner alert or notification on the lockscreen, the system attempts to abbreviate the text with an ellipsis. The attack appears to be caused by a glitch in the way Apple’s iOS mobile operating system, which runs on the iPhone, iPad and iPod touch, renders Arabic text. The bug – discovered by several Reddit users – means that when the message is received it instantly crashes the iPhone and causes it to reboot, as long as the recipient is not viewing their message history at the time. A bug in Apple’s iOS means that anyone can crash an iPhone by simply sending it a certain string of characters in a message.
