"Unknown" Text Message Virus?

olletsocmit · Jul 23, 2012

I am having the weirdest thing happen to my iPhone 4S i have ever seen before. Its almost like its a virus! There is a test message in my inbox that just said "Unknown" and nothing more. It keeps coming back, have reset my phone, deleted it, deleted all messages, wiped inbox, etc. please see pics below.

When i go to the Messaging app I see this (note the one that says Unknown)

now I delete the message, and you see that its gone below:

I now go to the home screen and then open the messaging app again.... and boom, its right back there.

It does not matter what I do, its keeps coming right back....

This is what it looks like if I open the message... there is not there..

Sdahe · Jul 23, 2012

That could be the devil

gta50419 · Jul 23, 2012

Just be 100% sure of decision before you move out.

ET iPhone Home · Jul 23, 2012

What happens when you reply to it? Can you reply then delete and see what happens.

Marjamrob1 · Jul 23, 2012

gta50419 said:
Just be 100% sure of decision before you move out.

Actually 110%

But I know thats what *67 does for calls but I don't know of anything for texts like that.

utahman130 · Jul 23, 2012

Are you on iOS 6?

olletsocmit · Jul 23, 2012

ET iPhone Home said:
What happens when you reply to it? Can you reply then delete and see what happens.

When I open it and try to reply or type something in there and hit send... its just crashes. the messaging app just closes automatically and goes to the home screen. so weird.

Agent-P · Jul 23, 2012

Have you tried restoring your iPhone from an older backup before this problem started?

Marjamrob1 · Jul 24, 2012

Are you jailbroken?
And what is your iOS version?

olletsocmit · Jul 24, 2012

Marjamrob1 said:
Are you jailbroken?
And what is your iOS version?

Nope, stock iPhone 4s. I have iOS 5.1.1 (newest version). It just happened 2 days ago outta the blue and won't go away now.

Caliber26 · Jul 24, 2012

What happens if you try adding it as a contact?

Marjamrob1 · Jul 24, 2012

Or what about if u click email?

ET iPhone Home · Jul 24, 2012

That's really strange. Can you closed the app from the home screen by double clicking on the home key, then shutting it down and restarting it.

You mentioned RESET in your original post, how about just RESTORING it? Have you tried this?

Marjamrob1 · Jul 24, 2012

Wait, he got a weird text message, restoring is a little overkill, maybe just a bug, or he might be screwing with us. Also a restore backs up your text messages.

quietstormSD · Jul 24, 2012

Try this... delete the message, but without going to the home screen do a hard reboot. (Pressing the on/off button at the top and home button simultaneously for about 10 seconds until you see the Apple logo come up). Once your phone is fully turned on see if the message is still there.

Oh yeah and make sure you take the stickers ninja

tonymail · Jul 24, 2012

I also encountered this problem, hoping to find a better solution.

Ecoh · Jul 24, 2012

Can you forward it ?

LIVEFRMNYC · Jul 24, 2012

I had this happen to me a couple of times on my email. It usually happens for a day or so then stops. I think it's either data issue or the email server. Never had it happen on messages tho.

cynics · Jul 24, 2012

Sounds more like a bug then a virus. Where you expecting a text at about the time you got that? Maybe someone sent you a message when the bug occurred.

olletsocmit · Jul 24, 2012

Caliber26 said:
What happens if you try adding it as a contact?

When I try and add it, it opens, but all the fields are blank

olletsocmit · Jul 24, 2012

Marjamrob1 said:
Or what about if u click email?

When I click on the email button nothing happens. At all.

nostresshere · Jul 24, 2012

A google search will show this happens often.

Do a COLD reboot. That should clear it. Has for a few phones that I have fixed.

olletsocmit · Jul 24, 2012

nostresshere said:
A google search will show this happens often.

Do a COLD reboot. That should clear it. Has for a few phones that I have fixed.

COLD means just turing the phone completely off and then back ok right? ...tried this 3 times and nothing.

...just take to apple or verizon and act like I have no idea whats up and get a new phone? haha

olletsocmit · Jul 24, 2012

I got it! See solution below...

How to fix this problem if it comes up:

1) double it home button and kill the messaging app
2) open the messaging app
3) delete the message that says "Unknown"
- do not close the app...
4) after the message thread is deleted, hold the top lock screen button & then slide the button to turn off phone.
5) wait a few min and turn back on..
6) double it home button and kill the messaging app again
7) open messaging app again and boom.... gone!

beauregard · Jul 24, 2012

Check Address Book

I wonder if you have an entry called "Unknown" in your iPhone's address book.

When I get a text from someone not in my address book, their telephone number displays.

By the way, I'm an AT&T Wireless subscriber. I occasionally get spam of the form "Congratulations, you won a $500 gift card at ...". Anyway, AT&T has a policing mechanism in place - you can forward these messages to 7726 (which spells out SPAM on a telephone keyboard).

"Unknown" Text Message Virus?

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