Apple Releases iOS 11.2.6 With Fix for Telugu Character Bug That Causes iOS Devices to Crash

[MacRumors]

Apple today released iOS 11.2.6, the eleventh official update to the iOS 11 operating system. iOS 11.2.6 comes approximately one month after the launch of iOS 11.2.5, an update that introduced support for the HomePod, Control Center updates, Siri news, and a slew of bug fixes.

The iOS 11.2.6 update can be downloaded for free on all eligible devices over-the-air in the Settings app. To access the update, go to Settings --> General --> Software Update.

Apple released iOS 11.2.6 to address a bug that causes apps like Messages to crash on the iPhone and iPad due to an inability to render a specific character in the Indian language Telugu. When sent, received, or input into Messages, Safari, WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, and more, the Telugu character can cause the app to freeze up and become unresponsive.

In Messages, for example, receiving the character can freeze up the entire Messages app on all of a person's Mac and iOS devices. The Messages app then refuses to function properly until the offending character is removed by deleting the conversation with the person who sent it. Apple's release notes are below:

iOS 11.2.6 includes bug fixes for your iPhone or iPad. This update:

Fixes an issue where using certain character sequences could cause apps to crash

Fixes an issue where some third-party apps could fail to connect to external accessories

Apple fixed the bug in iOS 11.3 and macOS 10.13.4, but those updates are still in beta testing and won't be released until the spring. Apple last week promised a minor update to fix the bug in the meantime.

Article Link: Apple Releases iOS 11.2.6 With Fix for Telugu Character Bug That Causes iOS Devices to Crash

 

[scrapesleon]

About time that bug crashed my iPad

 

[Populus]

Okay Apple, now release an additional update to macOS 10.13.3 in order to fix this and the APFS bug as well. I'm afraid we'll have to wait until spring for all this fixes coming in macOS 10.13.4

EDIT: OMG They just released a complemental update for macOS 10.13.3! YAY!
Unfortunately, APFS bug is not solved in this update, only the character bug.

 

[sualpine]

Why does this have to be an entire OS update? On Android this would be a quick Gboard and Messages update.

 

[alexe]

I don't understand how a character crashes an operating system

 

[Orlandoech]

IOS Fail v11.2.6 released.

 

[ignatius345]

Why does this have to be an entire OS update? On Android this would be a quick Gboard and Messages update.

I dunno, because that's how iOS is built? Nobody is making you update.

 

[iHeadPhoneJack]

Well, I have a feeling that someone will discover another character bug.

 

[Bryan Bowler]

So tired of the constant flow of updates. Taking my chances and skipping this one. I have a hunch me or my friends won't be using the Indian keyboard anytime soon.

 

[timborama]

I dunno, because that's how iOS is built? Nobody is making you update.

Yes, Apple is making me. Every night at 8pm it alerts (annoys) me to update. And consumes my bandwidth and storage downloading the update without my permission.

 

[DotCom2]

So tired of the constant flow of updates. Taking my chances and skipping this one. I have a hunch me or my friends won't be using the Indian keyboard anytime soon.

Starting to look like Microsoft, isn't it?

 

[AngerDanger]

Let me give this software update a whirl…

 

[newtestleper]

About time that bug crashed my iPad

You don’t see many people hoping for that to happen, but to each his own.

 

[kalakana]

Why does this have to be an entire OS update? On Android this would be a quick Gboard and Messages update.

Because this was the system level unicode font character rendering problem, not just Messages.

 

[SidricTheViking]

So tired of the constant flow of updates. Taking my chances and skipping this one. I have a hunch me or my friends won't be using the Indian keyboard anytime soon.

The trouble is that someone can send you a message with the characters in it (happened to someone I know). It could be mischievous or malicious. Either way, it will crash your app and, perhaps, your device! Better safe than sorry.

 

[Populus]

Why does this have to be an entire OS update? On Android this would be a quick Gboard and Messages update.

Well, different OSs work in different ways

 

[ghostface147]

So maybe 11.3 beta three tomorrow? Either way, downloading and installing now!

 

[dmnc]

Why does this have to be an entire OS update? On Android this would be a quick Gboard and Messages update.

Because the issue is in how the system renders text and not in the keyboard or messages app.

 

[OldSchoolMacGuy]

Apple turns around and fixes a bug in just a couple days and all Mac Rumors members can do is complain they didn't fix every other known and unknown bug too.
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The trouble is that someone can send you a message with the characters in it (happened to someone I know). It could be mischievous or malicious. Either way, it will crash your app and, perhaps, your device! Better safe than sorry.

There have been a ton of Twitter accounts, social media posts, and others spamming this to crash phones. It's even appeared in Google search results and AdWords ads.

 

[JMPATLANTA]

Why in the sam H3LL can't they at least release them on time (10am PT/1pm ET). They released this at 4:30pm ET. #$%^&*()_

 

[Solver]

I don't understand how a character crashes an operating system

It doesn’t. It crashes some apps running on the operating system.

 

[Baymowe335]

I don't understand how a character crashes an operating system

Let me guess....you aren't a software engineer and know nothing about coding?

 

[Solver]

Why in the sam H3LL can't they at least release them on time (10am PT/1pm ET). They released this at 4:30pm ET. Who is running the place, or are they too busy playing with their new chairs at spaceship campus? #$%^&*()_

Happy Presidents’ day!
Many are not even working today

 

[Baymowe335]

Starting to look like Microsoft, isn't it?

No.
[doublepost=1519078080][/doublepost]

So tired of the constant flow of updates. Taking my chances and skipping this one. I have a hunch me or my friends won't be using the Indian keyboard anytime soon.

Why would you skip it? It's so easy to update it...stop acting so dramatic.

People can also text you the character and if you don't update, serves you right.

 

[0958400]

Starting to look like Microsoft, isn't it?

So true. It seems to get worse. At least the new Microsoft guy is making a lot of good changes (let's not talk about the latest Word-Update-hit-and-run).

I guess they've just gotten too big and they can't uphold their style. If I were Cook I'd look at the management style of Microsoft these days.

I just wish Steve or Forstall were back. (sigh)