Apple has confirmed to iMore’s Rene Ritchie that a fix for a recently discovered bug that causes certain apps, including the Messages app, to crash on iPhone, iPad, and Mac devices will be included in an upcoming iOS update that will be released soon.
A fix for the issue – which is caused by sending a specific character in the Indian language Telugu and makes iOS and Mac devices freeze up – has been included in betas of iOS 11.3, macOS 10.13.4, watchOS 4.3, and tvOS 11.3. However, the fix for iOS will likely come as a minor 11.2.X update which will come sooner. Apple will likely release minor update fixes for macOS and watchOS at the same time.
The bug not only affects the Messages app, but also other apps that accept text, including Messages, Safari, WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, and others. If it is received in the app, it freezes the app. The app will then be unable to function normally until the rogue character is deleted by deleting the conversation with the user that sent it.
If the character is displayed via an iOS notification, it can cause the entire device to crash, resulting in a re-spring, or even worse, requiring a restore in DFU mode.