Pranksters have a field day with iPhones

MUMBAI, INDIA: A new software glitch can cause iPhones to shut down when they receive a certain text message.

Bloggers report that the problem occurs when the iPhone receives a message with a specific string of characters including Arabic characters.

This has given leeway to the pranksters who are sharing information about the glitch on social media and using it to crash the iPhones.

When an iPhone is not being used, it shows a shortened version of the message on its lock screen. The short combination of characters triggers the crash, the bloggers note.

While Apple confirmed that it is aware of the problem, it asserted that it is working on fixing the bug.

Meanwhile, owners can prevent the problem by using phone settings to turn off the message previews feature. The phone will automatically restart.