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The Text That Shuts Off Your iPhone Will Also Crash Snapchat And Twitter

by Emily Arata

The iApocalypse isn't over quite yet because even social media apps aren't safe from the cryptic message known as the "effective power text."

Two days ago, we told you about the string of Arabic and Chinese characters guaranteed to turn your iPhone off immediately. But it appears the problem doesn't stop with iMessage.

The Guardian reports the text is also capable of crashing Snapchat.

If a user receives the message within the app's chat feature, Snapchat will immediately crash. Reportedly, that particular chat will remain permanently unusable, although the rest of Snapchat will return to functioning as usual.

The trouble doesn't stop at Snapchat, either.

According to security researcher Mikko Hypponen, the text also restarts iOS when sent as either a tweet or a direct message to a Twitter user.

The Guardian determined the crash didn't make any permanent changes to Twitter use after reboot.

Avoiding the hack through iMessage is pretty much impossible, short of having Siri read the message ahead of time.

Twitter can't stand up to the "effective power text," either.

Citations: iPhone text crash bug hits Twitter and Snapchat (The Guardian)