How To Fix Your iPhone If It’s Hit By The Black Dot Bug

A new iPhone messaging bug has been discovered that affects the current version of iOS as well as the beta currently doing the rounds with developers. The ‘black dot’ bug can overload iMessage if sent to your iPhone. The good news is there is a way to avoid it crashing your iPhone every time you open Messages.

The bug is another in a long line of bugs affecting messages where strings of particular characters cause the app to crash. The trouble is that if you relaunch the app, it keeps crashing as the app loads the affected message. The bug was discovered by a YouTuber called EverythingApplePro.

Fortunately, it’s reasonably easy to get back into Messages to erase the troublesome text.

For iPhones that support Force Touch

1. Force close the iMessage app
2. 3D Touch the iMessage app from the home screen, and select New Message
3. Select cancel on the New Message screen. That will return you to the message list without opening the last message which is the default behaviour
4. Delete the message with the bug by swiping left on the message to show the delete option

If your iPhone doesn’t support Force Touch

1. Force close the iMessage app
2. Ask Siri to snd a reply to whoever sent you the buggy message
3. Keep sending replies through Siri until the bug is off screen in the iMessage conversation stream
4. Open iMessage, go to the conversation list and delete the buggy message