Apple has released updates for its operating systems in an effort to beat the text bomb bug. So if you own an Apple device you should update it to the latest version of the OS before someone decides to prank you. And someone, somewhere will try to prank you.

If you're anything like me you'll hate pranks. Unfortunately, thanks to YouTubers and TV shows, pranksters seem to be on the rise. It doesn't even take weeks of planning to pull off a prank either, as sending a text to an iPhone user can be all it takes.

The Text Bomb Bug Triggered by Telugu

For the uninitiated, the text bomb bug is an issue in iOS and macOS which is triggered when someone sends a message containing specific characters from the Indian language of Telugu. Once received, the bug crashes the app you're currently using.

The text bomb bug, which Apple describes as "a maliciously crafted string" which "may lead to heap corruption," affects Mail, Messages, Facebook, Twitter, WhatsApp, Instagram, and others. So fixing it, and fixing it quickly, became something of a necessity for Apple.

Thankfully, Apple acted fast, and there are new updates available for iOS (11.2.6), macOS (10.13.3), tvOS (11.2.6), and watchOS (4.2.3). So you should update your iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, Mac, Apple TV, and/or Apple Watch at your earliest convenience.

Thanks to its simplicity, and the fact it affected so many apps, this bug had the capacity to cause chaos. Thankfully, there doesn't seem to have been a concerted campaign to cause chaos, and Apple's quick fix means the problem should now be resolved.

iOS Seems Particularly Prone to Pranking

Apple deserves credit for fixing this text bomb bug so quickly. However, it really shouldn't have been a thing in the first place. If we add it to the video that crashed iPhones and the exploit that broke Messages, it seems that iOS is particularly prone to pranking.

Were you a victim of the text bomb bug? If so, how did you fix it? Do you always update iOS and macOS as soon as a new version becomes available? Do you think we'll see other bugs of this nature in the future? Please let us know in the comments below!