Several Reddit users have reported that a bug can Crash WhatsApp or shut down the entire Android mobile operating system. It is enough to receive a special message to crash the app and the phone.
Experts found that the text message includes thousands of control characters that are invisible to the naked eye placed between the emoji and the end of the message. The message was first spotted on Pastebin.
Also, if you are curious to learn how the message looks like in Pastebin, you should be aware that the message alone can crash the web browser or make the tab unresponsive.
Also, many victims haven’t even read the message and had troubles because of it. WhatsApp has not officially acknowledged the glitch, but it is likely working on a fix. Expect the fix to come with the next update.
Bugs Can Crash Messaging Apps
It is not the first time that WhatsApp is affected by a bug. In late 2015, a message containing 4,000 smiley characters sent the app into a crash loop.
In February this year, a message containing a complex Hindu character froze several apps on iOS including Springboard and WhatsApp.
After a recent update for iOS, WhatsApp is compatible with Facebook and Instagram video playback. Before the update, only YouTube videos could be played in the app. When users tapped on an Instagram or FB video, they used to be directed to the two platforms.
The changes have been confirmed by several developers, but the new feature is not 100% fail-proof.
Another important change is group administrators’ possibility of stripping other group members of admin rights. Under the “Group Info” option, there is now a tab called “Dismiss as Admin”. In addition, group admins now have more control over who can change the group’s icon, subject, or description.
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