Here’s what you need to know about the chaiOS bug, the text bomb that could crash your iPhone

Listen up, iPhone users. There’s a dangerous new text bomb out there that could crash your beloved tech. It’s called the ‘chaiOS bug,’ and it’s wreaking havoc on unsuspecting iPhones. Getting the bug is all too easy, and dealing with it can be a royal pain. We’ve got the lowdown on what exactly the chaiOS bug is, how it strikes, and what you can do to keep your phone safe.

The chaiOS bug is a text bomb. Basically, a text bomb is a seemingly normal text message. The difference is, it comes with a link to a very special code. This code contains a bug that can crash your iPhone completely. All you have to do is receive this message, and your phone can go totally haywire.

Now, before you start bemoaning the inevitable tech-pocalypse (or worse, forsake your iPhone), we’ve got some good news. This bug doesn’t put your sensitive personal information at risk. It doesn’t even permanently damage your phone. At worst, you’ll have to restart it after it crashes. Frustrating and annoying? Yes. Disastrous? Not quite.

That being said, this code could easily be turned into something far more sinister. Luckily, there are ways to protect your iPhone from the dreaded text bomb. Don’t open texts from people you don’t know (which is pretty much always good advice). If you see a link in the preview screen, don’t click it (especially if it’s from GitHub, where the bug originates from).

Basically, treat any unfamiliar text message with extreme caution.

A text bomb could be lurking.

If you don’t want to take any risks, you can set up your phone to block GitHub entirely.

Just go to Settings > General > Restrictions. Make sure Restrictions are enabled. Then, scroll down to Websites. Under ‘Specific Websites Only,’ type in the address for GitHub. Your phone will be safe as houses.

If you do encounter the text bomb, don’t panic.

Your phone may freeze or crash completely. But all you have to do is restore factory settings, and your phone will be good as new. (So make sure you have a backup!) Apple is working on fixing this irritating bug, but for now, this workaround works just fine.

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