There is a malicious string of text floating around that locks iPhone owners out of the Messages app, also causing their devices to reboot and, in some instances, to be bricked. Apple is still trying to develop a fix for the bug, and in the meantime, has issued a workaround for iPhone owners. 

The bug, which surfaced first on Reddit, allows most smartphone users to control iPhone devices by sending a text message composed of a string of code. Originally, the code was supposed to only lock the iPhone owners out of their Message apps, but it was found out that in most cases, the iPhones themselves would reboot and become bricked, thereby making the devices unusable. Apple is still investigating the code while looking for a fix, and as of press time, it is still unclear if the iOS version has something to do with it, although speculations say that the malicious code does not work on the iOS 8.4.  

In addition, it has also been found out that the string of text that shuts iPhones down could also affect other Apple devices such as iPads, Macs, and the recently-released Apple Watch. 

Many Apple users already fell victim to the malicious text, with some senders not knowing that what they are sending is a serious threat to Apple devices and started sending the codes as a kind of prank. 

Apple is reportedly working on a solution to the problem. However, since the number of users falling victim to the malicious code keeps on rising, the company has published a workaround first. 

According to the Apple support page, for users that have been locked out of the Messages app already, they can ask Siri to read the unread messages. In addition, they can also ask Apple's proprietary virtual assistant to reply to the malicious message, and the user will be able to open the Messages app again. 

If the issue still continues, Apple device owners can then tap and hold the malicious message, tap More, and then delete the message from the thread.