WhatsApp 'bomb' message can force phones to crash if they receive it

A WhatsApp messages forces phones that receive it to break down and stop working properly.

The bug is just the latest in a series of "message bombs" to be revealed in recent months. Like those other examples, phones receiving the message are unable to open it properly, leading the app to shut down.

The message looks innocent: it reads "This is very Interesting!" and includes the crying laughing emoji. But within it are a series of hidden characters.

That message full of hidden characters is far too long for the phone to be able to deal with, leading it to shut down.

Another similar one reads "If you touch the black point then your whatsapp will hang", next to a small black circle. And, as promised, touching that black point will lead the app to shut down.

Some report that the opening one of the messages forces WhatsApp to shut down. Others report far wider problems, with issues hitting other apps or even forcing the phone to restart.

The problems appear to be limited to Android and WhatsApp. Other apps – such a iMessage and Facebook Messenger – recognise the message as being a problem and won't let people send it.

It is likely that the bug will be ironed out entirely by updates to WhatsApp and Android in the coming days.

But it is unlikely to be the last time that such a problem appears. "Message bombs" have been widespread in recent months – the most recent, high-profile example was a message that used a character in the Telugu language, which phones couldn't handle and made them shut down.