- An unfortunate iPhone user has been banned from iOS 26.4
- The problem is related to a special character on the Czech keyboard.
- So far no one has been able to find a solution
The most recent iOS 26.4 update released by Apple brought with it some useful updates for iPhone owners, including new emojis and additional security protections, but it also left one unfortunate user without access to their device.
As The Register reports, American college student Connor Byrne has been unable to access his iPhone since iOS 26.4 arrived last month. The reason? The update hides a special character that Byrne was using as a password.
The character in question is the Czech caron or háček (ˇ), and although it was available in the bottom row of the keyboard in iOS 18, it has been replaced by a different character in the iOS 26.4 software that Byrne just updated to.
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Frustratingly, the character is still available through the main iOS keyboard, but not in the version that appears on the lock screen. Byrne says he opted for an alphanumeric code instead of a numbers-only PIN for added security.
Waiting for Apple
iPhone 13: Known passcode, can’t enter it from r/datarecovery
Several ideas have been proposed, but nothing has worked to get Byrne using his iPhone 13 again. Typing the passcode and scanning it, and connecting an external keyboard, are options that don’t work or are inaccessible after a reset.
Byrne says he doesn’t consider Face ID to be secure enough to use, and in any case a passcode is required after a software update, even with Face ID enabled. The student even visited a Genius Bar at an Apple Store, but the issue also stumped them.
Nothing on the iPhone was backed up to iCloud either, so you can’t restore data and settings to a different device. It’s a reminder of the importance of always backing up your phone, as a safety net for scenarios like this.
Byrne is temporarily using an Android phone while he waits for help from Apple (the company has not yet responded to him). “I don’t anticipate a custom fix being provided, but I’m hopeful the issue will be resolved in the next iOS update,” he says.
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