There's a new iPhone bug crashing people's messaging apps, and all it takes is two texts.
People are referring to it as "The Black Dot Bug" because of the black circle emoji that you see in the text before your messaging app shuts down. The app goes white, and it can't be fixed by force closing the app or by restarting your phone. The rest of your phone will be seemingly unaffected, although it might be a little slower to work until you fix the bug.
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The namesake black dot emoji isn't what actually causes the messaging app to crash - it's the hundreds, potentially thousands of lines of Unicode text that come after the emoji that overwhelms the phone's processor. It's all stored and accessed from this website, as YouTuber Filip Koroy, popularly known as EverythingApplePro, explains, so it's not something that can be sent accidentally.
Luckily there's a fix, and it only takes a few seconds: Force close the Message app, 3D Touch the Message icon, and select "New Message." Everything should be in working order again, so go back to your inbox and delete the message.
Apple doesn't have an official fix yet, but it's expected to have one soon, according to EverythingApplePro. In the meantime, here's a step-by-step explainer of how and why the Black Dot Bug works: