Apple update looks like Czech mate for locked-out iPhone user
(2026/04/12)
- Reference: 1775980869
- News link: https://www.theregister.co.uk/2026/04/12/ios_passcode_bug/
- Source link:
A university student in the US is in data limbo after Apple removed a character from its Czech keyboard, preventing him from entering his iPhone passcode.
Connor Byrne, 21, adopts the uncommon but security-minded approach to iPhone passcodes, using an alphanumeric string instead of the standard four-number passcode.
He updated his iPhone 13 from iOS 18 to iOS 26.4 on April 5, but in doing so lost the ability to enter his passcode. He has been locked out of the device ever since.
[1]
This is because iOS 18 was the last operating system version that allowed iPhone users to enter the special character – in this case, the caron/háček (ˇ) – using the old keyboard on the lock screen.
[2]
[3]
It has left Byrne without access to his device, which, given its age and chipped screen, does not hold much value, unlike the old photos stored on it, which carry sentimental importance.
The student has not backed up the files to [4]iCloud either, so they cannot be retrieved via a separate device. Apple support staff have suggested the only way to regain access to the iPhone 13 is by restoring it, which would erase the files of value.
[5]
Byrne was hoping that the next update, 26.4.1, would introduce a fix for this, but its release this week has not helped.
"The phone's very cracked, so, at this point, the photos contained in it are more valuable than the ability to use the phone itself," he told The Register . "They're the main data that I care about and haven't backed up."
"I don't anticipate a bespoke solution being provided, but I'm hopeful that the issue will be resolved in the next iOS update."
[6]
When the háček could still be used in the iPhone's passcode, it sat on the bottom row of the keyboard, while just above it was an acute accent mark.
Post-update, when entering the passcode, the keyboard now displays an identical accent mark in the háček's place, a feature Byrne described as "pointless; they're encoded the same."
"I've bought a cheap Android phone to use while I wait for a fix," he added. "I'll give it a month or two and will buy a nicer Android phone if the dust settles without a fix."
Given that iOS 18 was released in 2024, and Apple has not reintroduced the háček since, it seems unlikely Cupertino will make good on the student's hopes, especially considering that he is [7]not the only user to encounter the same issue in recent weeks.
During in-house testing, which involved taking an iPhone 16 from iOS 18.5 to iOS 26.4.1, The Register found that Apple has kept the háček in the Czech keyboard, but removed the ability to use it in a custom alphanumeric passcode. The OS will not allow users to input the háček as a character. The key's animation triggers, as does the keyboard's key-tap sound, but the character is not entered into the string.
[8]Security researchers tricked Apple Intelligence into cursing at users. It could have been a lot worse
[9]Security researchers tricked Apple Intelligence into cursing at users. It could have been a lot worse
[10]Apple's chips are the core of a new landscape, but its biggest win is Windows
[11]UK fines Irish Apple outpost over sanctions-busting payments to Russian dev
If the student were able to get into his iPhone 13, he would find the háček in his keyboard as it used to be before he updated it. It is only the lock-screen keyboard that replaces it with a second acute accent mark.
Alas, Byrne has gone to great lengths to tinker and tease iOS into accepting or finding the háček, or to find tricky ways of bypassing it.
He tried entering the same accent mark that replaced the háček, in the hope that it was simply displaying incorrectly. He also researched downgrading to iOS 26.3.1, with a view to changing the passcode to one that's compatible with the new keyboard, to no avail.
Long-pressing every key to reveal a hidden háček did not work, nor did writing the password on paper (and also with a computer word processor to account for handwriting errors), and using AutoFill to scan it in. In this case, he said that the háček was only read as a quotation mark or degree sign.
Apple Support arranged for Byrne to attend a Genius Bar appointment, where the staffer behind the desk made no progress and even started restoring the phone without seeking the student's consent.
"He provided no recommendations before doing so," he said.
And if you're wondering "why not enable [12]Face ID in the first place? Biometrics are pretty secure." Well, it's not secure enough for this user, and it wouldn't matter either, even if it did meet his standards.
"I don't consider Face ID secure enough because it provides no protection in cases where someone has control of both you and the phone – police or customs, for example."
"It wouldn't have helped anyway, since you have to enter the passcode once after updating to enable Face ID."
For the same reason, plugging in an external keyboard is also a no-go since freshly updated iPhones are placed in what's known as a Before First Unlock state, which prevents wired accessories from working until the passcode is entered.
The Register contacted Apple multiple times to get its side of things, but it did not respond. ®
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[4] https://www.theregister.com/2025/02/24/rather_than_add_a_backdoor/
[5] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_onprem/personaltech&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=4&c=44adttQHJW0LcW_i3Mt7ST5gAAAFg&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D4%26raptor%3Dfalcon%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
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[7] https://www.reddit.com/r/iphone/comments/1odyvs1/locked_iphone_because_special_character/
[8] https://www.theregister.com/2026/04/09/security_researchers_tricked_apple_intelligence/
[9] https://www.theregister.com/2026/04/09/security_researchers_tricked_apple_intelligence/
[10] https://www.theregister.com/2026/04/07/opinion_column_apple_vs_microsoft/
[11] https://www.theregister.com/2026/03/30/apple_fine_russia_sanctions/
[12] https://www.theregister.com/2017/11/14/is_facial_recognition_good_enough/
[13] https://whitepapers.theregister.com/
Connor Byrne, 21, adopts the uncommon but security-minded approach to iPhone passcodes, using an alphanumeric string instead of the standard four-number passcode.
He updated his iPhone 13 from iOS 18 to iOS 26.4 on April 5, but in doing so lost the ability to enter his passcode. He has been locked out of the device ever since.
[1]
This is because iOS 18 was the last operating system version that allowed iPhone users to enter the special character – in this case, the caron/háček (ˇ) – using the old keyboard on the lock screen.
[2]
[3]
It has left Byrne without access to his device, which, given its age and chipped screen, does not hold much value, unlike the old photos stored on it, which carry sentimental importance.
The student has not backed up the files to [4]iCloud either, so they cannot be retrieved via a separate device. Apple support staff have suggested the only way to regain access to the iPhone 13 is by restoring it, which would erase the files of value.
[5]
Byrne was hoping that the next update, 26.4.1, would introduce a fix for this, but its release this week has not helped.
"The phone's very cracked, so, at this point, the photos contained in it are more valuable than the ability to use the phone itself," he told The Register . "They're the main data that I care about and haven't backed up."
"I don't anticipate a bespoke solution being provided, but I'm hopeful that the issue will be resolved in the next iOS update."
[6]
When the háček could still be used in the iPhone's passcode, it sat on the bottom row of the keyboard, while just above it was an acute accent mark.
Post-update, when entering the passcode, the keyboard now displays an identical accent mark in the háček's place, a feature Byrne described as "pointless; they're encoded the same."
"I've bought a cheap Android phone to use while I wait for a fix," he added. "I'll give it a month or two and will buy a nicer Android phone if the dust settles without a fix."
Given that iOS 18 was released in 2024, and Apple has not reintroduced the háček since, it seems unlikely Cupertino will make good on the student's hopes, especially considering that he is [7]not the only user to encounter the same issue in recent weeks.
During in-house testing, which involved taking an iPhone 16 from iOS 18.5 to iOS 26.4.1, The Register found that Apple has kept the háček in the Czech keyboard, but removed the ability to use it in a custom alphanumeric passcode. The OS will not allow users to input the háček as a character. The key's animation triggers, as does the keyboard's key-tap sound, but the character is not entered into the string.
[8]Security researchers tricked Apple Intelligence into cursing at users. It could have been a lot worse
[9]Security researchers tricked Apple Intelligence into cursing at users. It could have been a lot worse
[10]Apple's chips are the core of a new landscape, but its biggest win is Windows
[11]UK fines Irish Apple outpost over sanctions-busting payments to Russian dev
If the student were able to get into his iPhone 13, he would find the háček in his keyboard as it used to be before he updated it. It is only the lock-screen keyboard that replaces it with a second acute accent mark.
Alas, Byrne has gone to great lengths to tinker and tease iOS into accepting or finding the háček, or to find tricky ways of bypassing it.
He tried entering the same accent mark that replaced the háček, in the hope that it was simply displaying incorrectly. He also researched downgrading to iOS 26.3.1, with a view to changing the passcode to one that's compatible with the new keyboard, to no avail.
Long-pressing every key to reveal a hidden háček did not work, nor did writing the password on paper (and also with a computer word processor to account for handwriting errors), and using AutoFill to scan it in. In this case, he said that the háček was only read as a quotation mark or degree sign.
Apple Support arranged for Byrne to attend a Genius Bar appointment, where the staffer behind the desk made no progress and even started restoring the phone without seeking the student's consent.
"He provided no recommendations before doing so," he said.
And if you're wondering "why not enable [12]Face ID in the first place? Biometrics are pretty secure." Well, it's not secure enough for this user, and it wouldn't matter either, even if it did meet his standards.
"I don't consider Face ID secure enough because it provides no protection in cases where someone has control of both you and the phone – police or customs, for example."
"It wouldn't have helped anyway, since you have to enter the passcode once after updating to enable Face ID."
For the same reason, plugging in an external keyboard is also a no-go since freshly updated iPhones are placed in what's known as a Before First Unlock state, which prevents wired accessories from working until the passcode is entered.
The Register contacted Apple multiple times to get its side of things, but it did not respond. ®
Get our [13]Tech Resources
[1] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_onprem/personaltech&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=2&c=2adttQHJW0LcW_i3Mt7ST5gAAAFg&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D2%26raptor%3Dcondor%26pos%3Dtop%26test%3D0
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[4] https://www.theregister.com/2025/02/24/rather_than_add_a_backdoor/
[5] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_onprem/personaltech&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=4&c=44adttQHJW0LcW_i3Mt7ST5gAAAFg&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D4%26raptor%3Dfalcon%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
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[7] https://www.reddit.com/r/iphone/comments/1odyvs1/locked_iphone_because_special_character/
[8] https://www.theregister.com/2026/04/09/security_researchers_tricked_apple_intelligence/
[9] https://www.theregister.com/2026/04/09/security_researchers_tricked_apple_intelligence/
[10] https://www.theregister.com/2026/04/07/opinion_column_apple_vs_microsoft/
[11] https://www.theregister.com/2026/03/30/apple_fine_russia_sanctions/
[12] https://www.theregister.com/2017/11/14/is_facial_recognition_good_enough/
[13] https://whitepapers.theregister.com/
Don't want to victim blame...
IGotOut
...but what would've happened if his phone had just died, got lost or stolen?
iCloud storage is free up to a point then so f'ing cheap it's hardly noticeable.
It absolutely sucks that this has happened, but if his phone is that knackered, I'd be thinking that I need to save my pictures regardless.
Re: Don't want to victim blame...
blu3b3rry
Doesn't matter what the device is, 1-2-3 backup strategies are always a good idea. My phone backs up to a Proton cloud storage drive once a day, and I tend to back it up to my PC every so often.
PC itself is also backed up to the Proton drive including an encrypted HDD in my desk drawer at work (although I'm not disciplined enough to remember to do it often)
Case of acute cleveritis ?
Bebu sa Ware
Stick with the 7 bit ASCII subset you will never go wrong. Apple is unlikely to remove the 'A' character. ;)
The "Principle of Least Surprise" when dealing with computers (and people) is usually the best policy - you don't want to over·tax the limited capacities of either.
Why cell phone users don't back up their prized photos - they don't - is beyond me. I can understand why you might not backup an iphone to iCloud etc but emailing etc your valued snaps to yourself is simple enough and restricts what is backed up. Personally I never had much time for photographs and with the advent of digital photography pretty much a Douglas Adams' Electric Monk † for remembering places and events for you as I guess AI is one for thinking for you.
I wasn't going update my SE (~2017) from 18 in any case; doubly so now.
† I think the Electric Monk was Adams' extrapolation of the then current VCR which watched TV for you; the Electric Monk believed things for you.
Moral.
Tron
Always save your mobile device content on a memory card. If it doesn't have a memory card slot, don't buy it.
He could always go through airline security acting suspiciously. They would hack his phone for him.
Apple. It's where convenience trumps agency. It batters it around the head, and finishes it off with a jackboot stamp.