The iOS 26.4 update left one unfortunate user locked out of his iPhone and the reason is so obscure you'll never guess it

Date:
Mon, 13 Apr 2026 11:03:48 +0000

Description:
We got some welcome updates for the iPhone with iOS 26.4, but it's also
locked one user out of his handset.

FULL STORY ======================================================================Copy link Facebook X Whatsapp Reddit Pinterest Flipboard Threads Email Share this article 0 Join the conversation Follow us Add us as a preferred source on Google Newsletter Tech Radar Get daily insight, inspiration and deals in your inbox Sign up for breaking news, reviews, opinion, top tech deals, and more. Become a Member in Seconds Unlock instant access to exclusive member
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your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over. You are now subscribed Your newsletter sign-up was successful Join the club Get full access to premium articles, exclusive features and a growing list of member rewards. Explore An account already exists for this email address, please log in. Subscribe to our newsletter One unlucky iPhone user has been locked out of iOS 26.4 The issue relates to a special character on the Czech keyboard So far, no one has been able to
figure out a workaround The most recent iOS 26.4 update pushed out by Apple has brought with it some handy upgrades for iPhone owners including new emojis and extra security protections but it's also left one unfortunate
user locked out of their device.

As The Register reports, US university student Connor Byrne has been unable
to get into his iPhone since iOS 26.4 arrived last month. The reason? The update hides a special character that Byrne was using as his passcode. The character in question is the Czech caron or hek (), and while it was
available on the bottom row of the keyboard in iOS 18, it's been replaced by
a different character in the iOS 26.4 software that Byrne just upgraded to. Article continues below You may like iOS 26.4 could fix the iPhone's broken autocorrect, but one problem remains iOS 26.4 is here these are 5 best upgrades for your iPhone Having iOS 26.4 age verification woes? You're not alone try these fixes

Frustratingly, the character is still available via the main iOS keyboard,
but not the version that appears on the lock screen. Byrne says he opted for an alphanumeric code rather than a numbers-only PIN for extra security. Waiting on Apple iPhone 13: Known Passcode, Can't Enter It from
r/datarecovery Multiple ideas have been put forward, but nothing has worked
to get Byrne back into his iPhone 13. Writing out the passcode and scanning it, and connecting an external keyboard, are both options that don't work or can't be accessed after a restart.

Byrne says he doesn't consider Face ID secure enough to use, and in any case, a passcode is required after a software update even with Face ID enabled. The student has even visited a Genius Bar at an Apple Store, but they were
stumped by the problem too.

Nothing on the iPhone was backed up to iCloud either, so restoring the data and settings on a different device can't be done. It's a reminder of the importance of always backing up your phone , as a safety net for scenarios just like this one. Get daily insight, inspiration and deals in your inbox Sign up for breaking news, reviews, opinion, top tech deals, and more.
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us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsors By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.

Byrne is temporarily using an Android phone while he waits for some help from Apple (the company has yet to respond to him). "I don't anticipate a bespoke solution being provided, but I'm hopeful that the issue will be resolved in the next iOS update," he says. Follow TechRadar on Google News and add us as
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