I was near the security checkpoint at LAX. I saw a notification from the bottom (like when you connect an AirPod) “Connecting…” and the Bottom text read “Bluetooth device would require additional…”

My iPhone 14 Pro on IOS 17 immediately bricked. The screen was ok but I couldn’t select anything. I kept pressing the power and volume up buttons but nothing happened. It then turned off with the “rotating wheel” symbol in the middle. It wouldn’t turn on. I had to connect it to my laptop to turn it on.

This happened a second time — Same sequence. Then I turned my Bluetooth off rest of the time.

What could have caused it? Was someone trying to hack me?

  • heewonyy@alien.topBEnglish
    1·
    10 months ago

    This is happening at multiple shopping centres in Australia as well, confirmed by the Apple Store guys as well

  • runningtothehorizon@alien.topBEnglish
    1·
    10 months ago

    This literally just happened to me (on a train in Singapore). Got the notification about needing additional information to connect to some Bluetooth device. Then my airpods cut out. Turned Bluetooth off and tried to turn Bluetooth on again but it refused to turn back on. Restarted my phone, phone crashed after a couple of minutes or so, restarted again and now seems to work ok…

    Hoping is not anything malicious…

  • relaymoth@sh.itjust.worksEnglish
    1·
    10 months ago

    Sounds like it was the iOS bluetooth exploit being spammed in a public place. There are a few variations, one that’s a little annoying, and one that will lock up your phone until a hard reset - your experience sounds like the latter.

    This exploit is broadcast to all devices in the area so, good news is that, no one was specifically targeting you. The -only- way to avoid this is to turn off Bluetooth via Settings.