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Web link causes Safari crashes, device reboots on iOS and Mac [u]

A website in circulation as a prank on Safari users is causing the Mac edition of the browser to crash, and iPhones and iPads to reboot, reports said on Monday.

Aptly named crashsafari.co, the site deliberately overwhelms the browser with a self-generating text string in the address bar, according to The Guardian. This can not only force iOS devices to reboot, but lead them to heat up beforehand as their processors struggle to keep up.

Using Google's Chrome browser to visit the site will reportedly avoid crashes or reboots, whether on Android, Mac, or Windows, but still result in serious slowdowns, as well as overheating on Android devices.

The problem is being exacerbated by the use of link shortening services, which can disguise the link.

The site so far appears to be a gag instead of malicious. Other forms of crash-generating code can sometimes by used by hackers as a way of hijacking a device.

Apple devices recovering from a crash or reboot will reportedly function as normal.

Update: According to a follow-up report from iMore, Apple is aware of the crash issue and is looking into a fix.