Apple update looks like Czech mate for locked-out iPhone user

The lock‑screen bug

It has been reported that a US university student was left locked out of his iPhone after an iOS update removed the ability to type the Czech caron (háček, ˇ) on the lock‑screen keyboard. Connor Byrne, 21, used an alphanumeric passcode that included the háček and says the character could be entered on iOS 18 but stopped working after he updated his iPhone 13 to iOS 26.4 on April 5. Apple has allegedly removed the special character from the lock‑screen input, so the key animates and sounds like it’s been pressed but the character never appears.

Locked out, photos at stake

The emotional punch here isn’t the cracked screen — it’s the photos. Byrne tells The Register the phone’s battered exterior isn’t worth much, but the unbacked photos on the device are priceless to him. It has been reported that Apple support advised restoring the device as the only route to regain access, which would erase those files. He hoped 26.4.1 would fix the problem, but the patch released this week did not, and he’s bought a cheap Android as a stopgap.

Testing finds the key, not the input

Independent testing performed during reporting allegedly confirmed the odd behaviour: the háček still appears on the Czech keyboard in system settings, yet when used on the lock‑screen’s custom alphanumeric passcode entry it simply won’t input the character. The key’s animation and tap sound trigger — a tease of functionality — but the character doesn’t land in the passcode string. Other users have reportedly hit the same snag in recent weeks, so Byrne is not alone.

What next?

Will Apple roll back or patch a one‑character regression? It’s anyone’s guess. Byrne says he doesn’t expect a bespoke rescue, only hopes a future iOS update will restore the missing input. In the meantime, the episode is a sharp reminder: passwords are only as useful as the keyboard you can actually type on — and backups are worth their weight in memories. Czech mate, indeed.

Sources: The Register