The Hyphen iPhone Bug meme emerged in August 2024 after security researchers and users discovered that typing specific sequences like "":: or combinations of hyphens into the iOS App Library or Spotlight search bar would cause the SpringBoard to crash. This vulnerability joined a long history of 'character bomb' bugs in Apple's ecosystem, similar to the infamous Effective Power text crash. The meme is primarily used to poke fun at Apple's software stability, often featuring reaction images of chaos or devices rebooting. It has become a favorite among the tech community for highlighting the irony of a high-end device being temporarily disabled by simple punctuation marks.