Apple’s Messages app has a bug that prevents users from sending voice messages containing ampersands(&). This effectively blocks messages that mention names like Dave & Buster’s, H&M, or Tiffany & Co.
When you try to send a voice message with a name that includes an ampersand, the message appears to send, but never reaches the recipient. Instead, they see the typing indicator for a few seconds, then nothing.
The problem isn’t the audio itself but the transcript that accompanies it. Apple’s transcription tool automatically inserts ampersands for known brand names. That ampersand, however, isn’t properly formatted in the underlying message code, which causes it to break before it reaches the other person. So if you ask a friend, “Want to go to Dave & Buster’s?” in an audio message, they won’t receive anything.
The Problem with Ampersands in Audio Transcripts
The issue stems from how the ampersand symbol is processed inside the voice message’s metadata. Messages use XHTML to format message content, and ampersands have special rules in that language. The correct format is &, but Apple’s transcription engine inserts a plain &. This formatting error causes the BlastDoor system—a security layer in iOS—to block the message from being delivered.
BlastDoor treats the faulty format as a potential exploit attempt. Rather than risking a breach, it simply stops the message from being processed. That’s why the recipient only sees the animation and never hears the message.
Apple’s Security Measures Are Doing Their Job
As reported by developer Guilherme Rambo and discussed in the Search Engine podcast, this is less about a vulnerability and more about a system behaving exactly as designed. BlastDoor is built to protect users by rejecting incorrectly formatted data before it can cause harm. That includes audio message transcripts with unescaped ampersands.
While it’s a frustrating glitch, especially if you’re trying to make weekend plans at Dave & Buster’s, it’s also a reminder of how cautious Apple’s systems are about data integrity. Until Apple fixes the transcription formatting, the workaround is simple: don’t use voice messages to mention names with ampersands.