Apple update turns Czech mate for locked-out iPhone user

A university student in the US was locked out of his iPhone 13 after updating to iOS 26.4, which removed the háček (caron) character from the lock-screen keyboard. His alphanumeric passcode included this Czech special character, and the update replaced it with a duplicate acute accent mark that cannot be entered. Apple's iOS 26.4.1 update did not fix the issue. The student cannot restore his sentimental photos without wiping the device, as they were never backed up to iCloud. Apple Support's Genius Bar visit was unhelpful, and workarounds like AutoFill, long-press key combos, and external keyboards all failed. Apple has not responded to press inquiries.