diff --git a/apple/OSX/platform.m b/apple/OSX/platform.m
index c708d529a4..e36c583232 100644
--- a/apple/OSX/platform.m
+++ b/apple/OSX/platform.m
@@ -169,7 +169,7 @@ static char** waiting_argv;
    if (cb.numberOfItems)
       [cb selectItemAtIndex:0];
    else
-      apple_display_alert(BOXSTRING("No libretro cores were found.\nSelect \"Go->Cores Directory\" from the menu and place libretro dylib files there."), BOXSTRING("RetroArch"));
+      apple_display_alert("No libretro cores were found.\nSelect \"Go->Cores Directory\" from the menu and place libretro dylib files there.", "RetroArch");
    
    if (waiting_argc)
    {
@@ -221,7 +221,7 @@ static char** waiting_argv;
    }
    else
    {
-      apple_display_alert(BOXSTRING("Cannot open multiple files"), BOXSTRING("RetroArch"));
+      apple_display_alert("Cannot open multiple files", "RetroArch");
       [sender replyToOpenOrPrint:NSApplicationDelegateReplyFailure];
    }
 }
diff --git a/apple/common/RetroArch_Apple.h b/apple/common/RetroArch_Apple.h
index f2a3cb7b34..844f62f250 100644
--- a/apple/common/RetroArch_Apple.h
+++ b/apple/common/RetroArch_Apple.h
@@ -57,7 +57,7 @@ extern void apple_start_iteration();
 extern void apple_stop_iteration();
 
 // utility.m
-extern void apple_display_alert(NSString* message, NSString* title);
+extern void apple_display_alert(const char *message, const char *title);
 extern NSString *objc_get_value_from_config(config_file_t* config, NSString* name, NSString* defaultValue);
 extern NSString *apple_get_core_id(const core_info_t *core);
 extern NSString *apple_get_core_display_name(NSString *core_id);
diff --git a/apple/common/main.m b/apple/common/main.m
index 5429cb7cfd..0a5ee41087 100644
--- a/apple/common/main.m
+++ b/apple/common/main.m
@@ -95,9 +95,9 @@ void apple_run_core(NSString* core, const char* file)
         char basedir[256];
         fill_pathname_basedir(basedir, file ? file : "", sizeof(basedir));
         if (file && access(basedir, R_OK | W_OK | X_OK))
-            apple_display_alert(BOXSTRING("The directory containing the selected file must have write premissions. This will prevent zipped content from loading, and will cause some cores to not function."), 0);
+            apple_display_alert("The directory containing the selected file must have write premissions. This will prevent zipped content from loading, and will cause some cores to not function.", "Warning");
         else
-            apple_display_alert(BOXSTRING("Failed to load content."), 0);
+            apple_display_alert("Failed to load content.", "Error");
         
         apple_rarch_exited();
     }
diff --git a/apple/common/utility.m b/apple/common/utility.m
index 5d834086df..a4e9e0c2b1 100644
--- a/apple/common/utility.m
+++ b/apple/common/utility.m
@@ -21,11 +21,11 @@
 #include "../../general.h"
 #include "../../file.h"
 
-void apple_display_alert(NSString* message, NSString* title)
+void apple_display_alert(const char *message, const char *title)
 {
 #ifdef IOS
-   UIAlertView* alert = [[UIAlertView alloc] initWithTitle:title ? title : BOXSTRING("RetroArch")
-                                             message:message
+   UIAlertView* alert = [[UIAlertView alloc] initWithTitle:title ? BOXSTRING(title) : BOXSTRING("RetroArch")
+                                             message:BOXSTRING(message)
                                              delegate:nil
                                              cancelButtonTitle:BOXSTRING("OK")
                                              otherButtonTitles:nil];
@@ -33,8 +33,8 @@ void apple_display_alert(NSString* message, NSString* title)
 #else
    NSAlert* alert = [[NSAlert new] autorelease];
    
-   [alert setMessageText:title ? title : BOXSTRING("RetroArch")];
-   [alert setInformativeText:message];
+   [alert setMessageText:(*title) ? BOXSTRING(title) : BOXSTRING("RetroArch")];
+   [alert setInformativeText:BOXSTRING(message)];
    [alert setAlertStyle:NSInformationalAlertStyle];
    [alert beginSheetModalForWindow:[RetroArch_OSX get].window
           modalDelegate:apple_platform
diff --git a/apple/iOS/browser.m b/apple/iOS/browser.m
index 4a03a2540c..85ce292fe0 100644
--- a/apple/iOS/browser.m
+++ b/apple/iOS/browser.m
@@ -34,7 +34,9 @@ static bool zlib_extract_callback(const char *name,
    
    if (cmode != 0 && cmode != 8)
    {
-      apple_display_alert([NSString stringWithFormat:@"Could not unzip %s (unknown mode %d)", name, cmode], @"Action Failed");
+       char msg[256];
+       snprintf(msg, sizeof(msg), "Could not unzip %s (unknown mode %d)", name, cmode);
+      apple_display_alert(msg, "Action Failed");
       return false;
    }
 
@@ -65,13 +67,13 @@ static bool zlib_extract_callback(const char *name,
 static void unzip_file(const char* path, const char* output_directory)
 {
    if (!path_file_exists(path))
-      apple_display_alert(@"Could not locate zip file.", @"Action Failed");
+      apple_display_alert("Could not locate zip file.", "Action Failed");
    else if (path_is_directory(output_directory))
-      apple_display_alert(@"Output directory for zip must not already exist.", @"Action Failed");
+      apple_display_alert("Output directory for zip must not already exist.", "Action Failed");
    else if (!path_mkdir(output_directory))
-      apple_display_alert(@"Could not create output directory to extract zip.", @"Action Failed");
+      apple_display_alert("Could not create output directory to extract zip.", "Action Failed");
    else if (!zlib_parse_file(path, zlib_extract_callback, (void*)output_directory))
-      apple_display_alert(@"Could not process zip file.", @"Action Failed");
+      apple_display_alert("Could not process zip file.", "Action Failed");
 }
 
 enum file_action { FA_DELETE = 10000, FA_CREATE, FA_MOVE, FA_UNZIP };
@@ -92,7 +94,7 @@ static void file_action(enum file_action action, NSString* source, NSString* tar
    }
 
    if (!result && error)
-      apple_display_alert(error.localizedDescription, @"Action failed");
+      apple_display_alert(error.localizedDescription.UTF8String, "Action failed");
 }
 
 @implementation RADirectoryItem
@@ -369,7 +371,7 @@ static void file_action(enum file_action action, NSString* source, NSString* tar
       [alertView show];
    }
    else if (![action isEqualToString:@"Cancel"])// Zip
-      apple_display_alert(@"Action not supported.", @"Action Failed");
+      apple_display_alert("Action not supported.", "Action Failed");
 }
 
 // Called by various alert views created in this class, the alertView.tag value is the action to take.
diff --git a/apple/iOS/platform.m b/apple/iOS/platform.m
index 1e9b049ae1..2cf1db19d0 100644
--- a/apple/iOS/platform.m
+++ b/apple/iOS/platform.m
@@ -238,13 +238,21 @@ static void handle_touch_event(NSArray* touches)
     const char *path = [self.documentsDirectory UTF8String];
     path_mkdir(path);
     if (access(path, 0755) != 0)
-      apple_display_alert([NSString stringWithFormat:@"Failed to create or access base directory: %@", self.documentsDirectory], 0);
+    {
+       char msg[256];
+       snprintf(msg, sizeof(msg), "Failed to create or access base directory: %s", self.documentsDirectory.UTF8String);
+       apple_display_alert(msg, "Error");
+    }
     else
     {
         path = [self.systemDirectory UTF8String];
         path_mkdir(path);
         if (access(path, 0755) != 0)
-            apple_display_alert([NSString stringWithFormat:@"Failed to create or access system directory: %@", self.systemDirectory], 0);
+        {
+            char msg[256];
+            snprintf(msg, sizeof(msg), "Failed to create or access system directory: %s", self.systemDirectory.UTF8String);
+            apple_display_alert(msg, "Error");
+        }
         else
            [self pushViewController:[RAMainMenu new] animated:YES];
     }
@@ -256,7 +264,7 @@ static void handle_touch_event(NSArray* touches)
    const core_info_list_t* core_list = (const core_info_list_t*)core_info_list_get();
    
    if (!core_list || core_list->count == 0)
-      apple_display_alert(@"No libretro cores were found. You will not be able to run any content.", 0);
+      apple_display_alert("No libretro cores were found. You will not be able to run any content.", "Warning");
    
    apple_gamecontroller_init();