Apple Security
Apple SecurityBy MacRumors Staff on September 22, 2026Jump to Reviews How Tos ArticlesApple Security ReviewsReview: Yubico's 5C NFC YubiKey Works Well With Apple's Security Keys FeatureFriday March 17, 2023 12:10 pm PDT by Juli Cl
Table of Contents
- 1. Apple Security Reviews
- 2. Review: Yubico's 5C NFC YubiKey Works Well With Apple's Security Keys Feature
- 3. Apple Security How Tos
- 4. Enable End-to-End Encryption for Your iCloud Backups
- 5. How to Enable Stolen Device Protection on iPhone
- 6. iPhone Displays Green and Orange Dots: What Do They Mean?
- 7. How to Share Passwords Among a Group on iPhone and iPad
- 8. How to Unlock Your iPhone If You Forget Your New Passcode
- 9. How to Share Passwords With Friends and Family on iPhone and iPad
- 10. How to Protect Your Apple ID With Security Keys
- 11. How to Set Up a Stronger Passcode on Your iPhone
- 12. How to Set Up and Use the Built-in 2FA Code Generator in iOS
- 13. How to Use Automatic Strong Passwords and Password Auditing in iOS 12
- 14. Apple Security Articles
- 15. Apple Still Working on Anti-Snatching Feature That Locks Stolen iPhones
- 16. Apple's A12 and A13 Chips Facing New Unpatchable Exploit
- 17. Apple Alerted to macOS Security Vulnerability Uncovered With AI Tool
- 18. Apple Warns Canada's Bill C-22 Could Force Encryption Backdoors
- 19. Anthropic's AI to Help Apple Find iOS, macOS, and Safari Vulnerabilities
- 20. Apple Says No iPhone in Lockdown Mode Has Ever Been Hacked
- 21. Apple Now Sending Critical Security Alerts to iPhones Running iOS 17 and Earlier
- 22. macOS 26.4 Introduces New Security Feature for Terminal Commands
- 23. Apple Introduces $2M Bug Bounty for Spyware-Level Exploits
- 24. iPhone 17 Introduces 'Groundbreaking' New Memory Security Feature
- 25. UK Still Demanding Global Access to iCloud User Data, Filings Suggest
- 26. UK Reportedly Withdraws Demand to Access Encrypted iCloud User Data
- 27. Apple Warns More Users About Mercenary Spyware Attacks
- 28. UK Court Rejects Government Secrecy in Apple's Fight Against Backdoor Request
- 29. US Probes UK's Apple Encryption Demand for Possible Treaty Violation
- 30. Apple's Data Encryption Changes in the UK Explained
- 31. Apple Pulls Encrypted iCloud Security Feature in UK Amid Government Backdoor Demands
- 32. US Lawmakers Urge Intelligence Chief to Fight UK iCloud Backdoor Order
- 33. Could Apple Pull iCloud Services From the UK Market?
- 34. Apple Ordered by UK to Create Global iCloud Encryption Backdoor
- 35. Videos
- 36. Guides
- 37. Upcoming
- 38. Other Stories
Apple Security
By MacRumors Staff
Apple Security Reviews
Review: Yubico's 5C NFC YubiKey Works Well With Apple's Security Keys Feature
Friday March 17, 2023 12:10 pm PDT by Juli Clover
With the launch of iOS 16.3 and macOS 13.2 Ventura, Apple added Security Keys for the Apple ID, offering a more robust way to protect your Apple account and everything associated with your Apple account.
A Security Key is a physical device that works with two-factor authentication. Instead of using a code generated by a secondary Apple device for authentication, when you log into your Apple...
Apple Security How Tos
Enable End-to-End Encryption for Your iCloud Backups
Friday February 7, 2025 5:20 am PST by Tim Hardwick
Apple's Advanced Data Protection for iCloud feature uses end-to-end encryption to provide the highest level of cloud data security that Apple offers. Here's everything you need to know about enabling it on your devices.
The encrypted security feature gives you the choice to further protect your important iCloud data, including iCloud Backup, Photos, Notes, and more.
Apple's use of...
How to Enable Stolen Device Protection on iPhone
Thursday May 2, 2024 5:45 am PDT by Tim Hardwick
When Apple released iOS 17.3 in January, it introduced a Stolen Device Protection feature to provide iPhone users with added security. This article explains what it does, why you might want to turn it on, and how to go about doing so.
In 2023, reports began emerging about a new method thieves were using to steal iPhones and access users' highly sensitive data. Thieves would surreptitiously...
iPhone Displays Green and Orange Dots: What Do They Mean?
Monday November 27, 2023 2:58 am PST by Tim Hardwick
Digital privacy is a perennial hot topic these days, and Apple is regarded as being at the forefront of security when it comes to smartphone and tablet operating systems. For example, for an app to access your iPhone or iPad's camera, camera and microphone access must be enabled for the app in question in the Settings app.
Social media apps will often ask you for access to your device's...
How to Share Passwords Among a Group on iPhone and iPad
Thursday October 12, 2023 3:40 am PDT by Tim Hardwick
In iOS 17 and iPadOS 17, Apple has added the ability to securely share passwords and passkeys with people in your contacts using a new shared password function. It's called Family Passwords, and here's how to use it.
Family Passwords allows you to create a group of trusted contacts that you can share passwords and passkeys with across devices. (Passkeys let users sign in to apps and sites...
How to Unlock Your iPhone If You Forget Your New Passcode
Thursday October 12, 2023 1:00 am PDT by Tim Hardwick
In iOS 17, if you change your iPhone's passcode and forget it soon after, Apple offers you a 72-hour grace period to fix it without getting locked out of your device. Here's how it works.
In iOS 17 and iPadOS 17, it is now possible to reset an iPhone or iPad's new passcode with the previous passcode you used for up to three days after the change is made. In other words, Apple lets you use...
How to Share Passwords With Friends and Family on iPhone and iPad
Wednesday September 20, 2023 7:48 am PDT by Tim Hardwick
In iOS 17 and iPadOS 17, Apple has added the ability to securely share passwords and passkeys with friends and family members using a new shared password function. Here's how to use it.
Family Passwords allows you to create a group of trusted contacts that you can share passwords and passkeys with across devices. (Passkeys let users sign in to apps and sites the same way they unlock their...
How to Protect Your Apple ID With Security Keys
Wednesday May 10, 2023 1:48 pm PDT by Tim Hardwick
Apple has introduced security keys as an additional step to help users protect their Apple ID accounts. Keep reading to learn why the alternative authentication method is the most secure method available and what you need to do to set it up.
What Are Security Keys?
With the release of iOS 16.3, iPadOS 16.3, and macOS Ventura 13.2, Apple introduced support for security keys, or physical...
How to Set Up a Stronger Passcode on Your iPhone
Monday February 27, 2023 4:49 pm PST by Tim Hardwick
Your iPhone's passcode is the first line of defense when it comes to protecting your private data. Here's how to set up a stronger one than the default six-digit passcode that you're likely already using.
If someone with malicious intentions finds out the passcode for your iPhone, they could end up causing you all sorts of trouble. With passcode access to your iPhone's contents, they could...
How to Set Up and Use the Built-in 2FA Code Generator in iOS
Wednesday February 22, 2023 4:49 pm PST by Tim Hardwick
With online account hacking becoming increasingly widespread, all users should make sure they're taking every security measure available to them. If you use Apple devices, consider using Apple verification codes to protect your accounts. Keep reading to learn how it works.
One of the best ways to protect any online account is by using two-factor authentication (2FA). 2FA offers hardened...
How to Use Automatic Strong Passwords and Password Auditing in iOS 12
Thursday September 20, 2018 2:40 pm PDT by Tim Hardwick
In iOS 12, Apple has introduced new password-related features that are designed to make it easier for iPhone and iPad users to create strong, secure, and unique passwords for app and website logins. In this guide, we'll show you how to use two of those features: automatic strong passwords and password auditing.
Automatic strong passwords ensures that if you're prompted by a website or app...
Apple Security Articles
Apple Still Working on Anti-Snatching Feature That Locks Stolen iPhones
Tuesday September 22, 2026 4:44 am PDT by Tim Hardwick
New references in the latest iOS 27.2 beta show that Apple continues to develop a new feature which will lock your iPhone if it's snatched from your hand by a thief.
As previously reported, the feature will use the gyroscope, accelerometer, and other sensors to determine when an iPhone has been grabbed. It'll also rely on a paired Apple Watch to detect when the iPhone has suddenly moved...
Apple's A12 and A13 Chips Facing New Unpatchable Exploit
Thursday June 18, 2026 9:17 am PDT by Hartley Charlton
Security research firm Paradigm Shift today published details of a new BootROM vulnerability affecting Apple's A12 and A13 chips, along with a working proof-of-concept exploit named "usbliter8."
The BootROM, or SecureROM, is the first code an iPhone runs when it powers on. Because it is baked directly into the chip at manufacture, any vulnerability found there cannot be fixed with a software ...
Apple Alerted to macOS Security Vulnerability Uncovered With AI Tool
Thursday May 14, 2026 9:04 am PDT by Joe Rossignol
Anthropic recently announced Project Glasswing, an initiative that enables tech companies like Apple to use its new frontier AI model Claude Mythos Preview to find security vulnerabilities across operating systems and web browsers.
The Wall Street Journal today reported that researchers at cybersecurity firm Calif used Claude Mythos Preview to uncover a new macOS security vulnerability last...
Apple Warns Canada's Bill C-22 Could Force Encryption Backdoors
Friday May 8, 2026 4:22 am PDT by Tim Hardwick
Apple and Meta have opposed a Canadian bill that the companies say could force them to create backdoor access to encrypted user data, should it pass through the country's parliament.
Proposed by Canada's ruling Liberal Party, Bill C-22 contains provisions that could be similar to a UK data access provision order sent to Apple last year, depending on how they are implemented.
Back in Feb...
Anthropic's AI to Help Apple Find iOS, macOS, and Safari Vulnerabilities
Wednesday April 8, 2026 1:00 pm PDT by Joe Rossignol
Anthropic on Tuesday announced Project Glasswing, a new initiative that will enable tech companies to use its new AI model Mythos Preview to find and fix security vulnerabilities or weaknesses across operating systems and web browsers.
Mythos Preview has already found thousands of zero-day vulnerabilities, including some in every major operating system and web browser, according to...
Apple Says No iPhone in Lockdown Mode Has Ever Been Hacked
Friday March 27, 2026 9:33 am PDT by Hartley Charlton
Apple says it has no record of a successful spyware attack against any device running Lockdown Mode, the opt-in security feature it introduced in 2022.
"We are not aware of any successful mercenary spyware attacks against a Lockdown Mode-enabled Apple device," an Apple spokesperson told TechCrunch.
Lockdown Mode is available on the iPhone, iPad, and Mac, and dramatically restricts...
Apple Now Sending Critical Security Alerts to iPhones Running iOS 17 and Earlier
Friday March 27, 2026 7:21 am PDT by Hartley Charlton
Apple has begun pushing Lock Screen notifications to iPhones and iPads running older versions of iOS and iPadOS, warning users of active web-based attacks.
The alerts, which appear as a "Critical Software" notification from the Settings app, warn that Apple "is aware of attacks targeting out-of-date iOS software, including the version on your iPhone," and urge users to install a critical...
macOS 26.4 Introduces New Security Feature for Terminal Commands
Wednesday March 25, 2026 1:24 pm PDT by Joe Rossignol
macOS Tahoe 26.4 introduces a new security feature that warns Mac users if they paste certain commands in the Terminal app that may be harmful.
For those unaware, the Terminal app allows you to enter text commands to perform tasks on your Mac. Terminal is primarily intended for advanced users and developers, but unfortunately casual users can be tricked into entering harmful commands that...
Apple Introduces $2M Bug Bounty for Spyware-Level Exploits
Friday October 10, 2025 4:50 am PDT by Tim Hardwick
Apple has announced a major overhaul of its bug bounty program that doubles the top reward to $2 million for exploit chains that can match the sophistication of mercenary spyware attacks.
With bonuses for Lockdown Mode bypasses and vulnerabilities found in beta software, Apple says its total payouts could exceed $5 million. The company claims this represents "the largest payout offered by...
iPhone 17 Introduces 'Groundbreaking' New Memory Security Feature
Wednesday September 10, 2025 4:51 am PDT by Tim Hardwick
Apple has added a "groundbreaking" new memory security feature to its new iPhone 17 lineup called Memory Integrity Enforcement (MIE), which the company describes as "the most significant upgrade to memory safety in the history of consumer operating systems."
The new security feature targets spyware tools like Pegasus that exploit vulnerabilities to hack targeted devices. According to Apple,...
UK Still Demanding Global Access to iCloud User Data, Filings Suggest
Friday August 29, 2025 3:13 am PDT by Tim Hardwick
The UK government's secret demand for Apple to create backdoor access to encrypted user data was far broader than previously known, reports the Financial Times. British officials didn't just want to break Apple's Advanced Data Protection feature, but sought to tap a swathe of standard iCloud services used by millions worldwide.
New court filings published on Wednesday by the Investigatory...
UK Reportedly Withdraws Demand to Access Encrypted iCloud User Data
Tuesday August 19, 2025 1:32 am PDT by Tim Hardwick
The British government has agreed to withdraw its controversial demand to access Apple users' encrypted iCloud data, according to the U.S. director of intelligence.
Tulsi Gabbard said in a post on X (Twitter) the UK had dropped its plans to force Apple to provide a back door that would have "enabled access to the protected encrypted data of American citizens and encroached on our civil...
Apple Warns More Users About Mercenary Spyware Attacks
Wednesday April 30, 2025 12:09 pm PDT by Juli Clover
Apple this week sent out notices to people who may have been targeted with government-sponsored spyware attacks, reports TechCrunch. An Italian journalist and a Dutch activist said that they received notifications from Apple via iMessage and email.
Apple detected that you are being targeted by a mercenary spyware attack that is trying to remotely compromise the iPhone associated with your...
UK Court Rejects Government Secrecy in Apple's Fight Against Backdoor Request
Monday April 7, 2025 4:20 am PDT by Tim Hardwick
Apple has filed a legal appeal against a UK government order requiring the company to create a "back door" to its encrypted cloud storage systems, the Investigatory Powers Tribunal (IPT) confirmed on Monday (via Reuters). The confirmation means that the Home Office cannot keep all the details of its demand out of the public domain.
The high-profile challenge follows reports earlier this year ...
US Probes UK's Apple Encryption Demand for Possible Treaty Violation
Thursday February 27, 2025 3:24 am PST by Tim Hardwick
U.S. officials are looking at whether the United Kingdom violated a bilateral agreement by demanding Apple create a "backdoor" to access end-to-end encrypted iCloud data, according to a letter from National Intelligence Director Tulsi Gabbard (via Reuters).
The investigation comes after Apple's recent decision to withdraw its Advanced Data Protection feature from the UK after the British...
Apple's Data Encryption Changes in the UK Explained
Wednesday February 26, 2025 8:44 am PST by Tim Hardwick
Apple on February 21 withdrew its Advanced Data Protection feature from the United Kingdom following government demands for backdoor access to encrypted user data. The move came after UK officials reportedly ordered Apple in secret to provide unrestricted access to encrypted iCloud not just in the UK, but worldwide.
The development has naturally left some Apple device users in the UK asking ...
Apple Pulls Encrypted iCloud Security Feature in UK Amid Government Backdoor Demands
Friday February 21, 2025 7:17 am PST by Tim Hardwick
Apple has withdrawn its Advanced Data Protection iCloud feature from the United Kingdom following government demands for backdoor access to encrypted user data, according to Bloomberg. The move comes after UK officials secretly ordered Apple to provide unrestricted access to encrypted iCloud content worldwide.
Customers who are already using Advanced Data Protection, or ADP, will need to...
US Lawmakers Urge Intelligence Chief to Fight UK iCloud Backdoor Order
Thursday February 13, 2025 5:24 am PST by Tim Hardwick
Members of key congressional oversight committees have called on the United States' new top intelligence director to pressure the United Kingdom to withdraw its controversial demand for Apple to create a backdoor into encrypted user data stored in iCloud, according to The Washington Post.
Last week The Post revealed that a secret UK order, issued under the Investigatory Powers Act last...
Could Apple Pull iCloud Services From the UK Market?
Friday February 7, 2025 9:04 am PST by Tim Hardwick
Given today's bombshell report revealing the UK government's unprecedented demand for backdoor access to encrypted iCloud data, it's clear that Apple now faces a massive challenge. How it responds could have major implications for not only the company's privacy stance, but also its global operations as well as its reputation.
According to The Washington Post, the British government has...
Apple Ordered by UK to Create Global iCloud Encryption Backdoor
Friday February 7, 2025 2:37 am PST by Tim Hardwick
The British government has secretly demanded that Apple give it blanket access to all encrypted user content uploaded to the cloud, reports The Washington Post.
The undisclosed order is said to have been issued last month, and requires that Apple creates a back door that allows UK security officials unencumbered access to encrypted user data worldwide – an unprecedented demand not before...
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