Has your iPhone slowed down and stopped working as expected? Is your calendar suddenly full of spam appointments? Have you heard about the latest security flaw in iOS? Or have you seen a social media post saying your data isn’t safe? If you answered yes to any of these questions, you’ll definitely be wondering: Can iPhones get viruses?
The good news is that Apple products like the iPhone are considered more secure against threats than devices from other manufacturers. This is partly because Apple has what is described as a “walled garden”, meaning that iOS software can only be downloaded from the iOS App Store after it has been reviewed by Apple. However, your iPhone is only as secure as you make it, and Apple’s frequent security updates should make it clear that your iPhone is not entirely safe from attack. In this article, we will see if iPhones can be infected with viruses and what you can do to protect yourself from threats.
Can iPhones get viruses?
Let’s be clear, any electronic device running software is susceptible to being infected by a virus. The real question is how likely it is to happen. iOS is a very resilient system, with very few successful virus penetrations, including the relatively recent Pegasus and Reign spyware attacks, and AdThief, which affected a number of jailbroken iPhones in 2014.
In June 2023, security company Kaspersky reported an attack involving dozens of Kaspersky employees. In this case, the attacker was able to penetrate the iPhone’s defenses via an invisible iMessage that could collect and transmit sensitive information such as audio recordings, photos, geolocation, etc. The company noted that this was limited to older versions of iOS, with iOS 16.2 being the latest to show the vulnerability.
It should be noted that none of these attacks were directed at typical iPhone users.
The low number of malware threats for iPhone users is mainly due to Apple’s walled garden approach that we mentioned above. You can only install software certified by the company and distributed through the App Store. This gives Apple a high level of security and prevents iPhone users from downloading software from random sites and then exposing their systems to a potentially infected program.
The company is so focused on preventing any breaches in its security that it even defied the FBI and the British government when both wanted to be able to access locked devices or have backdoors built into iOS to monitor encrypted communications. This was a high-risk move on Apple’s part, but in both cases it appears to have prevailed, arguing that any vulnerabilities built into the system would make the devices less secure.
Users who jailbreak their iPhone are not protected. Jailbreaking opens iOS so changes can be made and software installed from sources other than the App Store. It has now largely fallen out of favor, as Apple has worked hard to make jailbreaking more difficult. Unless you deliberately jailbroken your iPhone or were given a jailbroken iPhone, it is unlikely that your iPhone is vulnerable in this way.
iPhones are very secure, with research showing that there are fewer viruses created for iOS than for Android. This isn’t to say that Android isn’t secure, just that it has to fight off more attacks due to the relatively open nature of the platform.
Are iPhone virus warnings real?
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If you’ve seen a pop-up message warning you that you have a virus on your iPhone, it’s probably a scam. There are no viruses on your iPhone.
If you see such a warning, it’s important not to click anything other than close it (and be careful, the X may not actually be a close button!). Do not respond to the alert as it is a phishing attempt.
If you’re in Safari, our recommendation is to tap the new tab icon at the bottom right of the screen, then tap the x in the top right corner of that tab to close it. You should also clear your cookies by going to Settings > Safari > Clear History and Website Data.
To prevent this from happening again, you may want to enable fraudulent website warning and pop-up blocking, also in Settings > Safari.
What about my calendar spam? And is my data leaked by the Journal app?
If you’ve encountered notifications about fake dates or read a social media post suggesting your data isn’t safe, it’s understandable that you’re concerned.
Taking the first example, calendar spam is a common problem that many have encountered. Usually what happens is someone clicked on a post or email that put them on a calendar. It’s not a virus because it doesn’t spread from your iPhone to other people’s devices. Fortunately, it’s easy to stop and remove iPhone calendar spam simply by unsubscribing from the spammy calendar. Caution when clicking on emails and messages is of course advised.
Social media posts regarding iPhone viruses or security issues should be taken with a grain of salt. For example, creepy posts on Facebook and TikTok claimed that the Apple Journal app (which debuted in iOS 17) was sharing private information with strangers. This turned out to be a misunderstanding of one of the app’s useful features which served as a prompt to jot down ideas related to events or meetings you or close friends may have attended.
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Are iPhones safe?
Viruses are rare, as we’ve established, and where they have appeared, they haven’t targeted typical iPhone users. But that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t exercise caution.
Viruses aren’t the only way hackers and criminals can access your data. One of the most effective ways to do this is to use things like phishing emails and messages that trick you into clicking on links to resolve an emergency.
You’ve probably seen them in the form of a friend saying they’re stuck abroad and need a quick money transfer to get them out of a situation, or a warning from your bank indicating that your account is about to be immediately closed due to suspicious activity.
Clicking on these links can open the door to a world of trouble, usually directing you to fake sites that ask you to log in and thus unknowingly giving away your account details to thieves.
Another danger lies in fake networks that monitor your data as it passes through servers. They are often found in airports, cafes, or other places where you would expect to find public Wi-Fi. Hackers set them up, usually with names that sound like you’d expect to find there. But rather than sending your information directly to the destination site, it is siphoned off. As a result, your data is stolen by this man-in-the-middle attack.
One way to avoid this is to use a VPN when you’re away from Wi-Fi networks you can trust. These provide data encryption to prevent anyone from seeing your information. You can learn more about this in our How to Use a VPN on iPhone guide. Also read: Are VPNs safe to use on an iPhone.
Apple has also included a wide range of ways to keep your device secure and it’s worth using them all to prevent anyone from accessing your data. These include recommending strong passwords – or even better using PassKeys and two-factor authentication. You can read other tips recommended by Apple when it comes to using iPhone’s built-in security features.
Apple is also reasonably quick to respond to security vulnerabilities when they are discovered, with security updates pushed to iPhones in a way that involves minimal user input. If you want to make sure such updates happen immediately, go to Settings > General > Software Update > Automatic Updates and make sure Security Responses and System Files is selected. Otherwise, don’t delay when a security update needs to be installed.
So even though your iPhone is generally safe from viruses, this means that attacks are more often directed at the user in an attempt to trick you into leaking data. With that in mind, be careful: if a friend messages you that they’re in trouble, call them before blindly sending money. If the bank is about to close your account, find the number officially listed and call them rather than relying on the information provided in an urgent message.
Be wise. Take your time. Be careful.
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