Starting with the 2018 MacBook Pro and MacBook Air, with a T2 chip, remove the microphone physically when the lid is down. Now with the arrival of the new iPad Pro, this feature is reaching iOS / iPadOS devices for the first time.
Physical connection, or system-level software
The move introduced by Apple in 2018, and so far available on the latest laptops, is designed to make hardware compromise. What does that mean? The connection is physical, it does not depend on any software that can be used or fail. With this new functionality Apple ensures that any iPad we use for a legal case or MFi (Made for iPad) disconnects all of its microphone when we close the "cover".
It is important to emphasize the need for a legal case or approved by Apple. Of course Apple uses many of the other magistrates working on the iPad and in various cases to make this work, for this reason, the company's own cases or those produced under its guidelines, and receiving MFi certification, are able to implement this function.
At this rate it is found that no software, however many rights you have in the system, including kernel level privileges, can access information from the microphone when we don't want to. In support terms Apple describes this new security step with the following conditions:
IPad models from 2020 also include a hardware microphone prediction. When an MFI compatible case (including one sold by Apple) is plugged into the iPad and locked, the microphone is disconnected from Hardware, to protect the microphone audio data from any software, or has root or core rights to iPadOS or -firmware may be allowed.
It should be noted that, therefore, the performance of "Oo Siri" is no longer available on an iPad with a screen covered by the case. Something, on the other hand, makes sense, because most of our assistant's responses require us to see the details on the screen.
This is one of the many functions that Apple makes available to maintain the security of our data. Without a doubt, all are welcome.
