An Apple Watch bug let people eavesdrop on your iPhone, so Apple deactivated it (2024)

Apple

Apple discovered a bug that allowed people to use an Apple Watch to listen to conversations through another person's iPhone via the Watch's "Walkie-Talkie" feature. It was first reported to Apple through the company's website, which lets people submit bugs. Apple has disabled the feature until it can release a fix.

The Walkie-Talkie feature was introduced in watchOS 5, which rolled out last September.

"We were just made aware of a vulnerability related to the Walkie-Talkie app on the Apple Watch and have disabled the function as we quickly fix the issue," Apple told CNBC. "We apologize to our customers for the inconvenience and will restore the functionality as soon as possible."

Apple said that it is "not aware of any use of the vulnerability against a customer and specific conditions and sequences of events are required to exploit it." That means it's highly unlikely that it affected anyone.

"We take the security and privacy of our customers extremely seriously. We concluded that disabling the app was the right course of action as this bug could allow someone to listen through another customer's iPhone without consent."

A similar iPhone bug was found in January 2019, when a teenager discovered a FaceTime bug that allowed someone with an iPhone to place a call to another iPhone and listen through the microphone, even if the recipient hadn't answered the call. Apple quickly fixed that bug.

An Apple Watch bug let people eavesdrop on your iPhone, so Apple deactivated it (1)

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An Apple Watch bug let people eavesdrop on your iPhone, so Apple deactivated it (2024)

FAQs

Will my iPhone alert me if someone unlocks and opens the messages on my Apple Watch? ›

Notifications appear on your Apple Watch or iPhone, but not both.

Why does my iPhone not notify me of texts when wearing an Apple Watch? ›

And that is by design. If your iPhone screen is active, meaning you are using your phone, a text notifications will come to your phone. If you phone screen off (phone not in use) and you are wearing your watch, the notification will come to your watch, not your iPhone.

Does your Apple Watch drain your iPhone? ›

Leaving the iPhone in your bag or in your cart causes pairing disruption between your devices and this will trigger the constant search for a connection between your iPhone and Apple Watch, causing battery drain.

How do I stop my Apple Watch from talking to me? ›

Turn VoiceOver on or off

Open the Settings app on your Apple Watch. Go to Accessibility > VoiceOver, then turn on VoiceOver. To turn VoiceOver off, double-tap the VoiceOver button.

Will my iPhone tell me if someone is using my Apple Watch? ›

No, you will not get notified on your iPhone if someone else opens your Apple Watch that you left at home. That's why it requires a passcode to unlock the Watch. Does someone at home know the passcode to unlock it?

Can someone watch me through my iPhone? ›

Can someone hack your phone camera? Once spyware has infected a phone, it can be used to access all device features — including the camera. To prevent hackers spying on you, protect your iPhone with free iOS security, and set up a VPN to encrypt your internet connection.

What is mirror my iPhone on Apple Watch? ›

Apple Watch Mirroring allows you to see and control your Apple Watch screen from your paired iPhone. You can use touch or assistive features like Voice Control, Switch Control, and more on your iPhone to interact with Apple Watch. (Apple Watch Mirroring is available on Apple Watch Series 6 and later.)

Does my Apple Watch get notifications if I'm not wearing it? ›

Show Notifications on Wrist Down: By default, notifications don't appear on your Apple Watch when your wrist is down. Turn on this option to make notifications appear, even when your Apple Watch is turned away from you.

What does Apple Watch wrist detection do? ›

If Wrist Detection is off, you won't get Stand notifications, and your Apple Watch can't track your Stand progress. Background heart rate readings (like resting and walking rates) won't be taken if Wrist Detection is off. To check the setting, open the Watch app on your iPhone.

What drains Apple Watch the most? ›

The longer the display is on, the faster the battery drains. You don't want the screen to light up every time you reach for your coffee or use your hand to adjust your eyeglasses. It's wise to turn off "Wake Screen on Wrist Raise," especially if you do a lot of computer or lifting work.

What happens if I disconnect Apple Watch from iPhone? ›

Unpair your Apple Watch from your iPhone.

This erases the contents and removes Activation Lock (which prevents someone else from activating it). Do this if you plan to sell or give away your Apple Watch.

How do I turn off hearing on Apple Watch? ›

You can also open the Apple Watch app on your iPhone, tap My Watch, tap Sounds & Haptics, then turn on silent mode. Tip: When you get a notification, you can quickly mute your Apple Watch by resting the palm of your hand on the watch display for at least three seconds. You'll feel a tap to confirm that mute is on.

Is Hey Siri always listening? ›

For now, you can breathe a sigh of relief as Siri doesn't always listen to your conversations. In fact, voice assistants wait for a specific trigger phrase (such as “Hey Siri”) to start listening to you and recording your voice. Until an assistant like Siri hears it, it won't listen to you.

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