Why it matters to you
Think a locked iPhone is safe from prying eyes and ears? Think again. You’ll want to change your settings after reading what this Twitter user discovered.
If physical locks can be picked, it stands to reason that our digital locks can be broken, too. And sometimes, it doesn’t even take a mastermind hacker to access information protected by a password. In fact, iPhone owners may be horrified to find out that their trusty personal assistant is giving them up. That’s right — Siri, whom you’ve always trusted to help you out in a tight spot, may not be as loyal as you think.
A Twitter user recently discovered that even a locked iPhone can reveal many of your secrets — or at least quite a bit of your personal information. As @afronomics_ explained in a series of tweets, after she found a locked iPhone in a bathroom and tried to return it to its rightful owner, she found out just how much Siri was willing to divulge when it comes to her owner’s data.
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“I asked siri what’s my name,” @afronomics_ tweeted, “It pulled up her info. Cool. I asked Siri who do I call most. Pulled up her recent calls. Cool.” More like yikes.
it was that easy. all from a locked phone. I could've got directions to her car and her home. that shit scared me.
— uninterested hō (@afronomics_) February 20, 2017
And that’s not the only information Siri was willing to give up. The Twitter user was able to find her recent call log, her notifications, her first and last name, where she lived, and the location of her car. “It was that easy,” @afronomics_ wrote, noting that she could’ve asked for directions to the iPhone owner’s car and home. Truly a frightening thought.
I told the girl. she was shook. then I changed her settings for her so that couldn't happen.
— uninterested hō (@afronomics_) February 20, 2017
But don’t worry, friends. Not only was the iPhone returned to its rightful owner, but the finder also gave her a few tips on how to ensure that Siri wouldn’t be so loose-lipped. All you have to do is head over to Settings, navigate to Touch ID & Passcode, then under “Allow Access When Locked,” turn off Siri, Today’s View, and Notification View. Because you have enough to worry about on a daily basis without worrying about what Siri is telling strangers about you.