Is it possible to hack an iPhone? Here's What You Should Know (2021)

Are you confident that your device is protected by Apple? Yes, they cost an order of magnitude more than simple Android smartphones. It is this factor that suggests that in the iOS operating system, things are much better with security. In this OS, updates arrive frequently and bugs are quickly fixed. But in reality, these users have plenty of troubles too. Today we will tell you all the options on how to hack an iPhone and how these devices are actually “protected”.

Vulnerability detection statistics

The CVEDetails portal provides data on Android and iOS vulnerabilities during the existence of these operating systems:

• Android – 1532
• iOS - 1349

Yes, there is really nothing to be happy about. But starting in 2022, Apple began to improve the situation, their indicator was 3 times lower. This is not just a stone, but a brick in the Android garden. At that time, iPhone users could rest easy knowing that some kind of hole would not be found in their smartphones again.

Considering that Android devices have bugs in Qualcomm, Mediatek, Nvidia drivers and firmware, and the list of iOS only includes holes in the system itself, the picture looks more sad.

Instructions from the Vault 7 archive

An array of Vault 7 documents was published by the Wikileaks project in March 2022. It contained instructions for hacking smartphones and other devices allegedly used by the CIA.

It is known that the archive contained at least 14 exploits for iOS, as well as tools for hacking other systems. A significant portion of the exploits used zero-day vulnerabilities that were known only to hackers and had not yet been patched.

After publication, Apple announced that it had closed all the holes that were exploited by intelligence agencies. True, she did not specify when.

Jailbreak as proof of vulnerabilities

Many users regularly argue about the need to jailbreak their iPhone. Some believe he is long dead. But the fact is that as long as specialists can create a jailbreak for new firmware, there are many bugs and vulnerabilities in the system.

The jailbreak itself opens access to the file system and provides users with root rights at a technical level. Thus, the user receives a full range of control rights over the device, bypassing all iOS security features.

The first version of the iPhone operating system was hacked 11 days from the release date. The second firmware lasted 35 days, 6 days - it was opened on the day of release.

For hacking version 11 of the operating system, hackers earned around $195,000.

Face ID, which is wrong too often

Of course, Face ID is more a part of the iPhone X than iOS. But since the biometric identification system is directly related to security, we cannot help but talk about it.

Before the start of iPhone X sales, users gave the new system a huge amount of trust. But they were wrong. Of course: Apple said that Face ID will at least distinguish between twins, but the first tests showed the opposite.

Face ID often does not distinguish between children and parents. And one resident of China even had to return her iPhone X to the store twice, because the smartphone constantly confused her with a colleague. A stubborn girl.

Moreover, due to the nature of iOS, developers have unlimited access to digital impressions of faces created by Face ID. Apple has virtually no regulation of how third parties work with this data.

MeasureKit app developer Rinat Khanov showed what information about facial micromovements is available to iOS apps thanks to Face ID: It seems that Dr. Lai is already out of work.

And in general, there are no problems with Face ID. Here's everything you need to know before purchasing.

How to Hack an iPhone Using Escrow Keys

Using a deposited key to unlock the display is not possible; these keys are only needed in the synchronization option with iTunes and for backup. In this case, our goal is to force our smartphone to backup to PC and extract information from there.

First, it’s worth understanding the types of backups. The most popular is in the Cloud. Few people use the method of saving to local storage. Most users have never made a local backup in iTunes, which means the copy will not be password protected. Such copies are stored unencrypted. If the user nevertheless password-protected his copy, then the remaining backups will be encrypted with this password. In this case, most data will be encrypted using a password, including keychain data.

Therefore, we strongly recommend that you set at least a temporary password for the copy. If Elcomsoft iOS Forensic Toolkit was used when removing the backup, the program automatically sets a temporary password - 123.

Important! It is also worth considering that changing or removing the password occurs only after entering the currently set one. Otherwise, only the reset method will help, which will lead to complete loss of all information.

What happens if someone finds out your passcode in iOS 11?

If someone picks up or spies the combination, then it’s a lost cause. For example, previously the backup password was stored in iTunes and belonged directly to the device. It allowed you to recover data on any computer.

You can now reset your backup password if you know the device passcode. You can delete a password code in several swipes: in the “Settings” - “General” - “Reset” section. After setting a new password, you will also receive a backup copy.

Entering the passcode in iOS 11 confirms that the Apple ID is reset. This means that it makes it possible to remotely block a device or bypass iCloud blocking, gain access to all data and change the verified phone number.

With a passcode, you can even turn off Find My iPhone. It also gives access to a bunch of passwords, call logs, photos, geolocation, location data, browser history, and the original password of the smartphone.

But they wanted what was best.

How to Unlock iPhone Using Recovery Mode

This method will come in handy if you only know the Apple ID of your smartphone and the password to which the device is assigned in the iCloud menu. If you want to try to restore a locked iPhone without this information and it is locked using the “find phone” function, you will turn your smartphone into a brick.

1. Turn off the smartphone.
2. We connect it to the computer.
3. You need to select Recovery mode in the menu that opens.
4. Turn on iTunes, click OK and Restore iPhone.
5. You may receive a message about auto-checking for updates. Select Check.
6. Click Restore and update in the next message. A warning will appear indicating that all data will be deleted from the smartphone.
7. Click on the desired firmware version and agree to the license, wait for the download.

Important! If the firmware is prepared in advance, then you need to press the iPhone restore button simultaneously with the Shift key, then you can specify the directory where you downloaded the firmware.

Spyzie is the best iPhone hacking tool

If you have ever tried to spy on an iPhone device before, then you must have heard about this amazing program. This app is an "all in one place" app. Hearing the name Spyzie, you might think that it is just a program designed for spying, but this is far from the case. Spyzie has many features. Undoubtedly, the application will help you track the device you need, but do not forget that it is also the best hacking tool that can currently be found on the open market. It can be used not only for iPhone but also for various android devices considered as the most secure smartphones from popular brands like Samsung, HTC, Huawei, Google Nexus, Sony, LG, Lenovo and many more.

Spyzie also gives you the ability to view your phone's contact list or even download them, view media files, and check messages, including messages from third-party apps like WhatsApp. The program also has a device location tracking feature to know where the device is or track a stolen phone. Numerous functions and a friendly interface have made the utility the most popular among its analogues.

How to unlock iphone using itunes with previous sync

It's no secret that an incorrect password entered 10 times will lock your iPhone. Same thing with an incorrect fingerprint. During blocking, all personal data, contacts, passwords and photos will be deleted from it. To avoid losing important data, we strongly recommend that you perform a backup.

In order to unblock an iPhone via iTunes, we will need a personal computer.

1. We connect our device to the PC using a cable.
2. Turn on the iTunes program.
3. We reboot the smartphone.
4. Press and hold the side button until the recovery screen appears.
5. In different models, the buttons for calling up the recovery menu may differ, please keep this in mind.
6. In the menu that opens, select Restore phone.
7. We configure the turned on smartphone from scratch.

Case in point: San Bernardino shooter's smartphone incident

In 2016, the FBI came into possession of an iPhone 5c that belonged to the San Bernardino shooter. On December 21, 2015, two attackers shot 14 people and injured 24 more.

The terrorists were shot. But to establish the circumstances of the attack, data from the smartphone was needed.

Let us remind you: the iPhone 5c does not have a fingerprint scanner. All you had to do was hack the password.

Apple officially refused to unlock the iPhone 5c and argued with the FBI for a long time. As a result, the bureau turned to specialists from the Israeli company Cellebrite. They hacked the smartphone and gave Apple a report on the vulnerability that allowed them to do this.

But at the same time, both the case with the shooter and the publication of documents from the Vault 7 archive showed, for example, that the CIA, NSA, FBI and other agencies do not have access to the password database of all owners of Apple smartphones. So this is a double-edged sword - we believe that an Android smartphone would be hacked faster and without unnecessary noise.

How to unlock an iPhone by resetting the failed attempt counter

If you forgot your iPhone alone with your kids, don't be surprised that one day it will be locked. To prevent it from becoming a piece of useless hardware, we will reset the counter of incorrect attempts. This is done in three steps.

1. We connect the iPhone to a personal computer.
2. Select Synchronize with (name of our smartphone) in the Devices menu.
3. As soon as synchronization begins, we interrupt the process by clicking the cross in the upper corner of iTunes.

Deleting contacts in case of emergency

1. Open the Health app and tap your profile picture.
2. Open the “Medical Card” section.
3. Click Edit and scroll to the Emergency Contacts section.
4. Tap the delete button next to the contact, then tap Delete.
5. Click the "Done" button to save your changes.

How to unlock iPhone by installing new firmware

This method will destroy all data so that you can install a new firmware version. The issue is resolved by DFU mode. In version 6 of the iPhone, this menu can be accessed by pressing the Home and Power buttons simultaneously for 10 seconds. In the case of iPhone 7. Need to:

1. Connect your smartphone to iTunes.
2. Press and hold the Volume Down and Power buttons at the same time
3. Hold until the smartphone turns off.
4. Release the power button
5. DFU mode will start
6. We agree to let your smartphone check for updates.
7. A message will appear stating that the device is in recovery mode, confirm
8. Install the previously downloaded firmware.

What about iPhone spyware?

One of the common tools that facilitate iPhone hacking is so-called spyware. Such applications are based on human paranoia and fear. Users are encouraged to install surveillance software on their devices. Parents and suspicious spouses are interested in applications, wanting to track other people's activity on the iPhone.

Such applications cannot run on the standard version of iOS, so they require jailbreaking the device. This opens the iPhone up to further manipulation, leading to security issues and potentially application compatibility issues - some programs refuse to run on jailbroken devices.

After jailbreaking a device and installing monitoring services, people can monitor individual devices through a web dashboard. This will allow an attacker to see every text message sent, information about all calls made and received, and even view new photos or videos taken by the camera.

Such applications will not work on the latest iPhones and on some devices with iOS 14, for which only a tethered jailbreak is available (disappears after the smartphone is rebooted). The thing is that Apple makes it very difficult to jailbreak its latest devices, so for them with iOS 14 installed, the threats are small.

However, this will not always be the case. With every major jailbreak update, jailbreak software manufacturers start marketing again. But spying on a loved one is not only questionable from an ethical point of view, it is also illegal. Hacking someone else's device also exposes it to the risk of malware. This will also void any warranty the device may have.

♥ ON TOPIC: Viruses on iPhone: Is it possible to infect an Apple smartphone?

How to unlock an iPhone using a special program only after Jailbreak?

Using this utility, the user can reset their iPhone to factory settings, and this reset does not depend on the protection method. 4uKey software can bypass four and six-digit codes, TouchID or FaceID, and then download the most current version of the operating system (firmware). But it is worth remembering that all programs, all audio content, photos and other personal data will be deleted from your smartphone.

Unlocking your iPhone using this method will take no more than ten minutes.

1. First, let's download and install the program on our personal computer or laptop.
2. Let's launch it from the desktop and connect the Apple device using the Lightning cable.
3. We give our consent to the utility downloading the latest version of the firmware file.
4. Click the Download button.
5. As soon as the file is downloaded, we give permission to start unlocking.
6. We are waiting for the unlocking process to complete. All this time the device must be connected to the computer.

Important! The process is complete, now you need to restore the iPhone backup file. If it is not there, then you need to set up your smartphone, as if you were buying a new device.

Ending a call

If the countdown was started accidentally, it can be cancelled. On iPhone 8 or later, release the Side button and Volume button. On iPhone 7 or earlier, press the Stop button, and then select the Stop Call option.

If you start calling 911 by accident, you can stop the call. Click and confirm that you want to stop the call.

How to reset your Apple ID password

To begin, let's do the following:

• Open the My Apple ID page and go to the Reset Password link.
• Enter the accounts of our Apple ID and click Next. If for some reason you have forgotten your data, there is a Forgot Apple ID link.

After entering your password, we will have three options for resetting passwords.

1. We answer security questions. If you remember the information you entered during registration, you will need to answer these questions from the information that was provided when registering your account.
2. Authentication via email. A password reset email will be sent to your email address specified when creating your account. Follow the instructions in the letter.
3. Two-step verification of credentials. This item should have been configured initially; it is perfectly used when you need to reset your password. For it to be correct you will need: a recovery key + a trusted smartphone or other Apple device.

Let's summarize the above information. The latest versions of iOS are really well protected and secure. But this does not mean that there are absolutely no bugs in this operating system. There are more than enough of them.

If all else fails

When none of the methods discussed above helped, you can use special programs to unlock your iPhone. But, you should approach these methods with caution, carefully check the resources, and understand that most of them can further harm the mobile device.

The most popular iPhone unlocking utility is 4uKey. The program helps if the phone owner has forgotten the password. More details in the video:

If you bought a new iPhone and have all the supporting documents, it is better to contact an authorized Apple center or write an email directly to the manufacturer.

3/5 — (3 votes)

Disabling Auto Call

When you try to make an emergency call with Auto Call turned on, iPhone starts a countdown and beeps. Once the countdown completes, iPhone automatically calls emergency services.

To change this setting, follow these steps:

1. Open the Settings app on your iPhone.
2. Select "Emergency SOS".
3. Enable or disable auto call.

If you disable this setting, you can still use the Emergency SOS slider to make a call.

Unlock via R Sim

R-Sim is a chip that literally “deceives” the gadget. With its help, you can inexpensively restore the functionality of the unit. The only problem is the expiration date of the chip. No one can answer the question for sure when the gadget will fail again. If you want to try this method, use the following instructions:

• Insert R-sim into the SIM card slot of the device.
• Select the settings appropriate for your model on the screen, and then find your cellular operator in the list. If not available, enter the operator's IMSI code. After waiting, the device will start working as before.