Top 10 Ways to Keep Your iPhone Secure from Hackers

Apple is increasingly implementing layers of security to prevent devices from being hacked. This can reduce the incidence of hacking, but the methods hackers use keep evolving. An iPhone may be safer than an Android phone, but it is still possible for it to be hacked. You need to know how to keep it secure. If your device is compromised, all your sensitive information could be accessed by a hacker.

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Understanding the threat landscape is the first step toward protecting yourself effectively. Cybercriminals are continuously developing more sophisticated techniques, targeting iPhone users through social engineering, rogue apps, and network vulnerabilities. This article walks through ten practical, actionable steps you can take right now to significantly reduce your exposure and keep your personal data safe.

1. Don’t Fall for Phishing Scams

A phishing scam is one of the most common methods attackers use to trick someone into revealing sensitive personal information. A phishing email may appear to come from a legitimate source, such as a company you trust or a government agency. Clicking on a link or downloading an attachment could redirect you to a fake website or inject malware directly onto your phone.

Phishing has grown more sophisticated since 2024, with attackers now using AI-generated messages that closely mimic real brand communications, including tone, logos, and formatting. Smishing, which is phishing conducted via SMS, has also surged, targeting iPhone users through fake delivery notifications and banking alerts. Staying informed about current scam formats is just as important as staying cautious to avoid situations where you unknowingly get your iPhone hacked.

Here are the most common phishing red flags to watch out for:

Urgency Language: Messages that pressure you to act immediately, such as “your account will be suspended,” are designed to override your critical thinking and push you into clicking without verifying.
Mismatched Sender Addresses: The display name may say “Apple Support,” but the actual email domain could be entirely unrelated, a classic indicator of a spoofed sender.
Unexpected Attachments: Any attachment you did not specifically request should be treated as suspicious, regardless of how legitimate the sender appears.
Lookalike URLs: Hovering over or long-pressing a link often reveals a URL that closely resembles a legitimate site but contains subtle misspellings or extra characters.

Why It Matters: In 2023, a widespread smishing campaign targeted iPhone users with fake Apple ID suspension texts. Thousands of users clicked the embedded link, entered their credentials on a convincing fake Apple login page, and unknowingly handed attackers full access to their iCloud accounts, including photos, contacts, and payment information.

2. Never Jailbreak Your Device

Jailbreaking your iPhone removes the software restrictions Apple has built into its operating system, giving you access to apps and features unavailable through official channels. While this might seem appealing, it fundamentally undermines the security architecture that makes iPhone one of the most secure consumer devices available. Apps sourced from unlicensed third-party stores are not vetted against Apple’s rigorous security standards.

Since iOS 16 and beyond, Apple has introduced additional kernel-level protections and Lockdown Mode that are rendered ineffective on jailbroken devices. Security researchers have consistently shown that jailbroken phones are significantly more vulnerable to zero-day exploits. The short-term customisation benefit rarely justifies the long-term security exposure.

Jailbreaking your iPhone introduces specific risks that most users underestimate:

Disabled System Integrity Protections: Apple’s Secure Enclave and sandboxing features, which isolate apps from accessing each other’s data, are bypassed on jailbroken devices, creating serious data leakage risks.
Unvetted App Sources: Third-party app repositories have no consistent security review process, meaning malware can be bundled with otherwise functional apps without your knowledge.
Voided Warranty and Updates: Jailbreaking voids your Apple warranty and can prevent you from installing official iOS updates, leaving known vulnerabilities permanently unpatched.

Why It Matters: In 2024, security researchers discovered a trojanised version of a popular productivity app being distributed through a third-party jailbreak repository. Users who installed it unknowingly granted attackers persistent access to their microphone and location data for weeks before the malware was identified.

3. Use a Strong Password

Using a strong alphanumeric password is one of the most fundamental steps in protecting your iPhone. Six-digit passcodes have been the default on Apple devices for several years, but they offer limited protection against determined attackers using automated guessing tools. If you back up your phone to iCloud, a cracked password gives an attacker access to your entire backup without ever touching your physical device.

Using a longer, complex passphrase and changing it regularly adds a meaningful layer of security. Apple’s iCloud Keychain can generate and store secure, unique passwords across all your devices, removing the burden of memorization entirely. Enabling this feature is a simple action with a significant security payoff.

Consider these best practices when creating and managing your iPhone password:

Avoid Personal Information: Passwords based on birthdays, names, or addresses are among the first combinations attackers try, making them highly predictable and easy to crack.
Use Alphanumeric Combinations: A password that combines upper and lowercase letters, numbers, and symbols is exponentially harder to brute-force than a standard six-digit PIN.
Enable Erase Data: iPhone has a built-in setting that wipes the device after ten consecutive failed passcode attempts, adding a critical safeguard if your phone is stolen.
Rotate Passwords Periodically: Changing your password every few months reduces the window of exposure if your credentials are ever leaked in a data breach you are unaware of.

Why It Matters: In 2023, a woman in Chicago had her iPhone passcode observed by a thief in a bar before the device was stolen. Because she used a simple six-digit code, the thief bypassed Face ID, changed her Apple ID password within minutes, and locked her out of her own account, accessing her banking apps and personal photos in the process.

4. Enable Two-Factor Authentication

Two-factor authentication (2FA) adds a critical second layer of protection beyond your password alone. When you sign in to your Apple ID on a new device, a verification code is sent to a trusted device you already own. Without physical access to that trusted device, an attacker who has your password still cannot gain entry. This single step closes one of the most commonly exploited vulnerabilities in account security.

Apple’s implementation of 2FA has become more robust, with trusted phone number verification and device-based approval notifications working in tandem. As of iOS 17 and later, Apple also introduced enhanced sign-in monitoring that flags unusual login attempts and geographic anomalies in real time. Enabling 2FA is now considered a baseline security requirement, not an optional extra.

These are the key benefits 2FA provides across your Apple ecosystem:

Account Lockout Prevention: Even if your password is exposed in a third-party data breach, 2FA ensures the attacker cannot access your Apple ID without the secondary verification step.
Real-Time Login Alerts: Every new sign-in attempt triggers a notification on your trusted devices, giving you immediate awareness of any unauthorised access attempts.
Cross-Device Protection: 2FA protects not just your iPhone but your entire Apple ecosystem, including iCloud, the App Store, Apple Pay, and iMessage.

Why It Matters: A freelance designer in London discovered an alert on her iPhone indicating someone was attempting to sign in to her Apple ID from a location in Eastern Europe. Because 2FA was enabled, the attacker was blocked despite having her correct password, which had been exposed in a separate website data breach months earlier.

5. Limit App Permissions to Only What’s Necessary

Apps frequently request access to your location, camera, microphone, contacts, and more, often requesting far more than they functionally need. Granting these permissions without scrutiny can expose sensitive personal data to third-party developers, some of whom may share or sell that data. You retain full control over which permissions each app holds, and reviewing them regularly is a straightforward habit worth developing.

With iOS 17 and later updates, Apple introduced more granular permission controls, including one-time location access and the ability to share only selected photos rather than your entire library. The App Privacy Report feature, available in Settings, now lets you see exactly how frequently each app accesses your data in the background. Using this report regularly gives you a clear picture of which apps may be overreaching.

Follow these steps to review and manage your app permissions effectively:

Audit Permissions Regularly: Go to Settings, scroll to any app, and review what it has been granted. Revoke any permissions that are not essential to the app’s core function.
Use One-Time Location Access: For apps that only occasionally need your location, choosing the one-time option prevents continuous background tracking without your knowledge.
Monitor Microphone and Camera Access: iOS displays an orange or green indicator dot whenever an app is actively using your microphone or camera, a quick visual cue for potential misuse.
Check the App Privacy Report: This built-in tool shows how often apps access sensitive data and which third-party domains they contact, helping you spot unusually invasive behaviour.

Why It Matters: A 2024 investigation by a consumer privacy group found that several popular free flashlight and utility apps available on the App Store were accessing users’ precise location data dozens of times per day, despite having no functional need for it. Users who regularly audited their permissions caught and revoked this access; those who did not had their location data quietly aggregated and sold to advertising brokers.

6. Update Your iOS Frequently

Apple regularly issues iOS updates that address security vulnerabilities, close exploitable loopholes, and introduce new protective features. Delaying these updates even by a few days can leave your device exposed to known threats that Apple has already patched. Cybercriminals actively monitor public disclosures of iOS vulnerabilities and move quickly to exploit unpatched devices before users update.

In recent years, Apple has increased the frequency of rapid security response updates, which are smaller, targeted patches that can be installed without a full iOS upgrade. These were introduced in iOS 16.4.1 and are designed to deliver critical fixes faster than the traditional update cycle allows. Enabling automatic updates ensures you benefit from these protections as soon as they become available.

Keep your device updated by following these best practices:

Enable Automatic Updates: Go to Settings, then General, then Software Update, and toggle on Automatic Updates to ensure both downloads and installations happen without manual intervention.
Install Rapid Security Responses Promptly: These smaller patches address actively exploited vulnerabilities and should be applied immediately when prompted, as they are distinct from regular iOS updates.
Update Apps as Well as iOS: App updates frequently contain security patches for third-party vulnerabilities that could be exploited independently of the iOS system itself.
Review Update Notes: Apple’s release notes for each update list security fixes, giving you visibility into what threats have been addressed and how serious they were.

Why It Matters: In 2023, Apple issued an emergency patch for a zero-click vulnerability in iMessage that required no user interaction to exploit. iPhones running the unpatched version could be silently compromised simply by receiving a specially crafted message. Users who had automatic updates enabled received the patch within hours; those who had disabled updates remained vulnerable for weeks.

7. Don’t Use Unsecured Wi-Fi Networks

Using public Wi-Fi to pay bills, log in to accounts, or conduct any private activity opens you up to a range of cyber threats. Attackers on the same network can use man-in-the-middle techniques to intercept unencrypted data passing between your iPhone and the internet. Even networks that appear legitimate, such as those in cafes or airports, can be spoofed by attackers operating a rogue hotspot with a convincing name.

A Virtual Private Network (VPN) encrypts all internet traffic from your device through a secure tunnel before it reaches its destination, rendering intercepted data unreadable. Since 2024, several high-quality VPN providers have introduced dedicated iOS apps with automatic activation when connecting to unknown networks. This removes the need to remember to enable your VPN manually every time you join a public network.

Here are the most important precautions to take on public Wi-Fi:

Use a Reputable VPN: Choose a VPN provider with a verified no-logs policy and strong encryption standards, ensuring your activity remains private even from the VPN provider itself.
Avoid Accessing Sensitive Accounts: Refrain from logging in to banking, email, or health apps on public networks, even with a VPN, unless necessary.
Turn Off Auto-Join for Public Networks: Go to Settings, then Wi-Fi, and disable the auto-join feature for known public networks to prevent your phone from connecting without your explicit approval.
Use Mobile Data When in Doubt: Your cellular data connection is significantly more secure than most public Wi-Fi networks and should be your default for sensitive tasks when away from a trusted network.

Why It Matters: At a major international airport in 2024, security researchers set up a demonstration rogue Wi-Fi hotspot using the name of the airport’s legitimate network. Within 30 minutes, dozens of travellers had automatically connected, allowing the researchers to observe unencrypted login attempts to email and social media accounts in real time.

8. Be Wary of Charging Your iPhone Using Public USB Ports

Public charging stations are convenient, but their security cannot be guaranteed. A practice known as juice jacking involves attackers compromising public USB ports or cables to either transfer malware to connected devices or silently harvest data. The FBI issued formal warnings about this threat as recently as 2023, advising the public to avoid public USB charging stations entirely where possible.

Apple’s iOS does include a prompt asking whether you trust a connected device, but this protection can be circumvented on devices with outdated software or through social engineering. The safest approach is to rely on your own charging equipment and avoid public USB infrastructure altogether. Small, lightweight power banks have become affordable and practical solutions for staying charged without the risk.

Take these steps to protect yourself from charging-related threats:

Carry a Personal Power Bank: A compact portable battery eliminates your dependence on public charging infrastructure entirely, keeping you powered without exposing your device to unknown hardware.
Use a USB Data Blocker: These inexpensive accessories plug into a USB cable before connecting to a public port, physically blocking the data transfer pins while still allowing power to flow through.
Use AC Wall Outlets Instead: If a wall outlet is available, using your own charging brick and cable eliminates the risk entirely, as power outlets do not transmit data.
Decline Trust Prompts from Unknown Sources: If your iPhone displays a “Trust This Computer” prompt when plugging in to charge, always select “Don’t Trust” unless you are connected to your own verified device.

Why It Matters: In 2023, a business traveller in Los Angeles used a USB charging port at an airport kiosk and later discovered that her iPhone had been enrolled in a mobile device management profile without her knowledge. The profile granted remote administrators the ability to push apps, track location, and monitor web traffic until she identified and removed it during a routine security check.

9. Enable the Find My iPhone Feature

If your iPhone is lost or stolen, the Find My feature allows you to locate, lock, or remotely wipe your device using any other Apple device or via iCloud.com. Activating this feature takes less than a minute but provides a critical layer of recovery and data protection in the event of loss or theft. Without it, a stolen iPhone is significantly harder to recover and easier for a thief to exploit.

Apple introduced Stolen Device Protection in iOS 17.3, which adds biometric authentication requirements before sensitive actions can be taken when your iPhone is away from familiar locations. This means a thief who knows your passcode still cannot change your Apple ID password or disable the Find My feature without your Face ID or Touch ID approval and a mandatory one-hour security delay. Enabling both features together provides the strongest available protection against device theft.

Follow these steps to erase data from a lost or stolen iPhone remotely:

Open the Find My app on another Apple device or visit iCloud.com.
Select the Devices tab at the bottom of the screen.
Tap your iPhone name from the list of your registered devices.
Scroll to the bottom and tap Erase This Device.
Follow any on-screen prompts to confirm the remote wipe.

Why It Matters: A student in Melbourne had her iPhone stolen from her bag during a commute in 2024. Using Find My on her iPad, she tracked the device to a suburb across the city and shared the location with police, who recovered it within two hours. Because she had also enabled Stolen Device Protection, the thief had been unable to disable tracking or access her Apple Pay despite knowing her passcode.

10. Disable Siri on the Lock Screen

Siri is a powerful digital assistant, but leaving it accessible from the lock screen creates a potential entry point for anyone who picks up your phone. Without needing your passcode, someone could use Siri to read messages, make calls, send emails, or access personal information, depending on your permission settings. Disabling Siri on the lock screen ensures that no one can interact with your device’s data without first authenticating.

This risk became more widely recognised following security research that demonstrated how Siri could be manipulated to leak calendar events, contact details, and app data from a locked iPhone. With iOS 18, Siri’s capabilities have expanded further, making lock screen access an even more significant exposure point. Turning this setting off is a simple but often-overlooked step in a comprehensive iPhone security setup.

Follow these steps to disable Siri on your lock screen:

Go to Settings, then Face ID and Passcode (or Touch ID and Passcode on older models).
Enter your passcode when prompted.
Scroll down to the “Allow Access When Locked” section.
Toggle off Siri to prevent access from the lock screen.

Here are additional Siri security settings worth reviewing alongside this change:

Disable Hey Siri in Public Environments: Siri can be triggered by voice when your phone is nearby, potentially responding to commands from someone other than you in a crowded space.
Review Siri App Permissions: Go to Settings, then Siri and Search, and review which apps Siri can access. Restrict access for any app containing sensitive data you would not want surfaced on the lock screen.
Disable Siri Suggestions on Lock Screen: Siri Suggestions can surface recent contacts, apps, and messages without requiring authentication, which can expose personal information to casual observers.

Why It Matters: In 2022, a security researcher demonstrated live at a conference that Siri could be used on a locked iPhone to read out recent WhatsApp notifications and add events to a target’s calendar, all without entering a passcode. Audience members who tested their own devices discovered many had never changed this default setting, highlighting just how easily a basic configuration oversight becomes an exploitable vulnerability.

Conclusion

Protecting your iPhone requires more than trusting Apple’s built-in defences. Hackers continuously refine their techniques, targeting users through phishing, rogue networks, compromised charging stations, and app permissions abuse. The ten steps covered in this article address the most significant real-world vulnerabilities, and implementing even a handful of them will substantially raise the barrier against opportunistic and targeted attacks alike.

Security is not a one-time task but an ongoing practice that evolves alongside the threat landscape. Review your settings periodically, stay informed about new iOS security features, and treat any unusual behaviour on your device as a signal worth investigating. Small, consistent actions today are the most effective protection against the increasingly sophisticated threats of tomorrow.

FAQs

How can I tell if my iPhone has been hacked?

Common signs include unexplained drops in battery life or performance, unfamiliar apps appearing on your device, and contacts reporting messages they received that you never sent. Higher-than-normal data usage and unexpected pop-ups are also indicators. If you notice any of these, run a security check, review installed apps, and consider changing your Apple ID password immediately.

What should I do immediately if my iPhone is hacked?

Change your Apple ID password and enable two-factor authentication right away if it is not already active. Delete any suspicious apps you do not recognise, and run a reputable mobile security tool to scan for malware. If the compromise appears severe, performing a full factory reset and restoring from a clean backup is the safest course of action.

Is it safe to use public Wi-Fi on an iPhone?

Public Wi-Fi carries inherent risks, including man-in-the-middle attacks and rogue hotspots designed to intercept your traffic. If you must use a public network, always activate a reputable VPN first and avoid logging in to sensitive accounts such as banking or email. Your mobile data connection is a safer alternative for anything involving personal or financial information.

Does Apple’s built-in security mean I don’t need to take extra precautions?

Apple’s security architecture is robust, but no system is completely immune to threats. Human behaviour, such as clicking phishing links or reusing weak passwords, remains the most commonly exploited vulnerability. Apple’s protections reduce your risk significantly, but they work best when combined with the individual security habits outlined in this article.

What is Stolen Device Protection, and should I enable it?

Stolen Device Protection is a feature introduced in iOS 17.3 that requires biometric authentication and enforces a one-hour security delay before sensitive account changes can be made when your iPhone is away from familiar locations. It is designed specifically to protect your data and Apple ID even if a thief knows your passcode. You should enable it immediately via Settings, then Face ID and Passcode.