WORRIED that an app is secretly listening to you through your microphone?
Chances are that you’re probably not being spied on – but there’s a very easy way to check.
The SunGo into your Settings app and look for the App Privacy Report[/caption]
There’s a special scanner that you can set up so you iPhone will show you a list of every time any app tunes into your microphone.
Of course your iPhone will show an orange dot at the top of the screen whenever the microphone is active.
But that’s easy to miss – you can’t spend your whole life looking out for orange dots.
So instead, it’s important to switch on the iPhone’s little-known privacy dossier, which you can check at any time.
IPHONE APP SCANNER – SET IT UP NOW
Your iPhone has a feature called the App Privacy Report.
It’s switched off by default, so you’ll need to turn it on.
And once it’s active, it’ll track how often apps are accessing your data – including your iPhone’s camera, microphone, and even location.
You’ll be able to check up on every time this happens, with details on the app that did it.
On top of that, you can see exact timestamps for when the microphone was accessed.
So you can very easily tell if an app is doing something untoward.
Sometimes apps will need your microphone, like if you’re recording a voice note in WhatsApp, or making a phone call.
But if a strange or suspicious app is regularly accessing your microphone and you can’t work out why, it might be time to delete it.
The problem with App Privacy Report is that it’s switched off, so it won’t log any data until you turn it on.
So it’s important to switch it on as soon as possible, so your iPhone can begin logging any snooping attempts.
The SunOnce you turn on the App Privacy Report, it’ll start tracking app activity[/caption]
HOW TO TURN IT ON
First, you’ll need to make sure that your iPhone is running iOS 15.2 or later.
We’re now on versions of iOS 18, so it probably is – but you can check by going to Settings > General > Software Update.
Then go to Settings > Privacy & Security > App Privacy Report, and toggle the feature on.
“App Privacy Report starts gathering information only after you turn it on, so it may take a little time for details to appear,” Apple explains.
The SunYou can see exactly which sensors or data each app is accessing[/caption]
“You’ll see more info as you continue using apps on your device.
“The data in your App Privacy Report is encrypted and stored only on your device.”
You can always turn the App Privacy Report off, but be warned: this will also wipe any of its data from your iPhone.
So if you turn it back on again later, you’ll be starting afresh.
WHY IS APPLE ACCESSING YOUR SENSORS?
Worried about Apple apps accessing your data? Here’s the official explanation from the tech giant…
“Apple apps use Contacts data in various ways on your device to provide features to you,” Apple explains.
“For example, Apple TV, Apple Music, Apple Podcasts, Fitness, and Apple Books use your Me card from Contacts to display your profile photo in those apps.
“Notes, Reminders, and Messages personalize your experience on each device with names from your Contacts.
“Camera and Photos use Contacts to identify people in photos for albums, Memories, and other features that are personalized on your device.
“Fitness and Health use Contacts to enable sharing features.
“Calendar uses Contacts to display birthdays.
“Safari uses Contacts to offer to complete forms using AutoFill.
“In these cases, contact names and photos are kept on your device and aren’t sent to Apple.”
Picture Credit: The Sun / Apple
Once your App Privacy Report is populated, you’ll see a list of apps that have recently accessed data or a sensor.
Then you can click on that app to see what it accessed.
So if it tuned into your microphone, tap the microphone button and you’ll be shown a list of the times the sensor was activated by the app.
This will reveal exactly when your microphone was in use.
The SunA list of timestamps will show the times when a specific sensor – like your iPhone’s microphone – was activated[/caption]
It’s not just your sensors that the App Privacy Report tracks either.
You’ll also be able to see internet domains that have been contacted by the apps you’re using.
This can potentially reveal where your data is being sent.
It’s worth checking your App Privacy Report regularly to make sure that there’s nothing dodgy going on.
AppleYour iPhone makes it very easy to tell if a rogue app is spying on you[/caption]