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In the United States, the iPhone is the most popular individual smartphone on the market. Industry experts say that over half of the Americans with smartphones have iPhones; for teenagers, that number is over 80%. Given the prevalence of the iPhone, it’s no surprise that the device is a major target for hackers.
Apple releases frequent security upgrades to prevent malicious actors from taking control of one’s device. However, there are still occasional security concerns that arise. And if one isn’t careful, their data can be left exposed.
A New Jersey detective says he has methods to improve your iPhone security. But do they really work?
Can These Changes Prevent Your IPhone From Being Hacked?
TikTok user and New York/New Jersey-licensed private detective Dr. Brian Kelly (@ny_detective.professor) lays out a list of changes one can make to their iPhone in order to improve their security. His video has over 1.1 million views.
First, he explains that, in your Wi-Fi settings, you can hit the “i” icon, then click on “Private Wi-Fi Address.”
“If it says ‘fixed,’ that means you’re a sitting duck,” he states. “Take it off ‘fixed.’ A private Wi-Fi address needs to be set to ‘Rotating’ so it keeps the hacker guessing, and/or allows it to move and shift throughout the system.”
Next, he says that, if you have “Ask to join networks” turned on in your Wi-Fi settings, you should turn it off.
“That’s the initial steps, which allows hackers into your system,” he shares.
Finally, he recommends looking at your “AirPlay and Continuity” settings.
“Get it off ‘Automatic,’” he declares. “Put it on ‘Never’ or ‘Ask,’ preferably ‘Never.’ It’s an open segue for a hacker. Helps protect your iPhone from being attacked on a public network.”
Are These Tips True?
There are benefits to the tips provided by Dr. Kelly. However, whether such advice will actually prevent your iPhone from being hacked is debatable.
To start, switching one’s iPhone from ‘Fixed’ to ‘Rotating,’ which is available in iOS 18 onward, does not necessarily “keep the hacker guessing.”
As noted on the Apple website, when a phone connects to a Wi-Fi network, it uses something called a “MAC address” to identify itself. If it always uses the same MAC address, then people running the network—or hackers watching the network—can recognize that iPhone and track where it’s been or what networks it has connected to over time.
The “Private Wi-Fi Address” feature, or the “Rotating” feature, makes the iPhone use a different MAC address for each Wi-Fi network. That makes it harder for the iPhone to be tracked or for malicious actors to build a profile about the user.
In short, this makes one’s iPhone use more difficult to follow. But it does not necessarily make it more difficult for a hacker to gain access to the phone itself.
What About The Other Settings?
Next, Dr. Kelly says that one should turn off the “Ask to join networks” setting on one’s iPhone.
All this setting does is prompt the user about whether they’d like to join nearby Wi-Fi networks. Turning this feature off does not appear to have any noticeable security benefit. There are issues that can arise from using unsecured Wi-Fi networks. But one’s decision to connect to them has nothing to do with whether they are prompted to do so via the aforementioned setting.
Finally, Dr. Kelly’s suggestion that one turn off AirPlay and Continuity may have some security benefits. But it may also be annoying for users of Apple devices.
Essentially, AirPlay’s automatic continuity feature simply allows Apple devices to fluidly communicate with each other. For example, one can stream content from their iPhone to their Mac or mirror content from a MacBook to an iPad.
Leaving this setting on while on a public network may expose one to accidentally broadcasting their information to another device. However, barring the possibility that one accidentally does this, it does not appear to be an attack avenue for hackers.
Still, leaving one’s iPhone on “Ask” significantly reduces the risk of someone accidentally broadcasting their information to a malicious actor.
How To Keep Your iPhone Secure
There may be some changes one can make in settings to make their device less trackable. However, the best way to improve the security of one’s iPhone is simply to stay up-to-date with all of Apple’s updates.
Additionally, one can make sure all of their passcodes are strong, especially the one used to actually unlock their phone. And if one is concerned about vulnerabilities exposed via Wi-Fi, they can disable automatic connections to networks they don’t trust.
If one is particularly concerned about the safety of their device’s information, they can put their iPhone into “Lockdown Mode.” Though it should be noted that this mode sacrifices significant parts of the device’s usability.
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Commenters Share Their Thoughts
In the comments section, users offered their opinions on Dr. Kelly’s tips. Many noted the absurdity of the number of hoops one must go through to feel secure online.
“I am going back to a flip phone,” declared a user.
“I have no idea why I just trusted a complete stranger to fix the settings on my phone,” joked another.
“You could be a hacker telling me what to do but I felt compelled to do what you said,” laughed a third.
BroBible reached out to Dr. Kelly and Apple via email.