A nasty bug in iOS 11.3 will read lock screen notifications from your iPhone to anybody

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9to5Mac reported on a bug that reads out Apple lock screen notifications, even if you have previews off.

This bug doesn’t work for SMS and iMessages. However, it does for third-party apps like emails, Facebook Messenger, Slack, Discord, and several more. If prompted, Siri will read out whatever details are within the app without checking to make sure it’s the primary user.

The bug might be particularly concerning to iPhone X users, as there is a feature that hides notifications away from other users. The primary device user unlocks the phone and notifications with Face ID facial recognition software, which is an excellent feature for security and privacy purposes. However, with the bug within iOS 11.3, anybody can ask Siri things like “read my last note” or “read my last email” without any security blocks. To make matters worse, Siri reads out the sender, subject line, and the first several lines of the email.

If you want to lock your phone down until Apple implements a patch, there is a way to avoid any nosey people from getting on your phone.

1. Go to your settings on the home screen
2. Select Touch ID and Passcode
3. Enter your device passcode
4. Go to the bottom of the list and turn off “recent notifications” under “allow access when locked”

With all of the recent news about security breaches, data collection, and a general lack of privacy there is no wonder people are worried about their personal information and identities. It seems like almost nowhere is safe.

Do you think these breaches and illegal collection scandals will drive people away from the Internet? Let us know down below in the comments!

Amanda Adams

Amanda is a freelance journalist who enjoys naps way too much. I fell in love with video games when I bought my N64 and Goldeneye 007 with my birthday money... it's safe to say that birthday was epic. Let's chat!