Spyware targets in 110 countries now get Apple's warning on the Lock Screen

Apple is now alerting people it believes are targets of spyware right on the Lock Screen of their iPhone.

This is important for journalists, activists, and officials who are frequently impacted by these attacks. It places a high-stakes alert right where they cannot overlook it. The latest round of notifications on Thursday reached people in 110 countries.

The Lock Screen alert replaces an email that could sit unread

Apple has until now used email and a banner after signing into an Apple Account to alert users to threats.

Now, an “Apple Threat Notification” appears on the Lock Screen and inside Settings. This feature works in addition to the older email and account-page alerts.

The message informs the user that Apple “detected a mercenary spyware attack targeted at your iPhone. There are actions you can take now to help protect your data and device.”

Apple changed the experience so users can reach guidance on what to do next more quickly.

Researcher Pieter Arntz stated that a warning on the Lock Screen is much harder to miss than one buried in an inbox. He wrote, “The new on-device alert is meant to make a high-risk warning harder to overlook and complements notifications by email and through the user’s Apple Account page.”

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