iPhone users exposed to spyware that can wiretap texts and location, Apple warns
Apple has warned iPhone users in 99 countries that they may have been targeted by sophisticated spyware capable of accessing private messages, location information and other sensitive data without their knowledge.
The latest alerts, sent on 30 October, have reached journalists, filmmakers and government officials, including members of Germany’s parliament, according to reports by the Financial Times and TechCrunch.
German authorities have launched an investigation after several lawmakers and government figures received notifications. The country’s Federal Office for Information Security (BSI) advised recipients to assume their devices could have been compromised.
The German government said it was taking the warnings seriously and working to establish what had happened. Government spokesperson Stefan Kornelius declined to confirm whether Chancellor Friedrich Merz was among those targeted.
What should iPhone users do?
Apple says its warnings are based on investigations that give the company strong reason to believe an individual has been targeted, although an alert does not necessarily mean the device has been compromised.
Users can check whether they have received a genuine notification by signing in directly to account.apple.com, where Apple displays security alerts at the top of the account page.
The company also recommends enabling Lockdown Mode, a security feature that restricts certain functions to make it harder for sophisticated spyware to gain access.
Apple advises keeping devices updated, using two-factor authentication and avoiding suspicious links.
How can spyware access an iPhone?
The warnings involve mercenary spyware, a type of surveillance software often developed by private companies and used to monitor specific individuals.
Some attacks exploit so-called zero-click vulnerabilities, which allow hackers to access a device without requiring its owner to open a link, download an attachment or take any other action.
According to the Financial Times, the latest attacks reportedly used this method, with attackers needing only their targets’ phone numbers.
Among those who received an alert was Lebanese investigative filmmaker Radwan Mortada, who shared his notification on X. Mortada said his phone had previously been targeted by Pegasus spyware in 2017 and 2021.
Yesterday, I received a security notification from Apple warning me that my iPhone had been targeted by a sophisticated mercenary spyware attack, involving technology of the kind developed by companies such as NSO Group, the Israeli firm behind the notorious Pegasus spyware. Perhaps the most alarming aspect of Apple’s warning was its confirmation that such attacks target specific individuals «because of who you are or what you do.» This is not the first time I have been targeted by spyware. I was previously targeted with Pegasus in both 2017 and 2021. I do not yet know who is behind this latest attack, or whether it is connected to my investigative documentary, The Trap, which I directed and co-produced. The film, available on Al Jazeera 360, exposed the details of the September 2024 pager explosions in Lebanon. What is certain, however, is that the targeting of journalists with sophisticated spyware poses a grave threat to press freedom, the confidentiality of journalistic sources, and the very foundations of independent investigative journalism.
— رُضوان (@radwanmortada) October 30, 2026
Turkey-based journalist Ragıp Soylu also reported receiving a warning, saying it was the third such notification he had received this year.
This is the third Apple Threat Notification I received this year. Likely state actors using mercenary spyware have repeatedly tried to hack my phone. Guess this is a badge of honour. An endorsement for the reporting I do. https://t.co/96iiIyDFFJ
— Ragıp Soylu (@ragipsoylu) October 29, 2026
Apple has sent similar alerts several times annually since 2021, reaching users in more than 150 countries altogether. Its previous notification campaign in August 2026 covered 110 countries.
