iPhones Under Attack, Apple Confirms — Here’s What You Need To Do Right Away

Apple has reportedly issued a rare and serious warning: certain iPhone users are being actively targeted by highly sophisticated cyberattacks, involving advanced spyware that even Apple cannot fully block for everyone through regular updates alone.

These are not random malware or phishing attempts. The attacks are targeted, complex, and frequently use zero-click exploits, meaning the device can be compromised without the user clicking any link, opening an attachment, or taking any visible action.

Apple has reportedly said that these threats are not aimed at ordinary users. They typically focus on high-value individuals like journalists, activists, politicians, diplomats, lawyers, and others, whose communications could provide valuable information.

The problem is that these attacks often exploit zero-day vulnerabilities, which are unknown to Apple at the time of exploitation. By the time Apple detects them and releases a patch, the targeted device may already be compromised. 

A key development in this situation is Apple’s decision to offer critical security fixes to the latest iOS 26. For iPhone 11 and newer models, the latest patches are only available after upgrading to iOS 26. Older versions (like iOS 18) no longer receive the patches.

Unfortunately, adoption of iOS 26 has been slow. Reports indicate that a large portion — potentially around half or more — of eligible users have not yet upgraded. This delay leaves hundreds of millions of devices exposed.

Update to iOS 26 immediately if your iPhone supports it (iPhone 11 or newer). Go to Settings > General > Software Update. This is the most important step to get the latest security patches.

Restart your iPhone as soon as possible. A simple reboot can clear any potential malicious processes that might already be running. 

Consider enabling Lockdown Mode if you believe you could be personally targeted (e.g., due to your profession or activism). Lockdown Mode is a strict, optional security setting designed by Apple specifically for people facing advanced digital threats. 

It reduces the device’s attack surface by restricting features like message attachments, certain web technologies, incoming calls from unknown numbers, and configuration profile installations. This makes exploitation much harder, but it also makes the iPhone user experience a tad lower.