Can Someone Hack My iPhone Through Text?

Can someone hack my iPhone through text?
The iPhone is one of the most notable smartphones in the current mobile market. It is the only non-Android smartphone that has continued to compete with the top Android device manufacturers. Despite being Apple’s claim of iPhone and iOS the most secure platform for smartphone, there is much vulnerability that hackers can exploit to gain access to your information. We all send text messages to our friends and families but who knows that it isn’t used for hacking into your device. So, can someone hack my iPhone through text is one of the most asked questions on the internet? Here in this guide, we will talk more about the possibilities of iPhone being hacked through text and ways to deal with it.

Part 1. Can Someone Hack My iPhone Through Text?

Though Apple has been making people believe that iOS is the safest mobile OS and isn’t vulnerable to hacking attempts, still hackers have found a way to hack iPhone through text messages. If you have a doubt in your mind – can someone hack my iPhone through text, yes iPhone can be hacked with text messages? A malicious program known as Pegasus developed by NSO Group can hack iPhone with an iOS version older than 9.3.5 with just a text. A text message is sent to the target with a link and when they open the link, Pegasus is automatically installed on their device without them even knowing. A device infected by Pegasus sends all information of the target to the hacker and thus has really put the iPhone users at risk. Pegasus was designed to exploit the three vulnerabilities known as Trident in the iOS environment. Once it is installed on a device, the hacker will get all information about the target like bank accounts, email accounts, contacts, messages and others. It may still be active on an iOS version older than 9.3.5. But Apple has fixed the vulnerability with the iOS 9.3.5.

Part 2. How to Tell If Your iPhone is Hacked Through Text

Now that you know the answer to your “can someone hack my iPhone through text” question, it is time to know the signs which can tell you about the hack. If your iPhone has been hacked, it can give the hacker access to all your personal information. This can be very disastrous if you are some big shot in a leading enterprise. A hacked iPhone could mean that your business secrets will be exposed to others and this can also entail great losses in the future. So it is advised to give firm attention to these warning sign that may make you aware of a potential cyber attack.

Unauthorized Jailbreak

Malicious programs like Pegasus will jailbreak your iPhone before they can start sending the details of the target to the hacker. If your device has been jailbroken without your knowledge, it could mean that someone jailbreaks it for malicious intent. A jailbroken iPhone will have lax security and will allow installing malicious apps without your knowledge. This is can do more damage than just used to play some pranks and expose your private information

Receiving Strange Text Messages

When your device is hacked by someone using text messages, they will be sending it instructions to monitor your activities in the form of text messages. These messages will appear as blank squares or other special characters in them. These blank characters may be encoded instructions that were sent by the hacker to make it perform specific functions like sending them the emails or messages of the target.

Unknown Use

When a hacker is able to control an iPhone remotely through text messages, they will be able to make calls, send text messages, photos etc with just a single text message. If you notice some strange behavior in your device usage like unknown calls in phone call history, then it is a firm indicator that someone else is making these calls.

The Battery is Draining Faster

If the battery of your iPhone is draining faster than usual even when you don’t use your mobile that much, it is possible that is it hacked. A hacking software running in the background that is continuously monitoring the target device will drain battery like it would other resources.

Part 3. Tips to Watch Out for iPhone Hack via Text Message

Use Message Filtering

On the app store, you can find various apps and services that will filter out any text messages that you receive. These message filtering app will block spam messages that otherwise may contain malicious viruses or spyware. You will only receive the messages from trusted sources and all others will be blocked.

Don’t Open Strange Messages

Usually, messages which contain malicious code and can harm your device appears as blank squares or characters. When you receive any text messages whose characters are unreadable from the notification bar, it is better to delete it without reading it. If the code is executed, then it may pose a significant danger to your device being made a surveillance tool for the hacker.

System Update

Update the device firmware and OS to the latest version to avoid anyone from exploiting the security vulnerabilities in the iOS. This has been really helpful in the case of Pegasus attack when devices under iOS 9.3.5 version were left at the mercy of hackers. The Pegasus exploited the trident vulnerability of iOS which was later fixed in iOS 9.3.5. Likewise, if some other ways have been introduced to hack an iPhone, then it is better to keep the iOS updated to the latest version to stay protected.