2 min read
Update: A previous version of the story said that the it is a security vulnerability, but it is not. The article has been updated to reflect that.
If you just do a google search on “iPhone 6 lockscreen”, you will see hundreds of search results about a trick through which you can bypass iPhone 6‘s security and get in the home screen of your iPhone. Apparently, this is a security vulnerability and Apple needs to instantly update the software to counter this loophole, but in fact, it is not even remotely dangerous.
We know that the FBI has been after Apple for a long time now. They have been asking Apple to develop software that will allow the FBI to bypass the lock screen of a locked iPhone (for accessing data on retrieved iPhones). However, Apple has continued to decline this request and the battle between the FBI and Apple wages on. That tension has fuelled the media in making a simple security feature into a huge vulnerability.
Reports claim that if you are in possession of an iPhone 6 then you can bypass the lockscreen by following the steps below:
- When your iPhone is locked, hold down the home button.
- Ask Siri for the current weather.
- You will now be able to see the weather for the next 10 days.
- Here, tap and hold on the screen until a popup menu opens asking you to either “add” or “view”.
- Tap on “view” here.
- This will now take you to the Safari browser (Apple’s default browser).
- Now press the home button.
- Viola! You’ve successfully bypassed the iPhone 6’s lock screen.
However, there are two prerequisites for this method to work:
- The iPhone 6 should be currently on iOS 9.2.
- Siri must be enabled on the iPhone.
Is it really a vulnerability?
Short answer? No. What you are doing, infact, is unlocking your iPhone 6 using the TouchID and are being fooled into thinking that this is a serious flaw in your iPhone’s locking system. Try this method again but with a finger that isn’t saved in the TouchID’s saved fingerprints and you’ll see that this doesn’t work at all.
