Your iPhone Can Be Tracked Even When It’s Powered Off

Did you know you can track your iPhone even when it’s powered off? That sounds like a good thing, but it isn’t always.

Researchers at the Technical University of Darmstadt in Germany discovered that even when your iPhone is powered off, it can still be tracked. This discovery has many people concerned about what this means for them.

These researchers also discovered that your iPhone might be vulnerable to hackers when it’s powered off. So considering these recent findings, is it still safe to own an iPhone.

How Is Your Phone Being Tracked When It’s Powered Off?

These discoveries show that most wireless chips continue to run even when your device is off. This is because your device, when turned off, still runs some components in low power mode. For up to 24 hours after you turn off your iPhone, these components have power and tracking is still active.

This is by design, so you can find your iPhone if it’s lost or stolen and gets powered off. However, some hackers with system-level access can use this to gain control of your iPhone even when it’s powered off.

Who Is at Risk From Offline Hacking?

While this vulnerability is concerning, the average person has nothing to worry about. However, this is concerning for iPhone users who have a jailbroken device. This is because a jailbroken device already has security flaws, and these flaws are still accessible when the device is off.

So if you have a jailbroken device, you might want to consider restoring vanilla iOS. Alternatively, you can take extra precautions. Some companies sell signal blocking shields and cases which might offer protection. If you believe your data is at risk, consider taking action to prevent identity theft.

Should You Worry About Tracking When Your iPhone Is Off?

While it is concerning that tracking continues when your iPhone is powered off, it appears that there’s nothing to worry about for the time being. That is, unless you have a jailbroken device. This feature seems to be by design, so you can track your iPhone if it’s lost or stolen.

However, this might present security issues in the future if hackers are able to invade phones even when they’re turned off. In the meantime, you can make sure you update your iPhone to the latest iOS so you have up-to-date security features.