Beware: Your iPhone lockscreen is easy to hack

By Joshua Pramis February 15, 2013

It’s no secret that iOS 6 isn’t Apple’s best release. It’s had a number of high profile problems, largest of which was the infamous Mapocalype, the outrage that ensued when Apple decided to abandon and erase Google Maps in exchange for its own sub-par in-house mapping service. Others, like myself, were bothered by iOS 6’s poor connectivity and rapid battery draining. (Seriously, can’t we get a phone that can go a solid 24 hours without having to plug it in?)

Today’s problem with Apple’s operating system is that the lockcode, which so many iPhone users employ to protect their privacy, is actually fairly nonfunctional. It’s easy to hack. Great news, no?

It’s not exactly something most people would figure out on their own, but it’s not all that tricky. A YouTuber has created a video tutorial on how to do it, too. Basically you pretend to turn the phone off, make an emergency call, abort that call, press a few more button combinations, and you’re inside the phone app and ready to steal whatever data is on the iPhone. The keys are yours.

It’s not the easiest thing to do, but it’s an added annoyance to the latest iOS release. Hopefully a bug fix is coming soon. Until then, hold onto that iPhones tight.

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