If Apple sends you a push notification alerting you to a spyware attack, take it seriously
Apple now sends out push notifications to iPhone lock screens when the company identifies government spyware targeting someone's devices.
本条来自 TechCrunch（AI / 创投），聚焦 technology、brand。 If Apple sends you a push notification alerting you to a spyware attack, take it seriously
Apple now sends out push notifications to iPhone lock screens when the company identifies government spyware targeting someone's devices
- Media & Entertainment
- TechCrunch Brand Studio
- Zack Whittaker
- 2:50 PM PDT · August 13, 2026
- If Apple sends you a push notification alerting you to a spyware attack, take it seriously
Apple now sends out push notifications to iPhone lock screens when the company identifies government spyware targeting someone's devices
Media & Entertainment
TechCrunch Brand Studio
If Apple sends you a push notification alerting you to a spyware attack, take it seriously
Zack Whittaker
2:50 PM PDT · August 13, 2026
Apple has sent out a new batch of notifications to customers who it suspects have been targeted with spyware capable of hacking into their devices. The tech giant sends out these notifications on occasion to alert its customers that their iPhones, iPads, or Macs might have been compromised with spyware typically used by governments.
Apple told TechCrunch that it sent out the notifications on Thursday to users targeted in 110 countries. Apple says to date it has notified customers in over 150 countries, giving some context to how far government-used spyware has spread around the world.
In a new support article on its website, Apple says it will notify users directly on their iPhone lock screen with a push notification that urges the person to take action. Apple told TechCrunch that it has updated the user experience, making it easier for recipients to access important information on what to do next.
When received, a threat notification will read: “Apple detected a mercenary spyware attack targeted at your iPhone. There are actions you can take now to protect your data and device.”
Apple also sends notifications by email and to users when they log in to their account.
John Scott-Railton, a senior researcher at digital research group Citizen Lab, first highlighted the latest batch of spyware notifications in a thread on X .
If you receive a notification like this, take it seriously. We’ve explained before what happens when someone gets a notification saying they’ve been targeted . It may not mean that you have been successfully hacked, but you should still take immediate steps to protect your device and data.
The push notification also opens up advice on who to reach out to for help. You will also be advised to switch on Lockdown Mode, a security feature that makes it far more difficult for spyware attacks to succeed. According to Apple , it has yet to see a case where someone’s device was hacked while Lockdown Mode was enabled.
Spyware attacks are generally rare, but the proliferation of the surveillance technology in recent years has allowed them to be abused by governments and deployed against critics, including members of civil society.
Citizen Lab’s Scott-Railton told TechCrunch that these new push notifications are a “big improvement” in urging people to seek help to secure their devices since Apple debuted its spyware alerts in 2021.
“Notifications create a critical signal that a community is being targeted. People get an alert, and then some of them reach out and seek help. Often this kicks off an investigation that reveals many, many more cases,” said Scott-Railton.
Citing the ongoing scandal in Poland over the former government’s use of spyware against its rivals, Scott-Railton said that without Apple’s notifications, “that entire massive scandal about spyware abuse in the Polish election wouldn’t have been uncovered.”
When you purchase through links in our articles, we may earn a small commission . This doesn’t affect our editorial independence.
Zack Whittaker
Security Editor
Zack Whittaker is the security editor at TechCrunch. He also authors the weekly cybersecurity newsletter, this week in security .
He can be reached via encrypted message at zackwhittaker.1337 on Signal. You can also contact him by email, or to verify outreach, at zack.whittaker@techcrunch.com .
October 13 – 15
San Francisco
Scale faster. Grow your portfolio. Gain practical expertise. No matter your goal, Disrupt can empower you.
Save up to $300 toda y!
Most Popular
Some Claude users are mad that Anthropic’s new watermarks will catch them using it at their jobs, classes
Lucas Ropek
Phoebe Gates and Sophia Kianni reportedly knew Phia was ‘cookie stuffing’ for months
Dominic-Madori Davis
Delta investigating after someone set up fake Wi-Fi network mid-flight
Lorenzo Franceschi-Bicchierai
Anthropic says it will watermark text generated by its AI models
Ivan Mehta
Mark Zuckerberg’s AI manifesto is exactly why people don’t like AI
Russell Brandom
YouTube now requires creators to have twice as many watch hours to start earning money
Aisha Malik
This ‘adversarial’ pattern can prevent surveillance cameras from detecting you
Zack Whittaker
X
youTube
Mastodon
Threads
Bluesky
TechCrunch Staff Contact Us Advertise Site Map
Terms of Service Privacy Policy RSS Terms of Use Code of Conduct
Made by Google Phia Blacksmith Pixel Tag Disrupt 2026 Tech Layoffs ChatGPT
© 2026 TechCrunch Media LLC.
本条目归入「Brand Marketing」垂直，涉及真实话题：technology、brand。
· 市场：关注 technology、brand 对相关品类与竞争格局的潜在影响。
· 消费者：受众行为与偏好变化值得追踪。
· 品牌：本动向对品牌资产建设的启示。
· 渠道：内容分发与触点组合（社媒 / 电商 / 线下）的协同值得复盘。
· 核心话题：technology、brand。
· 可思考：如何把「technology」的洞察，转化为可衡量的内容与增长动作？
面试中可引用「If Apple sends you a push notification alerting you to a spyware attack, take it seriously」：围绕 technology、brand，说明你对行业动向的判断与可落地动作。
本条目相关英文术语可在「商务英语」模块按话题检索，用于外企面试表达训练。
Apple also sends notifications by email and to users when they log in to their account.…
YouTube now requires creators to have twice as many watch hours to start earning money…