Charging iPhone with a foreign cable – what are the risks?.

If you've ever found yourself without a charging cable for your iPhone outside your home, you might have connected to someone else's charger or a public station. But can such a situation pose a threat to your personal data?

The information on this topic is provided by the SlashGear portal.

The struggle with a dead battery sometimes forces us to use others' cables or USB ports in cafes. Over the years, warnings have emerged that a standard cable can extract all information from a smartphone. One instance is an influencer Ryan Montgomery's video on Instagram, where a malicious cable connected to a computer immediately hacked the iPhone's security.

According to experts, for most users, the likelihood of such a situation is very low. Based on their research, no cases of 'hacking through charging' have been recorded in public places. Additionally, modern iPhones have built-in protective measures. When connected to a USB port that can transmit data, a prompt appears on the screen asking, 'Do you trust this computer?'. Only after confirmation does the charging start, and access to files is blocked. Most public stations are primarily designed for power supply, so the risk of connecting to a compromised port is very low.

To turn a regular charging station into a hacking tool, a malicious actor needs to put in a lot of effort and take risks. Therefore, if you use cables from well-known manufacturers, pay close attention to system warnings, and avoid dubious devices, your data remains safe.

Apple ID on iPhone

Most users have only one Apple ID on their iPhone, as this is a requirement for using the App Store and integrating with iCloud. However, Apple allows the addition of a second account — for example, to separate personal and work purchases. But this is a limited capability.

Previously, we mentioned that the battery of the iPhone wears out over Time, and new features like Apple Intelligence can lead to even faster depletion of its capacity. To preserve the charge, it's worth paying attention to settings and changing some usage habits.

Events of recent years indicate a certain concern about the security of connecting to foreign charging devices due to the possibility of personal data extraction. However, experts believe that modern iPhones have a high level of protection that minimizes possible risks of 'hacking through charging'. Therefore, it is important to use cables from reliable manufacturers and avoid dubious charging devices to stay safe.