The content of the messages can only be deciphered using a key stored by the Apple Identity Service.
Basically, this means that the only people who can read your texts are you and the recipient.
For example, messages you send to non-iOS users arent protected by any level of encryption.
On top of that, Apple collects metadata from encrypted texts.
When you send a message on iMessage, its encrypted on your equipment using a unique key.
This encrypted message is then transmitted to the recipient.
Upon arrival, the recipients phone uses the same unique key to decrypt and display the message.
This entire process happens automatically, without requiring any action from you.
This prevents someone from sneakily opening your iMessage account and reading your messages.
All of that said, iMessage isnt perfect, as Ill explain below.
iCloud Backups
When you backup data on iCloud, it gets encrypted and stored on Apples servers.
Sounds safe enough, right?
The company keeps the key to help recover accounts and data.
Instead of uploading data to the iCloud, consider making a backupusing iTunes insteador turning onAdvanced Data Protection.
Since it encrypts your data without providing Apple with a key, its significantly more secure.
This means youll have to take matters into your own hands.
Social Engineering Schemes
You still need to worry about social engineering schemes and phishing scams.
The best way to protect yourself against phishing scams is by installing good web protection tools with anti-phishing protection.
Norton even comes with an SMS filter that can stop suspicious texts from appearing in your iMessage inbox.
Metadata Collection
iMessage does collect some data, even from E2EE messages.
The data in question is called metadata, meaning its data about your data.
There is a long history of law enforcement and repressive governments using metadata to prosecute iOS users.
There is no foolproof way to hide your iMessage metadata from Apple.
The best VPNs have ironclad no-logs policies, meaning they dont keep any data whatsoever.
Possible Security Changes
There are some valid concerns with how Apple manages its ecosystem.
Theres also the chance that any opening up could indeed lead to cybercriminals exploiting newly revealed flaws.
This eliminates the main problem with iCloud backups, but there are some requirements to using it.
To start, you better have an Apple ID with two-factor authentication enabled.
You also need to have an established password or passcode and an account recovery key.
In the case of iMessage, you might easily enhance your privacy with just a few taps.
Use iTunes Backup
iTunes backup is a second solution to securely back up your iOS data.
iTunes saves the encryption key locally to your machine, so only you have the key.
VPNs encrypt the vast majority of your outgoing data, meaning nobody can use it to spy on you.
A good VPN company, likeExpressVPN, wont keep logs of your data.
Unlike Apple, ExpressVPN doesnt keep a copy of an encryption key to view your data.
Instead, its RAM-only servers completely wipe user data each time they reset.
I recommend choosing aVPN with a proven no-logs policyand security features that stand up to scrutiny.
The best VPNs have servers all over the world and come with features like split-tunneling and a killswitch.
Other features to look out for include support for torrenting and streaming services.
Some come bundled with VPNs and dark web monitoring tools.
More to the point, some iOS antiviruses come with spam filters.
These can protect iMessage users by hiding dangerous (and annoying) texts sent by scammers and marketers.
Not every iOS security tool has such a feature, but a few top brands likeNortonandBitdefenderdo.
The only solution to this is to forgo iMessage entirely and use a third-party messaging app.
That said, each app has its own advantages and disadvantages.
iMessage vs. Other Messaging Apps
Has iMessage Ever Been Compromised?
iMessage has been compromised.
Here are a couple of the most recent attacks iMessage has faced.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does iMessage encryption do?
The only way to translate the messages is by using an encryption key.
While there areunique risksto using iMessage, the encryption itself is pretty good.
Do I need a VPN if Im using iMessage?
iMessage has pretty goodbuilt-in security measures, but remember that these only apply to the iMessage app.
Note that a VPN will not encrypt texts sent to Android users through the iMessage app.
For that, the only solution is to use a third-party messaging app.
Is iMessage safer than Messenger?
iMessage is generally more secure than Messenger thanks to its better privacy policy andbuilt-in security features.
Simply put, Facebook collects a lot of data and doesnt use E2EE by default.
It also has an excellent no-logs policy, meaning the company itself doesnt collect your data.
What bang out of data does Apple collect from iMessage?
iMessage doesnt collect the actual content of iMessage conversations, but it does harvestmetadata.
This can include the time the message was sent and received and contact information.
But once you upload your messages to your iCloud backup, things change.
The messages are still encrypted, but Apple keeps a copy of the encryption key.
This means Apple can choose to read your data whenever it wants.
The simplest solution to maximize your iMessage privacy is to avoid iCloud backups anduse iTunes encrypted backupsinstead.
