iOS 4.1 Bug Allows Access to iPhone Contacts and Voicemails Despite Passcode Protection
An iOS 4.1 bug discovered in our forums late last week has been gaining significant attention for its ability to allow users to bypass the built-in passcode protection on the iPhone to view contacts, call histories, and voicemail. While the bug does not permit full access to the iPhone's functions, as the home and lock buttons remain mostly non-functional, users have also reported being able to activate music functions and voice control while in this mode.
The passcode bypass is performed by attempting to place an Emergency Call to a non-emergency number (such as "###") and quickly hitting the lock button on the top of the iPhone after placing the call. The iPhone immediately opens up to the Phone application, offering full access to contacts and other phone-related information.
It is unclear whether the issue exists in developer builds of iOS 4.2 currently being distributed by Apple, as some users have reported that they have been able to replicate it under iOS 4.2 while others claim that they can not. Complicating the assessment is a lack of information from these sources regarding which builds of iOS 4.2 they are running.
Update: Wired received a statement from an Apple spokeswoman, who noted that the bug will be fixed in iOS 4.2 next month.
An Apple spokeswoman contacted Wired.com with a response regarding the security flaw: "We're aware of this issue and we will deliver a fix to customers as part of the iOS 4.2 software update in November."
Popular Stories
Last year, Apple launched CarPlay Ultra, the long-awaited next-generation version of its CarPlay software system for vehicles. Nearly nine months later, CarPlay Ultra is still limited to Aston Martin's latest luxury vehicles, but that should change fairly soon.
In May 2025, Apple said many other vehicle brands planned to offer CarPlay Ultra, including Hyundai, Kia, and Genesis.
In his Powe...
The calendar has turned to February, and a new report indicates that Apple's next product launch is "imminent," in the form of new MacBook Pro models.
"All signs point to an imminent launch of next-generation MacBook Pros that retain the current form factor but deliver faster chips," Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said on Sunday. "I'm told the new models — code-named J714 and J716 — are slated...
Apple is planning to launch new MacBook Pro models with M5 Pro and M5 Max chips alongside macOS 26.3, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman.
"Apple's faster MacBook Pros are planned for the macOS 26.3 release cycle," wrote Gurman, in his Power On newsletter today.
"I'm told the new models — code-named J714 and J716 — are slated for the macOS 26.3 software cycle, which runs from...
We are still waiting for the iOS 26.3 Release Candidate to come out, so the first iOS 26.4 beta is likely still at least a week or two away. Following beta testing, iOS 26.4 will likely be released to the general public in March or April.
Below, we have recapped known or rumored iOS 26.3 and iOS 26.4 features so far.
iOS 26.3
iPhone to Android Transfer Tool
iOS 26.3 makes it easier...
Apple recently updated its online store with a new ordering process for Macs, including the MacBook Air, MacBook Pro, iMac, Mac mini, Mac Studio, and Mac Pro.
There used to be a handful of standard configurations available for each Mac, but now you must configure a Mac entirely from scratch on a feature-by-feature basis. In other words, ordering a new Mac now works much like ordering an...
