People are hearing voices coming from their iPhone

November 17, 2024

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People are hearing voices coming from their iPhone

Accidental breaches of privacy are one of the top concerns for consumers when it comes to smartphones, and it seems that’s exactly what might be happening with the iPhone. Two accounts of users hearing other people’s lives through their iPhone have surfaced on Reddit, and no one’s sure if it’s a bug or something more concerning.It started two days ago when a user posted about hearing what seemed like a person driving and talking on a call. After checking that no background apps were running the conversation turned a lot more morbid as the user heard this person crash their car. There was silence after that but two days later the same user heard a person scream an expletive through their phone.

Another user has shared their own experience today. Fortunately, this time it was a lot more mundane: what sounded like just some person talking to their coworkers in a warehouse. The second user also checked for any background apps or other rational explanations but found nothing.

Eavesdrop on strangers in high definition! | Video credit — Apple

Possible explanations

Now, it is entirely possible that this is a privacy bug making the rounds and Apple knows about it. When iPadOS 18 started bricking M4 devices the company didn’t make a public statement until the issue had gotten out of hand. So it’s very likely that we might hear something from Apple if more users report this same glitch.

But there are definitely other possible explanations for this weird phenomenon. The first post had people commenting about possible carbon monoxide poisoning which can lead to exposed individuals experiencing hallucinations. Though unlikely — as the poster said they had working detectors and their husband heard the same thing — it is still a possibility.

Another explanation, and something that seems far more likely, is an iOS 18 bug. This year Apple had one bad software update after another and iOS 18 was no exception. As some commenters pointed out, it is very likely that iOS 18 is playing random background audio even without showing YouTube or other offending apps open.

So if you suddenly start hearing voices coming from your iPhone 16 you should force close the YouTube app before calling an exorcist.