These special phone and app features can help protect you from spyware
TechCrunch says Apple, Google and Meta offer opt-in defenses like Lockdown Mode to help at-risk users resist spyware attacks.
Intelligence analysis by GPT-5.4 Mini
TechCrunch says spyware attacks on journalists, activists and dissidents are common enough that Apple, Google and Meta now offer special security features to harden phones and apps. The piece focuses on Apple’s Lockdown Mode as a practical defense with some usability tradeoffs.
Some phones can be attacked by very sneaky spying tools that do not need a click.
That is like someone picking a lock without ever knocking on the door. The article says Apple, Google and Meta now have special safety features to make that harder.
Apple’s Lockdown Mode is the big example. It makes the phone less convenient, but also harder for spies to use.
Analysis
Why the article says these features matter
TechCrunch argues that spyware attacks are no longer rare or exotic, especially for journalists, human rights defenders and political dissidents. The article points to WhatsApp and Apple threat notifications tied to Paragon Solutions and says zero-click attacks mean a device can be compromised without any user action.
The threat model
According to the piece, spyware can give operators broad access to a target’s device and data, including calls, chats, photos, camera and microphone access, and real-time location tracking. The article frames this as a long-running cat-and-mouse game: spyware makers develop stealthier hacks, then platform vendors respond with new protections.
The main protection discussed
The article highlights Apple’s Lockdown Mode as the clearest example. Apple says the mode makes a device “not function like it typically does,” but the tradeoff is more security. TechCrunch says researchers have evidence it has blocked spyware before, including a Citizen Lab finding involving NSO Group’s Pegasus, and that Apple said as recently as March it had never detected a successful attack on an Apple device with Lockdown Mode enabled.
What Lockdown Mode changes
The mode blocks many iMessage attachments, strips some links and previews, limits Safari content, restricts incoming FaceTime and invitation traffic from unknown contacts, disables Game Center, strips location from shared photos, tightens accessory connections, blocks open Wi-Fi auto-join, prevents 2G and 3G connections, and disallows configuration profiles and MDM enrollment. TechCrunch says users can also turn it off for specific websites and apps if needed.
Bottom line
The article recommends using these features if someone suspects they may be a target, and says even non-targets can benefit from the extra protection.
Key points
- TechCrunch says spyware attacks on phones are common for at-risk people.
- Apple, Google and Meta offer opt-in features to harden devices and apps.
- The article focuses on Apple’s Lockdown Mode as a major defense.
- Lockdown Mode blocks or limits many common phone features to reduce attack surface.
- The piece says the protections are free and can be turned off if they get in the way.
