{"id":151138,"date":"2022-06-24T03:45:55","date_gmt":"2022-06-24T10:45:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/blogs\/?p=151138"},"modified":"2022-06-21T11:38:29","modified_gmt":"2022-06-21T18:38:29","slug":"does-an-iphone-need-antivirus-software","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/blogs\/tips-tricks\/does-an-iphone-need-antivirus-software\/","title":{"rendered":"Does an iPhone Need Antivirus Software?"},"content":{"rendered":"

If you\u2019re one of the countless <\/span>Apple iPhone<\/span> owners out there, there\u2019s a good chance that one of the reasons you love your smartphone is because you\u2019ve heard that <\/span>Apple devices<\/span> tend to have fewer <\/span>vulnerabilities<\/span> to viruses.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Because of their shared <\/span>operating system<\/span>, <\/span>iOS devices<\/span> enjoy <\/span>Apple<\/span>\u2019s <\/span>security measures<\/span>, which keeps them protected from <\/span>malware<\/span> and viruses differently from most <\/span>Android devices<\/span>.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

This is great, right? Certainly! But it\u2019s also important to remember that nothing digital or internet-related is ever foolproof, and while it\u2019s rare, even <\/span>iOS operating systems<\/span> can<\/span><\/i> be affected by <\/span>malicious software<\/span>.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The great news is that protecting yourself from <\/span>iPhone viruses<\/span> and <\/span>hackers<\/span> isn\u2019t hard. Read on to learn more.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Can <\/span><\/b>iPhones<\/span><\/b> get viruses?<\/span><\/b><\/h2>\n

Although <\/span>Apple<\/span> has designed its <\/span>iOS<\/span> system to be pretty untouchable, it\u2019s still possible to get a virus on your <\/span>iPhone<\/span>.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The biggest way this can happen is through something called \u201c<\/span>jailbreaking<\/span>,\u201d which is when you bypass the restrictions on the <\/span>Apple<\/span> operating system<\/span>. You might do this to gain more control over your device, downloading any apps or programs from anywhere on the internet. It basically lets you do whatever you want with your iPhone.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

A major reason that <\/span>mobile security<\/span><\/a> is so seamless with <\/span>Apple\u2019s iOS<\/span> is that \u2014 unlike <\/span>Android<\/span> and <\/span>Microsoft<\/span> Windows<\/span> products \u2014 <\/span>Apple devices<\/span> are designed to work only inside set parameters that \u201ctalk\u201d exclusively to other approved <\/span>Apple<\/span> apps or devices.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

This is all controlled by <\/span>Apple<\/span> encryption, making your <\/span>iPhone security<\/span> rather impervious to <\/span>malicious apps<\/span>. You might also notice that there are no <\/span>antivirus apps<\/span> in the <\/span>App Store<\/span>, which isn\u2019t a coincidence!<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

But when you <\/span>jailbreak<\/span> an <\/span>iPhone<\/span>, this means you\u2019ve opened the <\/span>iOS<\/span> to a wider range of apps, features, and themes \u2014 none of which are approved by <\/span>Apple<\/span>!\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

So, you won\u2019t benefit from the <\/span>virus protection<\/span> that comes from having a closed system, meaning you can expose your <\/span>iPhone<\/span> to <\/span>adware<\/span>, <\/span>scams<\/span>, and other <\/span>internet security<\/span> issues that <\/span>Apple<\/span> permissions<\/span> blocked.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Potential threats to your <\/span><\/b>iPhone<\/span><\/b><\/h3>\n

So, you\u2019ve jailbroken your <\/span>iPhone<\/span> and are out of <\/span>Apple<\/span>\u2019s famously closed <\/span>sandbox<\/span>. While it\u2019s not an ideal situation, it\u2019s not the end of the world. You may need antivirus protection now. This is especially true if you frequently use <\/span>public Wi-Fi<\/span>.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Here are a few potential threats that a jailbroken <\/span>iPhone<\/span> might face:<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n