A TIKTOK star has revealed a sinister way that people can secretly eavesdrop on you using an iPhone.
The vile hack involves leaving an iPhone near a target and tuning in to what they say using a feature designed for the hard of hearing.
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New York-based TikTok user @chillrogg shared the sneaky trick last week in a video posted to his 370,000 followers.
“Now y’all can spy on each other… don’t get into too much trouble with this lol,” he wrote alongside the post.
His trick employs Live Listen, a software tool bundled with the Apple AirPods and Beats headphones that boosts users’ hearing.
It’s designed to aid the hearing impaired but also makes it easy for vile tricksters to eavesdrop on conversations.
The little-known tool has been included in the iPhone’s iOS operating system since 2018 and appears as an ear icon once you activate it.
It helps the hearing impaired by allowing them to place their iPhone close to a person they’re having trouble hearing.
But people can commandeer Live Listen to snoop on their boss or partner by hiding their iPhone in the same room as their victim – or simply placing it on a table they’re sitting at.
Anyone using the tool can turn up the volume on their iPhone’s microphone to spy on someone using their AirPods.
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The iPhone microphone will beam whatever is said to a trickster in a different room, up to 15 metres away.
Eavesdroppers can also use an Apple Watch to spy on people, leaving the watch in a room with someone whom they want to listen in on.
When it first launched, Apple fans expressed concern at the new feature on social media.
“AirPods can live listen now. SMH! Men about to be caught lol,” one person tweeted.
“Just wait till all these new AirPod kids figure out ‘live listen’ and become amateur James Bonds,” another wrote.
“Using live listen to eavesdrop on my parents arguing and make sure my name isn’t dropped,” said one Twitter user.
Apple has not commented on the potential for the tool to be used to spy on people.
It’s far from the first iPhone hack that’s gone viral on TikTok.
Last month, user @theapplecollector highlighted a handy Apple keyboard hack that makes editing text much easier.
A lot of iOS users are unaware that their iPhone comes with a trackpad feature, which makes selecting text and moving the cursor around much easier.
You can use this feature in any text box, such as your Notes app, a search bar, or a text message.
To access it, simply press and hold one finger on the spacebar (all the other keys will grey out).
Then swipe your finger across the spacebar, and your cursor will move around the text box.
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This post first appeared on Thesun.co.uk
