When Apple introduced the M4 iPad Pro earlier this year, the company quietly added a new privacy feature to it, which is called “Secure Exclave.” Now the company is bringing the same new privacy technology to the iPhone 16 models, which are powered by the A18 chip.
iPhone 16 adds Secure Exclave for improved privacy
Details about Secure Exclave were first revealed by developer Guilherme Rambo. Essentially Secure Exclave is a new security component part of the M4 chip (and now the A18) that is used to better ensure user privacy.
On the M4 iPads, the component handles the rendering of the camera and microphone indicator on the OLED display, making it harder for malicious apps to use these sensors and bypass the indicator.
Fun fact about the M4 iPad Pro: it’s the first device to support and use Apple’s new Secure Indicator Light (SIL) mechanism. When using the microphone or camera, the corresponding indicator dot is effectively rendered in hardware, making it a lot less likely that any malware or user space app would be able to access those sensors without the user’s knowledge.
9to5Mac was able to confirm based on the iOS 18 firmware that Secure Exclave with the new SIL mechanism is also present in the A18 chip that powers all iPhone 16 models. It’s worth noting that Secure Exclave is different from Secure Enclave, which has been present on Apple devices since Touch ID was added to the iPhone 5s.
Apple first introduced the microphone and camera light indicators – the tiny orange and green dots that appear when these sensors are in use – with iOS 14. These indicators were designed to enhance user awareness of when an app might be listening in or taking video, aiming to prevent malicious apps from exploiting an iPhone’s hardware without user consent.
Historically, these indicators have been linked to software triggers. However, the new Secure Indicator Light seems to further strengthen the system’s security by directly controlling its functionality through hardware components.
Pre-orders for the iPhone 16 begin on Friday, September 13, while the official launch is set for the following week on September 20.
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