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Apple Patches Flaw That Let FBI Extract Signal Messages

Apple says the fix retroactively deletes retained notification copies after the FBI reportedly recovered Signal message previews from an iPhone.

  • On Wednesday, Apple released iOS 26.4.2 and related updates to patch a vulnerability where deleted push notifications were unexpectedly retained on iPhones and iPads.
  • The update follows reports from 404 Media that the FBI exploited the 'notification database' flaw to recover deleted Signal message previews from a defendant's device.
  • Apple addressed the issue through 'improved data redaction' in iOS 26.4.2 and iOS 18.7.8, ensuring deleted notifications are properly purged from device storage.
  • Signal CEO Meredith Whitaker praised the patch, while Apple advises users to install updates ASAP to prevent further retention of deleted notification data.
  • The Electronic Frontier Foundation notes notification privacy remains vulnerable; users can manually restrict message content visibility on the Lock Screen through Signal settings.
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An error in Apple's notification system allowed FBI agents to access messages supposedly deleted from Signal on an iPhone.

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404media.co broke the news on Thursday, April 9, 2026.
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