Cyberstalkers using Windows 11 Phone Link feature to monitor iPhones: Report

San Francisco, May 21 (IANS) Microsoft’s newly-released Phone Link feature for Windows 11 users, which allows iPhone owners to view notifications on their Windows computers, could pose a significant safety risk.

According to app developer Certo Software, the inclusion of the new Windows 11 feature raises concerns about potential security vulnerabilities that could be exploited by cyberstalkers to target iPhone users.

Phone Link has been around for a long time, and it allows users to connect their Android phone to their PC via a Wi-Fi connection.

Last month, Microsoft rolled out the Phone Link feature for iOS to all Windows 11 users with iMessage support in 39 languages across 85 markets globally.

According to the report, potential cyberstalkers can easily set up this app on someone else’s iPhone without obvious signs that their data is being shared.

Cyberstalkers with physical access to their victim’s iPhone can set up Phone Link with their own Windows PC and spy on their iMessages and phone calls without the victim’s knowledge.

Cyberstalking of this type can be extremely harmful as it could be used by abusive partners, parents, or friends to track a victim’s location.

Moreover, the report suggested that users routinely check what Bluetooth devices their iPhone automatically pairs with, and if they don’t recognise one, they can unpair their device via Settings.

To unpair, open ‘Settings’ then tap ‘Bluetooth’, then tap the icon next to the unknown device and finally tap the ‘Forget This Device’ option.