The new bug is not about a botched up functionality but it is something that can be used to spy on others notifications. You can simply set the “Show Previews” feature set to display only “When unlocked.” This will hide the content of your notifications on the lock screen. This, however, can be bypassed by using Siri. According to Mac Magazine Siri was able to read out hidden messages from third-party apps like Signal and WhatsApp on iPhone X and iPhone 8 Plus, both of which are running the latest iOS 11.2.6. I tried out the same on my iPhone 7 also running the latest iOS and Siri read out all my hidden messages on notifications without unlocking my phone. In my case, Siri could not only read messages from Signal and WhatsApp but also from Gmail and other third-party app notifications. That being said, this issue only seems to affect third-party apps since Siri didn’t read out SMS notifications. This is a serious bug since it effectively removes a layer of security. Recently a hacker had demoed how he could break into a Windows PC by using Cortana. Such design flaws in Digital Assistants will only make it more dangerous and thus override the usability. Apple has already issued a statement that says it is “aware” of the bug and is currently working on a fix. They further assured that the same will be fixed in the upcoming software update. As of now, you can fix this issue by disabling Siri while your iOS device is locked.
