Apple responds to iPhone texting fears, says use iMessage

Apple has responded to worries that its iPhone suffers from a texting-related security flaw, advising customers to use its own iMessage service instead.

Last week an iOS security researcher by the name of pod2g claimed to have discovered an issue with the way the iPhone handles text messages, that would make it possible for someone to send you a message that appeared to be from one of your contacts.

Apple's solution? Use its own iMessage tool to chat to your chums instead of SMS. Cook and co told the Loop, "When using iMessage instead of SMS, addresses are verified which protects against these kinds of spoofing attacks".

The iPad-spawning company strongly implies that the glitch is an error inherent with SMS technology, and not with its own device, sermonising, "One of the limitations of SMS is that it allows messages to be sent with spoofed addresses to any phone.

"We urge customers to be extremely careful if they're directed to an unknown website or address over SMS."

Fair enough, though I'm reminded of one of pod2g's original points, which was that a phone could display both the address that a text came from, and the address it's set to reply to, which might make it clear when someone's trying to meddle with your security.

iMessage is Apple's own-brand texting service that, once turned on, automatically replaces texts on Apple-branded gadgets. You can only send iMessages to other iOS devices.

Are you satisfied with Apple's response? Is the texting security panic a storm in a teacup, or should tech companies do more to keep your messages secure? Let me know in the comments or on our Facebook wall.