Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
WARNING! iPhone Takes Screenshots & Stores Everything You Do!
- Thread starter Big Mac Genius
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
Yawn...About a month late...
...and it was even posted here in the forums about a month ago.
If this was such a big issue, it wouldn't have been posted by some no-name douche on YouTube. It would've been all over the New York Times, USA Today, MacWorld, etc. etc.
By the way, after the first 8 seconds nearly put me to sleep, I closed the window. Now I don't have to count sheep tonight.
By the way, after the first 8 seconds nearly put me to sleep, I closed the window. Now I don't have to count sheep tonight.
Let's think about this for a second, shall we?
The iPhone takes screenshots on a regular basis that show what you're doing, and the concern is that while the iPhone presumably deletes those screenshots after they've been used (otherwise it would fill up the phone's memory) digital files are not that easily erased, and so they could be recovered so someone could see what you were doing on your iPhone.
What are the screenshots of, though? Why, they're of digital data! If you're going to plunder the iPhone (or your computer, or any other digital device) for old data, you'll find something whether there was a screenshot taken of it or not.
This is a whole lot less scary than the inevitable dozen spyware programs on every computer that's running a version of Windows older than XP SP2 (and some of the newer ones too), that are intentionally looking in on you!
The iPhone takes screenshots on a regular basis that show what you're doing, and the concern is that while the iPhone presumably deletes those screenshots after they've been used (otherwise it would fill up the phone's memory) digital files are not that easily erased, and so they could be recovered so someone could see what you were doing on your iPhone.
What are the screenshots of, though? Why, they're of digital data! If you're going to plunder the iPhone (or your computer, or any other digital device) for old data, you'll find something whether there was a screenshot taken of it or not.
This is a whole lot less scary than the inevitable dozen spyware programs on every computer that's running a version of Windows older than XP SP2 (and some of the newer ones too), that are intentionally looking in on you!
You mean it stores my apps, and contacts, and calendar, and more, Oh my!
Old story. Then take a screenshot so when you open up an app/app section, it'll show you the last given state via a screenshot, load the app in the background, then give you touch control once it's ready. Hence something will show, but won't necessarily respond instantly (e.g. contacts, when wanting to flick through them once you've just opened the app).
Nothing major. The screenshots are stored locally.
Unless you're really shifty/using the phone for illegal uses...
I'd be more concerned with the number of people who haven't put a screen lock password on their phone...
Old story. Then take a screenshot so when you open up an app/app section, it'll show you the last given state via a screenshot, load the app in the background, then give you touch control once it's ready. Hence something will show, but won't necessarily respond instantly (e.g. contacts, when wanting to flick through them once you've just opened the app).
Nothing major. The screenshots are stored locally.
Unless you're really shifty/using the phone for illegal uses...
I'd be more concerned with the number of people who haven't put a screen lock password on their phone...
You have limited storage space too. How much could it store and how far back? If it constantly stored data like pictures and you have the phone for an extended period you would eventually run out of storage space. Wouldn't you?
Why a screenshot, anyway?
My understanding is that the screen shot is taken when you press the home button, solely for the purpose of creating the 'shrinking screen' animation that you see when you go from any app back to the home screen. Big deal. Even if the phone (or iPod Touch) stores more than the most recent one, like other people have said it can only keep so many (for memory purposes), and frankly, if someone was dissecting mine to the point that they could get to these screenshots I'd be more concerned about the fact that they had access to my phone at all.
My understanding is that the screen shot is taken when you press the home button, solely for the purpose of creating the 'shrinking screen' animation that you see when you go from any app back to the home screen. Big deal. Even if the phone (or iPod Touch) stores more than the most recent one, like other people have said it can only keep so many (for memory purposes), and frankly, if someone was dissecting mine to the point that they could get to these screenshots I'd be more concerned about the fact that they had access to my phone at all.
How can I access my iPhone this way and retrieve or view the screen shot images? I'm curious to look around and see what I've been doing.
This could also be a cool tool with a use similar to Time Capsule. It could be used as a BackUp system, so when you delete an image, or file - If you ever want to find that again yo can when you connect it to your computer. As to the privacy factor... I could care less. I'm not doing anything illegal and don't plan to anytime soon.
This could also be a cool tool with a use similar to Time Capsule. It could be used as a BackUp system, so when you delete an image, or file - If you ever want to find that again yo can when you connect it to your computer. As to the privacy factor... I could care less. I'm not doing anything illegal and don't plan to anytime soon.
it's a shame that this is the second time this week that I had to do this.
It seems to be a more common and reoccurring event lately...
Man, this means Apple is gonna know how much porn I look at on my iPhone.
I can just imagine the forensic analysts copying down website URLs to have for later.
Seriously though, I wouldn't worry about this unless you are a drug dealer or rapist or a terrorist
or will be committing crimes on a regular basis. I'm actually glad that the information has helped to catch law breakers mentioned in the video.