'Don't send message': FBI warns of texting risks between iPhones and Androids

The FBI is warning people against texting between iPhones and Androids due to ongoing cyberattacks. The agency says messages sent from iPhone to Android and vice versa can be intercepted by hackers, the Mirror reported.

The warning came days after reports of a large-scale Chinese espionage campaign in which phone data of over million Americans are said to have been scooped up by the hackers including that of a cabinet secretary and a White House Homeland Security Adviser.

Hackers have reportedly accessed call and text metadata, and in some cases, message content too.


The FBI has now advised people to switch to encrypted messaging apps like WhatsApp to send messages. The agency said it is still investigating the cyberattack, the full extent of which is still not known.

In September, FBI had discoveed malware on over 200,000 devices, including cameras and routers. China denies US accusations of cyberespionage. A Chinese embassy spokesperson in Washington D.C. called the allegations “disinformation,” adding that China "firmly opposes and combats all kinds of cyber attacks.”

Earlier ABC News claimed that the hackers exploited vulnerabilities in US computer routers used by major telecommunications companies like Verizon, AT&T, and Lumen Technologies. This gave them access to customer phone numbers. The operation went undetected for months, possibly over a year.