On Wednesday, April 22, an unexpected software update arrived for iPhone and iPad that fixed a bug that kept private messages accessible even after being deleted.
Apple Safety Notice for the updateTitled CVE-2026-28950, it says it fixes an issue where “notifications marked for deletion could be unexpectedly retained on the device.”
The brand did not explain why it is pushing this change through an out-of-band security update, but it remains 404 media Earlier this month it reported that the FBI extracted deleted Signal messages received on an iPhone. The report cites several people who were present during FBI testimony at a recent trial.
The case involved a Signal user who had deleted his messages and the app from his iPhone, but the FBI recovered previews of incoming messages displayed on the phone’s home screen from its push notification database. It allowed the FBI to read selected parts of a conversation, but did not provide access to messages sent from the device.
It is unclear whether this is standard practice for US authorities or whether it is specific to this case.
In a statement on social networks. unknownSignal said: “We are very pleased that Apple issued a patch and security advisory today.” Signal’s pressure on this issue is believed to have pushed Apple to fix the issue, as the brand’s CEO Meredith Whittaker previously said. saying Signal asked Apple to make a change.
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Signal’s latest statement reads: “We are grateful to Apple for the quick action here and for understanding and acting on the risks of this type of issue. An ecosystem is needed to preserve the fundamental human right to private communication.”
You will receive this update on your smartphone or tablet if you are running the latest iOS 26.4.2 or iPadOS 26.4.2 software. Those with iOS 18.7.8 software will also get the changebut Apple hasn’t made any changes for devices with older software, so be aware if it’s out of date.
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