Apple’s New Predictive Text Apparently Reveals Passwords

Apple customers may be feeling especially protective of their personal information, given the recent questions surrounding the iCloud’s security. What then to make of QuickType, Apple’s new predictive text keyboard for iOS8?

The keyboard is wonderfully creepy. It studies your typing patterns across your iPhone and then suggests what words to type next, contextualizing based on whether it’s a text or an email and who you’re messaging with. If you text a certain person a certain way, QuickType should recognize it and adjust its suggestions accordingly. It works in a number of languages other than English.

The technology is cool (though not new—other companies have created similar keyboards before) but now it’s raising fears. A number of iPhone users have reported that QuickType is offering their own passwords as suggestions:

W T F - iOS 8's fancy typing prediction offers one of my passwords as prediction. (Not a regular word)

— Stefan Esser (@i0n1c) September 23, 2014

iOS 8 QuickType just suggested a password I use that isn’t a real word, and that I’ve never typed into a message. That’s a little troubling.

— Noah St. Amand (@noah_st_amand) September 19, 2014

#Apple #ios8 I have seen passwords I have typed come up in predictive text #wow #unsecure #dangerous

— Tommy (@TommyEverett1) September 18, 2014

Another iPhone user on the Apple support forums claimed that whenever he types in his username, QuickType will suggest that the password paired with that username be typed next.

The concern is that if anyone else gets hold of your iPhone, that person potentially could find out your passwords simply by using QuickType in a text or email. It’s unclear if Apple is aware of the matter. Quartz has reached out to the company for comment. This story will be updated with any response from Apple.

Reprinted with permission from Quartz. The original story can be found here.