I am mortified: An iPhone user sent sensitive pictures to a strangers phone after making this simple iMessage mistake heres how to avoid the same fate

Date:
Mon, 06 Jul 2026 19:00:00 +0000

Description:
An iPhone user accidentally sent sensitive texts to the wrong person after their partner made one key mistake.

FULL STORY ======================================================================Copy link Facebook X Whatsapp Reddit Pinterest Flipboard Threads Email Share this article 0 Join the conversation Follow us Add us as a preferred source on Google Newsletter Subscribe to our newsletter A mistake meant an iPhone user sent sensitive texts to the wrong person Their partners phone number was associated with the wrong device The error happened when their partner didnt properly reset their iPhone When you sell an old iPhone , do you really know that its been fully wiped and disconnected from all your accounts? Because if you dont, the consequences could be terrible as one unfortunate Redditor has just vividly demonstrated. This particular story should come as a warning to any iPhone user who is thinking of getting rid of their device.

The Reddit thread in question has the alarming headline of "I may have accidentally been texting a child instead of my boyfriend?" It includes screenshots that show a conversation with someone who claimed that You have the wrong number. This is a childs phone. Worse, the original poster confided that the messages erroneously sent to the childs device included sensitive pictures and sensitive messages. I am mortified, they revealed. Latest Videos From Watch full video here:

It appears that this mix-up could be the result of the poster's partner not fully resetting their iPhone and disconnecting it from their Messages account
something Apple specifically advises you to do if you sell an iPhone and replace it with an Android device .

As a result, messages that were sent to their partner's number were directed to their old device, not their new one, resulting in the humiliating
situation they described. And interestingly, this appears to be a problem explicitly linked to switching from an iPhone to an Android device. You may like She handed a repair tech her iPhone and then the worst happened here's how to protect your data and yourself iPhone age verification hits some
people who live outside affected regions A weird bug is eating over 100GB of iPhone storage heres how to fix it Heres what you can do (Image credit: Future | Michael Allison) Luckily, there are a few ways to avoid falling into a similar situation yourself. And its important that you get it right. If you dont, not only is the potential for embarrassment high, it could put your privacy and even your financial data at risk if you accidentally send it to the wrong person.

If youre about to sell your old iPhone and replace it with an Android alternative, the first thing youll want to do is back up your device . This
is so youve got a way to restore your iPhone if anything goes wrong. You can back up your phone to your computer, a Mac or a PC just follow Apples instructions and youll be set. Get daily insight, inspiration and deals in your inbox Sign up for breaking news, reviews, opinion, top tech deals, and more. Contact me with news and offers from other Future brands Receive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsors By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.

The next step is to deregister iMessage . Ensure your SIM card is in your old iPhone and youre connected to a cellular network, then open the Settings app and go to Apps > Messages . There, disable the toggle next to iMessage to
turn it off. Finally, if you got rid of the iPhone before you could
deregister iMessage, Apple has a special web page where you can carry out the process safely.

There are other steps youll need to consider. First, go to Apps > FaceTime in the Settings app and turn off the toggle next to FaceTime . If youve got an Apple Watch , it should be unpaired , and if youre subscribed to AppleCare+, youll need to transfer that to your new device or cancel your coverage .
Then, sign out of your Apple Account by navigating to Settings > [Your Name]

Sign Out .

Once all thats complete, there are still a few steps youll need to do before your iPhone is fully reset (assuming you havent already disposed of it). Open the Settings app and head to General, scroll to the bottom, then tap Transfer or Reset iPhone > Erase All Content and Settings . Follow the on-screen prompts and your iPhone will be completely reset to factory settings.

Finally, the very last thing to do is to remove your old iPhone from your
list of trusted devices in your Apple Account. Once thats done, youll be safe to get rid of it.

Remember these tips when it comes time to move on from your old iPhone, especially if youre going to replace it with an Android device. Otherwise,
you could end up in the unfortunate position of sending texts to an unwitting recipient along with all the potentially sensitive material those messages might contain. Follow TechRadar on Google News and add us as a preferred source to get our expert news, reviews, and opinion in your feeds. Todays
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Link to news story: https://www.techradar.com/phones/i-am-mortified-an-iphone-user-sent-sensitive- pictures-to-a-strangers-phone-after-making-this-simple-imessage-mistake-heres- how-to-avoid-the-same-fate


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