Calif team demonstrates hack of iPhone 18 Pro with Lockdown Mode enabled

In the recording, the smartphone owner accepts the document, after which the jailbreak—the removal of iOS system restrictions—begins. The device is then updated to iOS 27.2: after a reboot, the hack persists, and the settings display the latest version of the system. The team accompanied their video with the caption: "Lockdown Mode helps until it stops helping."

Calif did not disclose which vulnerabilities were used or exactly how the attack unfolds. It is also unclear whether the hack could be replicated on a smartphone where iOS 27.2 was installed from the start: in the demonstration, the jailbreak was carried out on an earlier version, with the system only updated afterward. As Kod.ru reports, the team previously stated that it reports discovered bugs to Apple and does not intend to release a jailbreak tool for regular users.

Lockdown Mode is designed for individuals who might be targeted by sophisticated spyware attacks. In this mode, the iPhone blocks most types of message attachments, restricts certain web technologies, blocks FaceTime calls from strangers, and removes location data from photos. In March 2026, Apple told TechCrunch that it was not aware of any successful spyware attacks against devices running this mode.

Back in October, at the Hexacon conference in Paris, the team showed how an iPhone could be hacked via a PDF file sent through Signal and iMessage, and also announced a jailbreak for iOS 27.0.1. In both instances, the victim must accept or open the file themselves, meaning these attacks do not fall under the zero-click category.