Unbelievable: Apple can track you even when your iphone battery is died

Apple iPhone 5S users take note – even when your phone battery dies, the handset can still track your every move.

This is because when a battery dies, the phone keeps a small amount of power in reserve, meaning its low-energy chip can carry on collecting data from built-in motion sensors.

It can’t track location, however, but it can reveal how many steps a user takes, or establish whether a phone was still being carried around when used with select, third-party apps.


HOW DOES THE IPHONE 5S TRACK MOVEMENT?

When Apple launched the iPhone 5S, it added what’s called a ‘companion’ chip, dubbed M7.

The M7 collects data from sensors including the accelerometer, gyroscope and compasses.

These sensors can detect motion and are used by a variety of apps including fitness trackers, and maps.

It was designed to take this data collection task from the central processing unit (CPU) to help preserve battery and speed up the processors.

Each of the motion sensors are classed as ‘low-energy’, which means the M7 can continue to collect data from them using the battery reserve.

The M7 does not collect data from the GPS unit, though, because this unit takes up a lot of power and is handled by a separate chip.

All the data the M7 collects is encrypted and removed after seven days.

It also can't be accessed by Apple's built-in apps - only by apps developed by third parties.

The feature was discovered by Reddit user Glarznak while travelling abroad.

After four days without charge, Glarznak found that when he turned his iPhone back on, the number of steps he had taken during those four days had been recorded on a pedometer app he had installed.