Apple Makes iCloud Safari Bookmarks End-To-End Encrypted [Updated]

Apple has toggled end-to-end encryption for Safari bookmarks in iCloud, further expanding the type of user data that the company fully encrypts, offering the highest level of privacy and data protection.

apple privacy
Spotted on Reddit, an update to Apple's "iCloud security overview" page has indicated that alongside Safari tabs and history, Safari bookmarks are now end-to-end encrypted, meaning no one, not even Apple, can access users' saved Safari bookmarks. Based on the timing of the update, Apple likely did this change around the release of iOS and iPadOS 15. Apple didn't respond to a request for comment.

With Safari bookmarks now an added data point that's end-to-end encrypted, what remains not end-to-end encrypted is worth noting. ‌iCloud‌ backups, for example, are only protected using 128-bit AES encryption, alongside Photos, Reminders, Notes, and more. In recent months, Apple has come under pressure to make iCloud Photos and ‌iCloud‌ backups fully end-to-end encrypted, but the company has yet to make those changes.

Update Following our report from yesterday, Apple has updated its support page to indicate that Safari bookmarks are not actually end-to-end encrypted, and instead just protected using a standard "minimum of 128-bit AES encryption." While bookmarks remain not end-to-end encrypted, Safari Tab Groups now are.

Popular Stories

New Things Your iPhone Can Do in iOS 18

20 New Things Your iPhone Can Do in iOS 18.2

Monday December 16, 2024 8:55 am PST by
Apple released iOS 18.2 in the second week of December, bringing the second round of Apple Intelligence features to iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 16 models. This update brings several major advancements to Apple's AI integration, including completely new image generation tools and a range of Visual Intelligence-based enhancements. Apple has added a handful of new non-AI related feature controls as...
apple tv 4k yellow bg feature

New Apple TV Rumored to Launch Next Year With These Features

Tuesday December 17, 2024 9:02 am PST by
The current Apple TV 4K was released more than two years ago, so the streaming device is becoming due for a hardware upgrade soon. Fortunately, it was recently rumored that a new Apple TV will launch at some point next year. Below, we recap rumors about the next-generation Apple TV. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman last week reported that Apple has been working on its own combined Wi-Fi and...
iphone 16 apple intelligence

Apple Drops Plans for iPhone Hardware Subscription Service

Wednesday December 18, 2024 11:39 am PST by
Apple is no longer planning to launch a hardware subscription service that would let customers "subscribe" to get a new iPhone each year, reports Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. Gurman first shared rumors about Apple's work on a hardware subscription service back in 2022, and at the time, he said that Apple wanted to develop a simple system that would allow customers to pay a monthly fee to gain...
iPhone 17 Pro Dual Tone Feature 1

iPhone 17 Pro Rumored to Stick With 'Triangular' Camera Design

Wednesday December 18, 2024 2:36 am PST by
Contrary to recent reports, the iPhone 17 Pro will not feature a horizontal camera layout, according to the leaker known as "Instant Digital." In a new post on Weibo, the leaker said that a source has confirmed that while the appearance of the back of the iPhone 17 Pro has indeed changed, the layout of the three cameras is "still triangular," rather than the "horizontal bar spread on the...
elevation lab airtag battery

Your AirTag's Battery Will Last for Up to 10 Years With Elevation Lab's New TimeCapsule Enclosure

Wednesday December 18, 2024 10:05 am PST by
Elevation Lab today announced the launch of TimeCapsule, an innovative and simple solution for increasing the battery life of Apple's AirTag. Priced at $20, TimeCapsule is an AirTag enclosure that houses two AA batteries that offer 14x more battery capacity than the CR2032 battery that the AirTag runs on. It works by attaching the AirTag's upper housing to the built-in custom contact in the...
Apple TV 4K hero 221018 feature

Here is Everything New for the Apple TV in the tvOS 18.3 Update So Far

Tuesday December 17, 2024 6:25 am PST by
Apple on Monday seeded the first tvOS 18.3 beta to developers for testing. The update will likely be released in January. So far, there are only minor changes for the Apple TV, with one new feature and a few code changes discovered. Below, we outline what is new in tvOS 18.3 so far. Robot Vacuum Support in Home App First, tvOS 18.3 will add robot vacuum support to the Home app on the...
blackmagic vision pro

Blackmagic Debuts $30K 3D Camera for Capturing Video for Vision Pro

Monday December 16, 2024 4:17 pm PST by
Blackmagic today announced that its URSA Cine Immersive camera is now available for pre-order, with deliveries set to start late in the first quarter of 2025. Blackmagic says that this is the world's first commercial camera system designed to capture 3D content for the Vision Pro. The URSA Cine Immersive camera was first introduced in June, but it has not been available for purchase until...
iPhone 17 Slim Feature

'iPhone 17 Air' With 'Major' Design Changes and 19-Inch MacBook Detailed in New Report

Sunday December 15, 2024 9:47 am PST by
Apple is planning a series of "major design" and "format changes" for iPhones over the next few years, according to The Wall Street Journal's Aaron Tilley and Yang Jie. The paywalled report published today corroborated the widely-rumored "iPhone 17 Air" with an "ultrathin" design that is thinner than current iPhone models. The report did not mention a specific measurement, but previous...

Top Rated Comments

DinkThifferent Avatar
42 months ago
*Looks over newspaper from comfortable chair*

They hadn't done that already?
Score: 23 Votes (Like | Disagree)
TFK. Avatar
42 months ago
We need a higher option iCloud storage.. A 200GB to a 2TB is a big jump in cost.. We need a middle ground @Apple
Score: 12 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Sammy in SoCal Avatar
42 months ago
“In recent months, Apple has come under pressure to make iCloud Photos and iCloud backups fully end-to-end encrypted, but the company has yet to make those changes.”

RIGHT. Because they’re still in a holding pattern to completely invade the privacy of those things. What’s it called again? CSCAM?
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Cybbe Avatar
42 months ago
Fine. Now please find a way of encrypting iMessage in the cloud. That's where there are serious privacy implications as Apple, and by extension any government authority, has full access.
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
antiprotest Avatar
42 months ago

Yes, if you use iCloud Photos.

Which one do you prefer:

a) In-device hash check (it’s NOT image recognition) and fully encrypted iCloud

or

b) No in-device hash check but having the check done in iCloud instead which means that you can’t have fully encrypted iCloud.

?
c) Truly end to end encrypted so Apple can't see them. But I guess that's never going to happen.
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Danoc Avatar
42 months ago
I can now bookmark infowars.com in peace. ?
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)