Apple has released iOS and iPadOS updates to fix a Notification Services flaw that could keep notifications marked for deletion on iPhones and iPads, affecting devices including iPhone 11 and later and several iPad models.
KEY FACTS
- Issue The bug, tracked as CVE-2026-28950, involved notifications being unexpectedly retained on-device.
- Fix Apple said the problem was addressed with improved data redaction.
- Impact The flaw affected multiple iPhone and iPad generations, with fixes split across iOS 26.4.2, iPadOS 26.4.2, iOS 18.7.8 and iPadOS 18.7.8.
- Context The update came after reports that Signal message copies were extracted from an iPhone notification history database.
Apple said in an advisory that notifications marked for deletion could be unexpectedly retained on the device. The company did not assign a CVSS score to the flaw.
The fix covers iPhone 11 and later, along with a range of iPad Pro, iPad Air, iPad mini and standard iPad models. Older devices, including iPhone XR and iPhone XS models, were included in a separate update track.
The disclosure follows reporting that the FBI forensically extracted copies of incoming Signal messages from a defendant’s iPhone in a case tied to the Prairieland ICE detention center attack. The report said the messages were recovered from the device’s push notification database even after the app was deleted.
Signal said no action was needed for its users on iOS beyond installing the Apple patch. It said the update removes inadvertently preserved notifications and stops deleted apps from leaving future copies behind.
Apple has not said when the bug was introduced. It is also unclear whether similar data had been captured in earlier cases using forensic tools.
WHY IT MATTERS
The issue shows that notification data can remain on a device even after a user tries to delete it, which may matter in law enforcement searches and other physical-access scenarios. For users who rely on encrypted messaging, the update reduces the risk that old notification copies could be recovered from iPhones and iPads.